Author's Note: Yikes. Sorry everybody. This chapter took WAAAYY too long for me to get out. A lot of dumb stuff happened which prevented me from writing for a while, but I'm back now. Future chapters will not take this long, I promise. Anyway... Enjoy Chapter 23!
PS: The song in this chapter is A Thousand Years by Christina Perri
CHAPTER 23
Emma Swan sat in the hospital waiting room with her parents, Henry, and Hook. It had been over an hour since Shae and Remus had been taken into the emergency room, and they all waited anxiously for news on their condition. All of their heads were spinning, and they couldn't believe that Shae and Remus had actually made it out of The Underworld alive. What had them the most baffled was that they were now, somehow, human.
"How do you think they did it?" Henry asked of his mother, voicing the question that was on everyone's minds.
"I don't know." Emma muttered, slowly rising to her feet when she spotted Dr. Whale heading toward them. "But I think we're about to find out."
"Whale!" David exclaimed as he and the others leapt to their feet as well. "What's going on? Are they alright?"
"Fine, they're both fine. Still out cold." Whale replied with a swift nod. "I ran some tests and did some scans, and they both appear to be perfectly healthy, other than some dehydration and malnutrition. It's as if they haven't eaten or drank anything in… Days."
"Try centuries." Hook said with a chuckle.
"Can we see them?" Asked Emma.
"You can." Answered Whale, nodding some more. "Their brain scans showed no signs of comas, so they should be waking up any time now."
They all said their thanks to Dr. Whale, and rushed off down the hall toward the room where Remus and Shae were being kept. They found both the former vampires lying in hospitals beds with IV fluids hooked up to their arms. They both were wearing the same clothes that they had when they leapt through the portal to The Underworld. One of the sleeves of Shae's black leather jacket was still torn completely off, and she now had a scar running down her bare arm, where there had once been a large gash from her fight with Dracula.
"My god." David muttered, his eyes wide. "I don't believe it. It's really them."
"I don't understand." Mary Margaret whispered, her eyes just as wide as her husband's. "How did they even get here?"
"On the back of some lightning bolts, it looked like." Emma replied with a bemused chuckle.
Hook chuckled as well. "Noisy, dangerous, and excessively dramatic. Seems awfully fitting for the two of them, doesn't it?"
Emma nodded in agreement, watching as Henry slowly walked over to Shae's bed, and sat down beside her on the edge of it. "They really are human." He whispered quietly, his eyes full of wonder.
Henry reached for Shae's hand, and, as soon as his hand touched hers, Shae's now ice blue eyes snapped open. They all gasped as she sat bolt upright in her bed, drawing in a deep, shuddering gasp. Henry cried out in alarm as Shae's arm shot out like a bullet, and she grabbed him roughly by the front of his shirt, her blue eyes wide and wild.
"Shae!" Henry exclaimed. "Shae, it's me! I-It's Henry!"
Shae blinked several times, her chest heaving. "H-Henry?" She stammered, brow furrowed in confusion. She then realized that she was still clinging to Henry's shirt, and she quickly released him. "Oh! Oh god! Henry, I-I'm so sorry!"
"It's ok." Henry replied with a smile, his eyes glistening with grateful tears. "I'm just glad you're back."
"We all are." Emma said, smiling as well.
Shae's eyes grew wide once again when she noticed the others gathered in her room. "Back?" She muttered. "Wait a minute… What the hell is going on? Where am I? I… I-I feel… Weird."
"Shae, it's alright, just stay calm." Mary Margaret said gently. "You're in the hospital."
"H-Hospital?" Shae stammered. She then glanced down at her arm, and nearly leapt out of her skin at the sight of the IV in her arm. "GAH! WHAT? What the fuck is that? Get it out! GET IT OUT!"
"SHAE, NO-" Emma shouted.
Before Emma or anyone else could do anything, Shae ripped the IV right from her arm. For a split second, she sat there in her bed, staring wide eyed down at her arm. She shifted her gaze over to Emma and the others, then back down again. Blood slowly began to trickle out of the hole in the crook of her elbow, and her mouth gaped open in horror.
"AAAHHH!"
Henry leapt off of the bed in alarm, stumbling backward and onto the floor as Shae flew in to a full on panic. "OW! Holy shit, that HURTS!" Shae shrieked, her eyes wide and wild once again. "I'm bleeding! I'm… I-I'm bleeding? WHAT? HOW? Oh god… I can't breathe… I-I'm… WHAT?"
Emma rushed over to Shae's bed, and sat down next to her, clapping her hands on either side of her now olive toned face. "Shae! Shae, look at me!" She shouted over Shae's ragged and panicked breathing. "Just stay calm, ok? You're human now. You're not a vampire anymore. You're human."
"H-Human?" Shae stammered. "W-What? I don't-"
"Hey!" David called out from the other side of the room. "Looks like Remus is waking up too."
The others all whirled around as David knelt down on the side of Remus's bed. Remus was stirring weakly, and he slowly blinked his now green eyes open. "Oh… Prince Charming." He mumbled, grinning groggily up at David. "Oh, if this is a dream, I hope I never wake."
David chuckled, glancing over his shoulder at the others. "Well, at least he's still his same old self."
"Remus!"
Shae tumbled from her bed, and staggered shakily over to Remus's. David grunted as Shae shoved him roughly out of her way, and sat down on the edge of the bed. "Shae?" Remus muttered, slowly sitting forward. "What's wrong with you? You look… Strange."
"I'm human." Shae whispered, staring wide eyed into Remus's eyes. "You're human. We're both… Human."
"What?" Remus muttered. He then glanced down at his own two hands, his own eyes growing wide. He then placed two fingers to his neck, and a smile slowly stretched across his face. "My god… You're right! M-My… My heartbeat! I have a heartbeat!"
"I know! Me too!" Shae said excitedly. "Look! I'm even bleeding!"
Remus gasped as Shae held out her arm. "That's wonderful!"
"So, how did you guys do it?" Henry asked them, posing the question that was on all their minds. "How'd you even get out of The Underworld?"
Both Shae and Remus's smiles faded from their faces, and Shae's arm dropped limply back to her side. "I… Don't know." She muttered.
"What?" Asked Mary Margaret. "What do you mean, you don't know?"
"Remus, what's the last thing you remember?" Shae asked in a rush.
Remus pursed his lips, staring down into his lap as he thought. "Falling through the portal with Dracula." He answered quietly. "Then… Waking up here."
"Yeah… Me too." Shae whispered.
"Seriously?" Emma exclaimed, raising her eyebrows in shock. "You guys really don't remember anything else?"
When Shae and Remus both shook their heads, the others all stared wide eyed around at each other. "Bloody hell." Mumbled Hook. "How's that even possible?"
"What the hell is going on?" Asked Emma, turning her wide, hazel green eyes back onto the two former vampires. "What happened to you guys?"
XXXXX
"Remus? REMUS?"
"Here… I'm here."
Shae scrambled up onto her feet, her whole body still trembling from the fall through the portal. She spun wildly in her spot, peering through the trees that were surrounding her. Finally, she stopped when she spotted Remus staggering to his feet as well.
"Are you alright?" She asked as she rushed over to him.
"Fine, I'm fine." Remus muttered, wincing as he rubbed his backside. "Think I might have bruised my bottom on the landing, but otherwise I'm alright."
"At least you landed on your ass." Shae replied with a chuckle. "I landed straight on my head."
Remus chuckled as well. "Well, it's a good thing vampires are nearly indestructible." He paused for a moment to observe his surroundings. "Where do you suppose we are?"
"The Underworld, I guess." Shae answered, shrugging her good shoulder, gingerly cradling her still injured arm in her other. "I have to admit, this isn't one of our greatest plans."
"Yes, well, we were in a bit of pinch, weren't we? What with Dracula floating in the goddamn air and-"
"My lord!"
Remus stopped mid sentence, and he and Shae both whirled around when they heard a sudden shout from behind them. Dracula was lying in the grass a few feet away, being carefully helped up by his ever faithful friend and servant, Lestat.
"Speak of the devil." Growled Shae.
Dracula stared bewilderedly all around him, and he narrowed his blood red eyes at both Remus and Shae once he noticed them. "What is this?" He snarled in a low, dangerous tone. "What have you done? Where have you brought me?"
"Well, since nobody seems to know how exactly to kill you, we've brought you to the one place where you can no longer do any harm." Remus answered with a triumphant grin. "Hell."
"The Underworld, specifically." Shae went on, with a grin of her own. "This is The Underworld, Dracula. It's all over now."
Dracula's eyes flashed with rage, and he balled his hands into fists. Shae and Remus both instinctively widened their stances, and bent their knees, readying themselves for a fight. However, Dracula only emitted a low chuckle, and slowly shook his head at his two old friends.
"Fools." He snarled, a dark and devious grin stretching across his pale gray face. "My pitiful, naive little children. Do you really think even the powers of hell itself can stop me?"
All Remus and Shae had time to do was gasp in alarm as Dracula threw out his arm toward them. They stood rigid in their spots, their bodies tensed, their eyes shut tight. But nothing happened. They both slowly, carefully, peeled their eyes back open, and found Dracula staring bewilderedly at his own hand.
"No magic?" Lestat asked in a whisper, his own blood red eyes wide.
"What do we do?" Remus whispered to Shae.
"Uhhh…" Shae droned. "Run… RUN!"
Remus and Shae both sprinted off into the forest surrounding them, away from Dracula and Lestat. "AFTER THEM!" They heard Dracula roar.
They ran as fast as their legs could carry them, finding that they also no longer had access to their vampiric powers. They were both frightened and confused, but sure of what they needed to do in that very moment. They needed to get away from the ancient and enraged vampires that were chasing them. Then, possibly, they could figure out a way to escape The Underworld, and return to the ones that they cared about in the land of the living, the ones that they loved.
Once they were a safe enough distance ahead of both Dracula and Lestat, Shae and Remus quickly ducked behind the trunk of a large tree. They held as still as statues as their pursuers raced past them. Once the sound of their pounding footsteps faded away, they both breathed out sighs of relief.
"Does this forest seem familiar to you at all, or is it just my imagination?" Remus asked of Shae, once he was sure they were alone.
Shae stared all around her, her blood red eyes growing wide when she was finally able to process their surroundings. The sky was a strange, and slightly sinister, shade of deep orange, casting the same glow on all the trees in the forest. It was all a bit distorted, but Remus was right, it was all a bit too familiar.
"Come on." Shae muttered. "This way."
Shae set off at a brisk jog, Remus following silently behind her, too worried and confused to question where exactly his friend was leading him. After several long, quiet moments, they both stopped in their tracks, staring wide eyed down at the ground.
"Is… I-Is this a road?" Remus muttered, tapping his foot against the cement.
"Holy shit… Look…"
Remus followed Shae's pointed finger, and gasped at what he saw; A bright red line painted across the width of the road, a line that was all too familiar. "What the bloody hell?" Remus whispered, his blood red eyes wide. "Shae, what the hell is going on?"
"I don't know." Shae whispered, her own eyes just as gaping wide. "But we need to-"
"There they are!"
Remus and Shae both spun around, and found Dracula and Lestat crashing through the trees and onto the road. "Shit!" Shae swore. "Go! GO!"
They took off running down the road, the other two vampires hot on their heels. Shae took a sharp turn back into the forest, with Remus right behind her. The two of them had done so much running away together in their past, that it was practically instinct. Remus kept in time with Shae's frantic footsteps with expert precision as she wound her way erratically through the trees. Finally, they seemed to have given their pursuers the slip once again. They found their way back onto the mysterious and familiar road, and continued to follow it for a while.
The forest began to thin as they continued on down the road, and, soon, they found themselves in the midst of a modern looking town. Shae and Remus both slowed to a stop, their mouths gaping open as they stared all around them. Though the buildings were cast with the same orange glow from the sky as everything else, they were all still eerily familiar. Crowds of people that neither of the vampires recognized were milling about this way and that, men, women, and children alike. Though the people around them weren't familiar, the road that they were standing in the midst of was, as was the building sitting in front of them. Somehow, they were standing on an exact replica of Main Street Storybrooke. Sitting in front of them, was none other than Granny's Diner.
"Remus…" Shae muttered, unable to believe what her eyes were seeing. "Are you sure you cast the spell right?"
"Positive." Remus muttered back, staring wide eyed at the diner.
Shae swallowed the hard lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. "So… S-So this is… The Underworld?"
"Uh huh." Remus replied with a slow, bewildered nod.
Shae nodded back, swallowing hard once again. She peeled her eyes away from the diner, and turned her head toward her friend. "Remus…" She whispered softly, her blood red eyes filled with fear. "Why the hell does The Underworld look exactly like Storybrooke?"
XXXXX
Emma and the others continued to question Shae and Remus about how exactly they had returned from The Underworld, and how they had somehow become human. However, their efforts were fruitless. Neither of the former vampires remembered a thing. It frightened and confused the both of them, but they didn't have time to dwell on the question of what exactly had returned them to the world of the living, and returned them to mortal life.
The Charming family and Hook quickly brought Remus and Shae up to speed on the situation in Storybrooke, which was, as usual, quite dire. They told them everything, but were careful to leave out the fact that Zelena, the witch who had nearly murdered Shae, was still alive, and pregnant, and that Robin Hood was once again back in Storybrooke. Shae and Remus were both alarmed to learn that The Author had actually been found and freed, only to wind up in the clutches of The Dark One. They were even more shocked when they learned that Gold had left out a crucial part of his plan, and had only spoken about it to his wife, Belle.
Mr. Gold was, in a sense, dying. His heart had been so blackened by the foul deeds he had done over the centuries that the blackness was on the verge of completely consuming him. Once it did, he would lose all ability to love. The man that was once Rumplestiltskin would be no more, and only The Dark One would remain. There would be nothing but darkness left, nothing but evil, and he was going to use The Author to stop it all. He was going to change his very fate, and, in the process, the fate of everyone else in Storybrooke. At that very moment, The Author was writing a new story, creating a new world, one where the villains got everything they wanted, and the heroes got nothing but misery.
"My god." Remus whispered, his blood red eyes wide. "What do we do? H-How do we stop them?"
"I don't think we can." David answered, breathing out a sad, heavy sigh. "We already tried. We saw Gold going into his shop with The Author, but he stopped us from getting anywhere near the place."
"Seriously?" Shae exclaimed with a disbelieving snort. "I thought you said he was weak!"
"He is." Mary Margaret replied, her face grave. "But he's still a hell of a lot stronger than anyone else in this town. Especially now that our two heaviest hitters don't have powers anymore."
Shae exchanged an anxious, knowing glance with Remus, and all failed to notice it, all except for Emma. However, she decided to remain silent. "What about Regina?" Remus asked. "I've seen the things she can do. Surely she can put a stop to all this."
"Where is Regina?" Asked Shae, glancing around at all the others. "I'd… I-I'd really like to see her."
"Oh." Emma whispered, staring wide eyed at her parents. "I, uh… Think we forgot to call her."
Emma reached into the pocket of her red leather jacket, and pulled out her cellphone. She was just about to pull up Regina's number, and jumped when her phone started ringing in her hand. "It's… Regina." She muttered, then put the phone up to her ear. "Hello? I'm at the hospital. Where are you?"
Emma removed her phone from her ear, and frowned down at it. "Did you just-" Mary Margaret started to ask.
"She already hung up on me." Emma cut her off, waving her hand dismissively at her mother. She then turned to Shae. "I guess she's… Already on her way."
"What?" Asked Hook, brow furrowed in confusion. "How?"
Emma simply shrugged, and Henry was the one to answer. "She already knows." He said, smiling at Shae. "It's your true love. She just knows that you're back."
Shae smiled back at him. "You really think so?"
"What else could it be?" Henry replied, shrugging himself.
Shae laughed loudly, and got up from where she had been sitting on Remus's bed. "You're so goddamn smart." She muttered, pulling Henry into a tight hug. "I missed you so much."
Henry laughed too. "I missed you too, Shae."
"I'm more interested in how exactly you two became human." David said, smiling fondly at Shae and his grandson. "What the hell happened to you guys in The Underworld? And why don't you remember?"
Shae breathed out a heavy sigh, releasing Henry and glancing over at Remus. "I have no idea."
XXXXX
"Why does The Underworld look exactly like Storybrooke?"
Remus opened his mouth to respond, but shut it again when he and Shae both heard the sound of shouting from down the street. They turned toward the sound, and spotted Dracula and Lestat shoving their way roughly through a crowd of people, knocking over anyone who stood in their path.
"What do we do?" Remus asked of his friend in a whisper.
"Come on, this way." Shae replied, grabbing Remus by the arm. "I have an idea."
Shae raced off down the street, away from Dracula and Lestat, Remus following carefully behind her. Remus continued to follow her back into the forest, where she wound swiftly through the trees, to throw off their pursuers and buy some time. Once Dracula and Lestat were lost from sight, Shae set a new course, and led Remus out of the main part of town. She was elated when she finally spotted a large mansion sitting atop a small cliff on the outskirts of town. Though this mansion was a bit run down and decrepit, it was nearly an exact replica of the one in the real Storybrooke, the one that belonged to the fabled sorcerer.
"Shae!" Remus exclaimed as he followed his friend into the large backyard of the mansion. "Shae, what the hell is going on? What exactly are you scheming?"
"Well," Shae began with a knowing grin. "If this is really The Underworld, then that-"
Remus gasped in alarm as he stood next to Shae at the edge of the cliff overlooking the ocean. However, this ocean was unlike any body of water either of the vampires had seen before. The water itself was a dark, murky shade of green. What was most alarming were the glowing, fluorescent green shapes that were darting about this way and that within it. They appeared to be humanoid, and some of them even appeared to have faces, haunted, tortured looking faces. There were hundreds of them floating in the water, thousands, even.
"Acheron." Shae stated quietly, a wide grin still stretching across her face. "Better known as The River of Lost Souls."
"'Lost Souls?'" Remus asked, brow furrowed in confusion. "What exactly does that mean?"
"Whoever touches that water gets a fate a whole lot worse than death." Shae explained, pointing down at the waters below them. "They just… Float around in there, no solid form, no way out. They're just… Stuck. Forever."
"My god." Remus whispered, running a hand through his chestnut brown hair. "How exactly do you know about all this?"
"I took a class on Greek Mythology." Shae answered. "I told you, remember? I went to Yale."
"Right… That's right." Muttered Remus. "I've heard good things."
Shae gave him a one armed shrug. "Eh, it was alright. I mostly just drank a lot and smoked a lot of pot. Graduated with a Bachelor's degree though."
"In what?"
"Women's Studies."
Remus rolled his eyes at the grin on Shae's face. "Of course." He said with a chuckle. He then cleared his throat, and gestured at the waters below them. "So, what's the plan, then?"
"Right, well, even without magic, it won't take Dracula long to find us again." Shae replied, shrugging her good shoulder. "Once he does, we'll send him and Lestat into the river, then find a way back home."
"'Back home?'" Remus exclaimed, snorting loudly. "Shae, this is The Underworld! I'm not sure if there even is a way back!"
"No! Don't say that!" Shae shouted, pointing an accusing finger at Remus. "It's like Snow and Charming always say. You gotta have hope. It always finds a way. True love, it… I-It always finds a way."
Remus opened his mouth to retort, but shut it again when he saw the tears welling into his best friend's eyes. He watched with a heavy heart as Shae sat down on the edge of the cliff, wiping at the stray tears that had leaked onto her cheeks. He breathed out a heavy sigh, then sat down next to her.
"I'm sorry, Shae." Remus muttered quietly. "I know you want to get back to Regina. I'm sorry I was so rude to her. I'm just… Protective, is all. Ever since Nadia, I just… I-I want you to be happy."
"I know." Shae muttered back, giving her best friend a weak smile. "I know she's put me through a lot, but I've put her through a lot too. Our relationship has always been… Tumultuous."
"Oh, good word!" Remus said with a grin.
Shae chuckled. "Thanks." She replied, grinning back at him. She then cleared her throat, and turned her eyes back onto the river below them, her grin slowly fading. "I've lost a lot, Remus, we both have. Life has taken so much from us." She whispered softly. "I know what we did was right, but I just… I can't let anything take Regina away from me. I won't. Not anymore." She paused for a moment, clenching her jaw tight as more tears welled into her eyes. "I'll crawl my way out of fucking hell itself if I have to."
"I understand." Mumbled Remus, slowly nodding his head. "You remember Anders, don't you?" When Shae nodded, he went on. "We were so in love." He whispered, smiling a small, wistful smile. "He was the only man I ever loved, really. And when his father found out, when he sent him away, I just… Well, you remember."
"Yeah." Shae whispered sadly. "It was rough. I'm sorry."
"It's alright. It was a long, long time ago." Remus replied, smiling at Shae with tears in his eyes. "I just… Hope he's happy. Somehow, someway."
"I mean… You don't think he's, you know… Dead by now?" Shae asked slowly, carefully.
"Well, you know how long people like him live." Remus replied. They grew quiet for a while, until Remus finally broke the silence between them. "Do you think… D-Do you think all souls come here after they die?"
Shae thought for a moment before she replied. "I'm not sure." She said with a small, one armed shrug. "There's a lot of different versions of the afterlife that people believe in. Since there's a lot of different worlds, it's not hard to believe that there's other places to go besides this one."
"Yes, I suppose you're right." Remus muttered. "But, do you… Do you think that Nadia might be here?"
Shae bit her lip, staring down at the swirling, glowing souls in the waters below. "I don't know." She whispered softly. "I would hope she'd be somewhere better, you know?"
"Oh, but I think this place is quite lovely!"
Remus and Shae gave a start at the sudden voice that spoke from behind them. They both leapt to their feet in alarm. They quickly spun around, and found Dracula standing a few yards behind them near the back porch of the mansion, Lestat at his side.
"I think someone has created a very nice version of your Storybrooke." Dracula went on with a knowing grin. "I actually think I like this one better than the original."
Shae furrowed her brow at Remus, then they both turned their eyes back onto Dracula. "What do you know, Dracula?" Growled Shae.
Dracula barked out a mocking laugh. "Oh, I know everything." He said, tapping a finger to his temple. "It's unfortunate that you two will never know a thing. I'm going to kill you before you find out."
"Fine." Shae snarled. "Do it."
Remus turned his head, staring at Shae with wide, fearful eyes. "What?" He exclaimed.
"Let's finish this!" Shae shouted, taking an angry step forward. "Let's end this once and for all, Dracula!"
"Do it, my lord!" Lestat whispered excitedly. "Rip their filthy hearts right out of their chests!"
Dracula slowly fell back into a battle ready stance, breathing out a low, dangerous chuckle. "With pleasure, my friend."
"COME ON!" Shae bellowed, beckoning Dracula with her good arm. "Come at us!"
"What?" Remus exclaimed again.
Dracula and Lestat both bellowed out furious war cries, and charged head long at Shae and Remus. "Remus, do you trust me?" Shae whispered to her friend.
Remus nodded hastily, keeping his wide, fearful eyes locked on the two vampires rushing toward him. "With my life."
"Good." Shae replied, also carefully watching both Lestat and Dracula. "Don't move until I tell you."
"What?" Remus shouted once more.
Dracula and Lestat were closing in on them, both snarling viciously. "Wait for it." Shae told Remus, falling back into a battle ready stance herself.
"Shae…" Remus muttered as he followed suit.
"Wait for it…" Shae said again, as the two furious vampires drew ever closer, their feet pounding into the grass and dirt.
Dracula and Lestat were mere feet away, and both Shae and Remus could see the redness of their eyes. "SHAE!" Remus screamed.
"NOW!"
Shae and Remus both leapt aside, throwing themselves onto the ground at the very edge of the cliff. They turned their heads around just in time to see Dracula and Lestat attempting to skid to a stop. Lestat stumbled, and screamed in terror as he began to fall over the side. For a moment, both Shae and Remus's stomachs dropped as Dracula managed to successfully stop himself right at the edge. However, Lestat reached out to his friend and master, and grabbed on to his arm as he fell. Suddenly, they were both gone, and there was a faint splash as the ancient and powerful vampires fell into The River of Lost Souls.
"My god." Remus whispered, staring wide eyed at the spot where Dracula had just been. "Shae… Shae, we did it."
Shae nodded as she shakily pushed herself up onto her feet. She grinned triumphantly at Remus, and Remus grinned back at her. Shae opened her mouth to speak, but her words caught in her throat when she felt something grab her by the ankle. She caught a quick glimpse of Dracula's snarling face, before she was dragged over the side of the cliff.
"SHAE!"
Remus threw himself flat on the ground on the edge of the cliff, and managed to grab on to Shae's hand. Shae smacked painfully against the rocky side of the cliff, and she blinked dazedly for a moment. She then turned her eyes down, and saw Dracula clinging to her ankle, his blood red eyes wide and wild with fury.
"If this is the final chapter of our story, then it ends with THE BOTH OF US!" Dracula screamed.
"Shae!" Remus shouted, panic in his voice as his body was dragged forward by the weight of both Shae and Dracula. "Shae, give me your other hand!"
Shae grunted and groaned as she tried to lift her injured arm. "I can't!" She shouted up at Remus. "It's… I-It's dislocated!"
Remus cried out in alarm as he was dragged forward another inch, and he dug his free hand into the dirt, clinging to cliff as he held on desperately to his beloved friend. "I can't hold on!" He shouted, Shae's hand slowly slipping through his grip.
"It's ok, Remus! Just let go!" Shae shouted back, her voice cracking as tears began to pour down her panicked face. "Just… Just promise me you'll find a way back! Promise me you'll take care of Regina!"
"NO!" Remus screamed, frightened tears rushing down his own pale face. "Till the end, remember?"
"Remus…" Shae whispered, her already wide eyes growing even wider. "No… NO!"
Remus wrenched his hand from the grass and dirt. Dracula screamed in part fury, part terror as Remus slipped over the side of the cliff. Shae and Remus both clung desperately to each other's hands as they fell. They squeezed their eyes shut as the glowing green souls in the water rushed up to meet them.
XXXXX
Emma Swan paced the length of the hospital waiting room. She had left Remus and Shae in the care of her parents, Hook, and Henry, while she waited for Regina to arrive. Her heart pounded in her chest as she pondered what exactly Gold and The Author were planning for the people of Storybrooke at that very moment. However, she had little time to worry about the town's impending doom, as the waiting room doors burst open, and Regina rushed in.
Emma smiled when she saw Regina, but her smile quickly disappeared when she spotted Robin Hood following close behind her. "What's he doing here?" Emma asked of Regina.
"It's fine, we were just talking." Regina said in a rush. She then gripped Emma's hands tight, staring urgently into her eyes. "It's Shae, she's back, isn't she?"
"Uh… Yeah, her and Remus." Emma muttered, brow furrowed in confusion. "How did you know?"
Regina shook her head, and Emma realized that her hands were trembling. "I… I-I don't know. I just… Felt it." She muttered. "Here, look."
Emma watched in alarm as Regina reached into her own chest, grunting in pain as she magically removed her own heart. "Holy shit." Emma whispered, her hazel green eyes growing wide. "It's… Whole."
Regina nodded, grunting once again as she shoved her now complete heart back into her own chest. "Is Shae here?" She asked of Emma, squeezing her hands tight, her own trembling violently. "Can I see her? Please, I… I-I need to see her!"
"Yeah, she's this way." Emma said, pointing down the hallway toward Shae and Remus's room. She began to lead the way, but stopped when she realized Robin was following them. "Um… It's probably best if you stay here."
Robin nodded in understanding, and Emma rushed back off down the hallway, Regina following closely behind her. When they reached Shae and Remus's room, they found Shae sitting back in her own bed, one of the hospital nurses placing the IV carefully back in her arm. She glanced up when she heard footsteps in the doorway, and her now olive toned face lit up with joy.
"Regina." She whispered.
"Shae!" Regina exclaimed.
Regina didn't seem to care at all that there were other people in the room, her son included. She was so overwhelmed with joy that she rushed straight over to Shae's bed, and threw herself on top of her. She straddled her waist, her eyes streaming with joyful, grateful tears as she placed a kiss on Shae's lips. Shae wrapped her arms around the woman she loved, the woman that she had always loved, holding her tight as their lips parted.
"You came back." Regina whispered, smiling into the eyes of the woman that she loved, the woman that she had always loved.
"I always come back." Shae whispered back, smiling as she tucked a stray lock of Regina's hair behind her ear. "I will always come back."
Regina choked out a strangled sob of joy, and placed another grateful, passionate kiss Shae's lips. The others all smiled around at each other, watching as the two lover's were reunited once again. For a brief moment, they took solace in the joyous reunion, though the impending doom of Gold and The Author's scheme was only a hair's breadth from their minds.
"Wait a minute…" Regina muttered as she suddenly pulled away from Shae's lips, frowning in a confused way into her now bright blue eyes. "You… A-Are you-"
"Human?" Shae finished for her with a smile. "Yeah. Remus too."
"Hello!" Remus called out from his bed, dramatically rolling his eyes as he waved in Regina's direction. "I'm back too. And fine, as well. Thanks for bloody asking."
Regina laughed, smiling at Remus as Shae wrapped her arms tightly around her. "I'm glad you're back too Remus. But… I just… I-I don't under-"
Regina stopped mid sentence as she heard a sudden shuffling in the doorway. She turned her torso around, and her brown eyes grew wide when she saw Robin. "Hey!" Emma chastised him. "I thought I told you to wait in the lobby!"
"Sorry, I-I'm sorry. I just had to see for myself." Robin stammered, staring at Remus and Shae with wide, baffled eyes. Slowly, a joyful smile crept across his face. "My god… Shae, Remus… I'm so glad to see you alive and well, and-"
"What the FUCK?" Shae suddenly shouted, cutting Robin off. She stared into Regina's eyes, pointing a quivering finger at her true love's other true love. "What the hell is he doing here?"
Regina glanced quickly at Robin, then back at Shae. Her mouth opened and closed several times, her bottom lip trembling. "Shae… Shae, listen." She whispered, placing her quivering hands on either side of Shae's face. "It's not what you think. Robin was-"
The rest of Regina's words caught in her throat as Shae shoved her roughly off of her lap. A loud smack resonated around the room as Regina hit the floor. "Regina!" Mary Margaret exclaimed as she rushed toward her. "Oh my god! Are you ok?"
Regina nodded as Mary Margaret helped her back to her feet. At that same moment, Shae breathed out an enraged snarl as she pulled the IV from her arm once again, more blood trickling from the small hole left by the needle. She stumbled forward, shoving Hook out of her way. David grabbed on to Robin's arm, and pulled him protectively behind him. Shae didn't seem to care, and she continued to stagger toward the door.
"Shae!" Regina exclaimed, choking out a strangled sob as she grabbed on to Shae's arm. "Shae, please, just listen, I-"
"NO!" Shae shouted, wrenching her arm out of Regina's grip as she rounded furiously on her. "I'M DONE LISTENING!" She screamed in Regina's face. She then leaned closer, glaring viciously into her true love's eyes. "Every time I turn my back, he's right there waiting. I'm done with this, Regina. I'm fucking done."
Shae then turned on her heel, and stomped out the door. Regina sobbed loudly, and made to go after her, but was stopped by Remus, who had also vacated his bed. "Don't!" Remus snarled at her. "I will not let you hurt her anymore. If you truly care about Shae, if you truly love her… Then you will stay the HELL AWAY FROM HER!"
Regina flinched at Remus's violent outburst, choking out another strangled sob as he left the room as well, hurrying after Shae. Both Henry and Mary Margaret supported Regina as she sunk down onto her knees, burying her face in her hands as she wept.
"It's ok, Mom." Henry whispered as he gently rubbed his mother's back. "It's… I-It's gonna be ok."
Emma breathed out a heavy sigh as Regina continued to sob on the floor, running shaking hands through her long blonde hair. "Look, I know this is all insane right now," She began to say, her voice as equally shaky. "But we need to try and focus on our real problem."
"Gold." David said as he stepped away from Robin. "And The Author."
"I… I-I don't understand…" Regina muttered, turning her tear stained face up onto the others. "How did they get back? H-How are they… Human?"
Emma sighed once again, and slowly shook her head. "We don't know, Regina." She quietly replied. "Nothing in this world has that kind of power, that's for sure."
"Aye." Hook muttered, his face grave. "The only thing that I could possibly think of that has that kind of power is… Is some kind of… God!"
XXXXX
Shae grunted as her body smacked onto something flat and solid. She shakily pushed herself up onto her elbows, turning her head toward the sound of Remus groaning from beside her. She shifted her eyes back in front of her, and they grew wide when she realized that she was staring at some sort of gray, marble floor.
"Remus…" Shae muttered, pushing herself up onto her knees. "Remus, are you alright?"
"Fine, I'm fine." Remus muttered as well as he sat forward. "What's going on? Where the hell are we?"
Shae slowly shook her head, her mouth gaping open as she stared all around her. They were in some sort of hall, surrounded by a long line of tall stone pillars, stretching up as far as they eye could see. A thick layer of white mist surrounded them, obscuring the ceiling and whatever was on the outskirts of the pillars. It looked as if the room stretched on forever.
"What is this?" Shae whispered, her blood red eyes wide. "I-Is this The River of Lost Souls?"
"Thankfully, no."
Remus and Shae both nearly leapt out of their skin at the sudden soft voice. They both scrambled to their feet, and found a man standing a few feet behind them. He was relatively young, and had a short crop of dark brown hair. He was garbed in some sort of white toga, trimmed with gold.
"W-Who the hell are you?" Remus demanded of the man.
The strange man chuckled lightly. "I'm sorry if I startled you." He said, smiling a warm, friendly smile at the two vampires. "I am Zeus. It's a pleasure to finally meet you both."
"Zeus." Shae muttered, her blood red eyes growing even wider. "Y-You're… Zeus? As in… The Zeus?"
"Yes, that's right." Replied Zeus, smiling another warm, welcoming smile. "I apologize if I'm not recognizable to you. I grew tired of the long white beard after a few centuries."
Shae chuckled nervously, her eyes shifting all around her. "C-Cool… Yeah, I get that." She stammered, exchanging an anxious glance with Remus. "What, uh… What exactly is going on?"
Zeus chuckled as well. "Yes, I imagine you're a bit disoriented. I did pluck you out of your predicament quite suddenly." Remus and Shae both remained silent, eyeing Zeus warily as he slowly walked toward them. "My apologies, again. I wanted to make sure that the two of you didn't actually fall into that accursed river my brother loves so much. Not after all that you've done."
"Your brother?" Shae asked, raising an eyebrow at Zeus. "You mean… Hades?"
"Indeed." Zeus confirmed as he stood before the two vampires.
"Who's Hades?" Asked Remus, looking to his friend, his face alarmed and confused, then back at Zeus. "And… A-And who is he?"
"He's a god, Remus." Shae explained in a rush. "Hades is the god of The Underworld, and Zeus is the god of… Well… Olympus. The… T-The… Upperworld?"
Zeus laughed amusedly. "Indeed! Very well put."
"I see." Remus muttered, slowly nodding his head, his blood red eyes wide. "So, why… W-Why did you save us?"
Zeus simply smiled fondly at both Shae and Remus for a moment before he replied. "You have done well, both of you." He answered, still smiling. "If Dracula had remained in my brother's realm, he would have wreaked havoc on the land of the dead, and the living. You have saved both worlds, and I simply wish to repay you."
"Repay us?" Asked Shae, furrowing her brow at Remus. "How?"
"By returning you to your world."
Both Remus and Shae's jaws dropped open in shock, and they gaped silently at each other for a moment. "You… Y-You can… Do that?" Stammered Remus.
"Of course." Replied Zeus. Suddenly, his smile faded, and his face turned quite grave. "However, all magic comes with a price, even magic such as mine."
Shae and Remus exchanged another anxious glance. "What kind of price?" Shae asked warily.
"I can return you to your world, to your friends." Zeus replied, glancing very seriously between the two vampires. "But only as mortal beings. The price will be to let go of the creatures that you have become, and your immortality."
"Wait… W-Wait a minute." Remus stammered, shaking his head in utter bewilderment. "You're saying that… T-That if you send us back, w-we'll be… Human?"
"That's right." Zeus answered with a nod. He then turned his gaze onto Shae. "Also, your heart will be restored anew. You will be free to do with it what you will once again, though I think we all know where exactly it will lead you."
"This… T-This is wonderful!" Remus exclaimed, grinning excitedly as he gripped Shae's arm tight. "Shae, this is what I've been searching for! But, I-I mean… A-Are you-"
"Yeah." Shae said with a smile. "I'm ok with it."
"I'm sorry, but there is… Another price."
The smiles quickly faded from Remus and Shae's faces. They looked expectantly to Zeus, who quietly went on. "I'm sure you are wondering why my brother's realm looks exactly like your Storybrooke." When Shae and Remus both nodded, he continued. "There is a very particular reason, one that you two cannot know just yet. You will learn the answer eventually, as will the rest of your friends. However, everything must reveal itself in it's own time, and now is not yours."
Shae swallowed the hard, fearful lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. "W-What exactly are you saying?"
"I must take your memories of all that has transpired here today." Zeus replied. "I will return you to your world several days from when you first fell through the portal. That is when you will be needed most. You will remember nothing of The Underworld, nothing of me, nor how you became human." Zeus paused for a moment, staring at the two vampires very seriously. "I'm sorry, but that is simply how it must be. Do you agree to these terms?"
Shae and Remus both turned their heads toward each other. For a moment, blood red eyes stared into blood red eyes. Then, smiles slowly creeped across both their faces, as they silently agreed, and silently decided.
"I think we can live with that." Shae said with a grin.
"Excellent!" Zeus exclaimed merrily, clapping his hands together. "Though you will not remember, I do want you both to know that you have my sincere thanks."
Zeus then waved his hand in Remus's direction, and Shae gasped in alarm as her oldest and dearest friend disappeared right before her eyes. "Hey!" She exclaimed. "W-Where-"
"I've sent him back." Zeus cut in, smiling warmly at Shae. "And you are next, my friend."
Zeus stepped up to Shae, and placed his hands on either side of her face. Shae suddenly found herself smiling into the eyes of a god. "Take care, Shae." Zeus whispered, smiling back at her. "We will see each other again. Very soon."
XXXXX
"Shae! SHAE!"
Shae stomped down the Storybrooke sidewalk, ignoring Remus's shouting. Her clenched fists trembled with rage from inside the pockets of her leather jacket, her now beating heart racing within her chest. It was a strange feeling, but, still, slightly familiar. She wished that, for the first time in long time, she could enjoy the feeling of the crisp morning air in her lungs. However, she was too enraged, too hurt to care.
"Shae, STOP!"
Remus finally caught up with Shae, and grabbed on to her arm. "We need to talk." He said sternly.
"Not now, Remus." Shae grumbled, wrenching her arm out of Remus's grip as she continued walking.
"Yes, now!" Remus shouted, jerking Shae to a stop as he seized her arm once again. He glanced quickly around him, and when he was sure they would not be overheard, he went on in a low tone. "Listen, I don't know how, I don't know why, but… We're mortal now. And you know as well as I do what that means."
"Yeah, I know, ok?" Shae growled impatiently. "Don't worry, nobody knows about my magic. Well… Except Emma."
"You told Emma?" Exclaimed Remus.
"Relax!" Replied Shae. "I trust her. She won't tell anyone, I promise."
"You'd better hope not." Remus warned in another quiet tone. "If anyone else finds out, it could be catastrophic. Even worlds away, it's much too dangerous. You know what will happen if they find us."
"I know. I won't use any magic, I promise." Shae replied. Remus nodded, seemingly satisfied, and Shae went on. "Right, well, it looks like we're about to be sucked into The Author's new world. I'm gonna go find him."
Remus's jaw dropped open as Shae turned her back on him, and continued walking. "What are you going to do?" He called after her.
Shae clenched her fists inside her jacket pockets, her now blue eyes welling with painful, angry tears as she thought about Robin Hood, as she thought about Regina. "I'm putting an end to this."
XX
Mr. Gold was lying on the floor of his shop, his back leaning up against one of his glass display cases. He clutched at his aching chest, where his heart was slowly growing blacker and blacker within. He glanced up at Isaac, The Author, who was standing behind the counter with his magical quill in hand, scribbling in his book titled, 'Heroes and Villains.'
"Are you… Close?" Gold wheezed.
Isaac emitted a low chuckle. "Hang in there, Dark One. Don't let that heart turn to coal just yet." He said with a grin. "You're going to be just fine. Better than ever."
Just then, the shop door burst open. "You." Gold snarled, narrowing his eyes at Shae, who was standing in the doorway. "You have a nasty habit of always turning up again. Like a pesky fly."
"Shut up, Gold." Shae snarled back. She stepped into the shop, and stopped in front of the counter. "So… You must be The Author."
"The names Isaac." Isaac replied, not even bothering to glance up at Shae as he continued writing. "And you are Shae, the biggest pain in the ass I've ever had the displeasure of writing about."
Shae's jaw dropped open in offended shock. "Say what, now?"
Isaac paused his writing for a moment to give Shae an icy glare. "You're always walking that line between good and evil." He replied in a low, irritable tone. "Occasionally stepping a toe over one side or the other, but never actually choosing. It's maddening."
"Oh, come on!" Shae exclaimed, spreading her arms wide. "Everybody loves an anti-hero!"
"Not. Me." Growled Isaac. "What do you want, anyway? Are you here to try and stop me? I'm afraid you're too little, too late."
Shae glanced quickly over at Gold, then back at Isaac. "No." She mumbled. "I'm not going to stop you. Send us into whatever world you want, I don't even care. Just do me a favor and unwrite my true love with Regina."
Isaac barked out a mocking laugh, and continued to scribble in his book. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but I can't." He replied, waving his other hand dismissively. "Not even my power is strong enough to undo a bond of true love."
"Fine!" Shae snarled, slamming her fist into the counter. "Then just… Make me forget her."
Silence fell over the pawn shop for a moment. Isaac stopped writing once again, and slowly set down his quill. He glanced up from his book and into Shae's eyes, his lips curling into a dark, devious grin.
"No."
Shae's jaw dropped open all over again. "What?" She exclaimed.
"I'm creating a world where up is down." Answered Isaac, still grinning. "In my new world, the villains are the ones who get what they want, and the heroes get nothing. You're a hero now, Shae. You've finally chosen, and, if I must say, you've chosen very poorly."
Shae scoffed indignantly. "I'm not a hero!"
"Of course you are!" Isaac shouted, leaning across the counter to better glare into Shae's eyes. "You said so yourself, remember? Besides, look at what you did with Dracula. You and your pal Remus sacrificed your own lives to rid this world of him. That's the stuff of heroes right there, and you will pay the hero's price."
Shae growled out an enraged snarl, and drew back her fist. "Ah-ah!" Isaac warned, pressing his quill quickly back to the paper. "One more step and your life in my new world will be even more miserable than I've already written it, as will Regina's."
Shae gritted her teeth in anger, and slowly lowered her arm. "What do you mean, 'worse?'"
Isaac breathed out a low, dangerous chuckle, turning his eyes back down onto his book as he continued writing. "I've made sure that Regina is the one thing that you will remember." He answered, still grinning deviously. "And, once I'm finished… You'll never see her again."
Shae swallowed the hard, fearful lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. "He's almost done, dearie." Gold sneered from his spot on the floor. "I'd say your goodbyes while you can."
Shae's now blue eyes grew wide, and she slowly backed away toward the door. "Just two more words." Isaac said, his devious grin growing even wider. "The… End."
The pawn shop's door burst open with a bang. Shae staggered out onto the street, her heart hammering in her chest. She turned in her spot for a moment, running her hands through her messy black hair, her mind reeling with panic.
"Shae!"
Shae spun around, and found a small group of people a few yards away from her, walking toward Gold's shop. She saw Emma and Remus, and an old man with a bushy beard that she did not recognize. She did, however, recognize Regina amongst them. Her heart lurched when she saw the woman that she loved.
"REGINA!"
Shae broke into a run, her vision tunneling in on the deep brown eyes that she loved so much. Though she no longer had her powers of enhanced sight, she could still see those eyes clear as day. As soon as she did, the moment she spotted them, she knew that she had made a terrible mistake. She didn't want to forget Regina, she didn't want to lose her, not again. All she wanted was to have her back in her arms, to tell her that she loved her one last time.
When Regina saw the panicked look on Shae's face, she ran toward her, and Shae pushed her legs as fast as they could possibly go. Her feet pounded into the pavement, her chest heaving with exertion. She was so close, Regina's gorgeous brown eyes now clearer than ever before. Shae reached for Regina's hand, Regina reached for her's. Shae's vision tunneled in once again, this time on Regina's hand. She watched as their fingertips grew closer and closer. She opened her mouth to shout to Regina, to scream those three words that meant everything, and-
X-X-X-X-X
The sound of lively chatter filled the air within the tiny, grubby tavern. Shae smiled as she glanced around at all the townsfolk who were eating and drinking merrily. It wasn't exactly the kind of place that either she or Regina would have chosen to spend their anniversary, but, since they had spent the entirety of their relationship on the run from The Evil Queen, their choices were slim. Neither of them minded, however. They had each other, and that was all that mattered.
"Here you go." Regina said as she returned to the table where Shae was sitting, handing her a flagon of ale. "They look to be… Relatively clean, at least."
Shae laughed as Regina frowned down into her own flagon. "It's perfect." She said with a smile.
Regina scoffed, and rolled her eyes at the woman she loved. "Hardly."
Shae laughed again, and reached across the table, gently squeezing Regina's hand. "We could be spending tonight in a swamp for all I care." She reassured her lover. "As long as I have you, I'm happy."
Regina smiled at the woman that she loved, and leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on her lips. "How did I get so lucky?" She whispered, smiling into Shae's piercing blue eyes. "Who would have thought that when I set out to find that enchanted mirror in the forest, I was really going to find the love of my life?"
Shae smiled against Regina's lips as she kissed her again. Years ago, when Snow White first set out to have Regina killed, Regina fled into the forest outside The Queen's castle, and sought out a magical mirror, one that was a portal to another world. At that exact same time, Shae had been fleeing that very world, and met Regina upon exiting the mirror. The two of them narrowly escaped Snow White's soldiers, and ran away into the woods together. They fell deeply in love shortly after, and had been inseparable ever since.
Today was the anniversary of that very day, the day Shae and Regina first met. Something had been burning in Shae's mind throughout the entire day, something very important. She silently fiddled with the ring on her own finger, hoping that Regina would say, 'yes.'
"Regina, listen." Shae began to say, taking Regina's hand in her own. "I know our life hasn't exactly been easy, but I want you to know that these last few years I've spent by your side have been… The happiest of my life. I love you more than anything, more than words can possibly describe."
"Oh, Shae." Regina whispered, smiling as she gently caressed Shae's cheek. "I love you too. You're right, the life of a bandit on the run from The Evil Queen hasn't been easy on either of us. But I'm happy too, happier than I've ever been."
"I'm glad to hear you say that." Shae whispered back, smiling back into her lover's eyes. "Because there's something I want to ask you."
Shae removed her ring from her finger, and Regina gasped as she dropped down onto one knee in front of her. Regina placed her hand over her mouth in shock, her deep brown eyes welling with tears as she stared down at the gorgeous, smiling face of the woman she loved so very much. For a moment, the dirty tavern surrounding them completely disappeared. In that moment, nothing else mattered, nothing in the entire world, except for the two of them, and their deep, unyielding love for each other.
"Regina…" Shae whispered, her own blight blue eyes shimmering with tears. "Will you-"
Suddenly, Shae's words were cut off by the sound of a great rumbling from outside the tavern, coupled with horses braying into the night air. "Black Knights!" A townswoman near the window shouted.
"Dammit!" Shae snarled, placing her ring back onto her finger.
"We have to go." Regina whispered, her brown eyes wide. "Now!"
Shae nodded, and as the rest of the villagers crowded around the windows, she and Regina hoisted their packs onto their shoulders. "My god!" One of the villagers suddenly exclaimed. "I-It's The Queen! She's here! SHE'S HERE!"
Regina and Shae both froze where they stood, both of their hearts dropping deep into the pit of their stomachs. "No." Regina breathed, her bottom lip trembling. "She… S-She found us already!"
"Regina, come on." Shae said quietly, grabbing on to Regina's arm. "We have to go, we have to-"
Suddenly, the tavern door burst open with a bang. Shae and Regina both froze once again, both of their eyes wide with fright. Snow White, The Evil Queen, stood in the tavern doorway, several armed knights marching in behind her. A deafening silence fell over the grubby tavern as The Queen slowly scanned over the frightened townsfolk with her eyes. Finally, her eyes rested on Shae and Regina, and her devious grin grew even wider.
"Well, well, well…" She muttered, slowly sauntering toward them. "If it isn't my two favorite love birds. Leaving so soon? I was hoping to help the two of you celebrate on this special day."
Shae didn't waste any time on mincing words with The Evil Queen. She swiftly kicked out one of her legs, sending the table in front of her and Regina hurtling toward Snow White. The table knocked The Evil Queen right off her feet, and those gathered inside the tavern gasped as she hit the ground hard.
"RUN!" Shae shouted.
Regina obeyed, and raced toward the back of the tavern. "AFTER THEM!" Shrieked The Queen.
Regina burst through the back door, Shae only a few steps behind her. The sounds of shouting and general chaos from within the tavern faded away as they sprinted into the forest. Their feet pounded into the grass and dirt as they wound through the trees, their hearts racing with fear within their chests. They had been so careful, never staying in one place for too long. Neither of them could believe that Snow White had found them again so soon.
"AGH!"
Shae suddenly lost her footing, tripping over a large tree root. She grunted as she landed face first in the dirt. It took Regina a moment to realize that her lover was no longer only a few steps behind her. She skidded to a stop, her chest heaving with part exertion, part fear.
"SHAE!" She shouted.
Shae pushed herself up onto her knees, and opened her mouth to speak. Whatever words she had to say were suddenly lost, as she disappeared in a column of purple smoke. Regina's heart stopped dead within her chest, and she turned round and round in her spot, wildly searching the trees for the woman that she loved.
"No… No, no, no…" She whispered, her eyes welling with panicked tears. "Shae? SHAE!"
"Looking for something?"
Regina spun around, her heart stopping all over again when she finally spotted Shae. She was on her knees, Snow White standing just behind her, gripping a fistful of her messy black hair. She was holding a dagger to Shae's throat, grinning in a dark and dangerous way.
"DON'T!" Regina shouted desperately, frightened tears beginning to flow down her cheeks. "Snow, please! Don't… D-Don't hurt her!"
"Hurt her?" Snow White exclaimed, looking appalled. "Why, I would never dream of it! She's done nothing to me, after all."
"Regina, it's alright." Shae said quietly, her voice quavering with emotion. "Just-"
The rest of Shae's words faded into a strangled gurgle as The Evil Queen jerked her head back by her hair, pressing the dagger harder into her throat. "Snow, please!" Regina pleaded with the Queen. "Please… J-Just let her go! You said so yourself, she's never done anything to you. I'm the one you want. Take me instead!"
The Evil Queen breathed out a low, menacing chuckle. "No, I don't think so." She sneered, gently stroking the tip of her dagger down Shae's cheek. "You took my true love away from me, now I'm going to take yours."
Snow White leaned forward, and whispered softly into Shae's ear. "I'd say your goodbyes while you can."
Shae swallowed hard against the dagger to her throat. Her eyes streamed with frightened tears as she stared into Regina's. For a moment, just a moment, she lost herself in those eyes, the eyes that she loved so very, very much.
"Regina…" She whispered, smiling as she looked upon the tear stained face of the woman that she loved. "Whatever happens, just know that I-"
"NOOO!"
XX
Shae woke with a start, her chest heaving, her entire body covered in a layer of cold sweat. She sat forward on her cot, staring around her tiny prison cell, straining her ears. For a moment, she could have swore that the sound of voices had been what woke her. She breathed out a heavy sigh as she laid back down. The voices must have been part of her nightmare.
Shae had dreamt of Regina nearly every single night since she had been locked away in her cell by The Evil Queen. Sometimes, her dreams were fond but painful memories of the woman that she loved. More often than not, she dreamt of that cursed night, the night that her whole world fell apart, the night that she lost everything.
With another heavy sigh, Shae sat forward again, and swung her legs over the side of her cot. She reached out and picked up the small bowl of porridge that her guard had left her for breakfast. She prodded the porridge with the tip of her finger, then frowned. Ice cold. Just like always.
Shae stomached as much of the porridge as she could, then reached under her cot, where she had some parchment, ink, and a quill carefully stored away. The Black Knight that guarded The Evil Queen's tower on the sea had secretly provided Shae with them. Shae wasn't entirely sure why she had done it, perhaps it was out of pity. Regardless of her reasons, Shae was grateful to have at least some sort of distraction from her misery. She laid out the parchment on her cot, scanning her eyes over the pages that she had scribbled a song onto. It was a love song for the woman that meant everything to her. She hoped against hope that, one day, Regina might actually get to hear it.
"'A Thousand Years.'" Shae muttered as she read the title out loud for the hundredth time. "Yes. Good. Still good."
Shae rifled through the pages, setting the one she had written on last on top. She gingerly dipped her quill into the ink, and pressed it to the parchment. She stopped suddenly when she heard voices again. This time, she was sure she had heard them. It wasn't the voice of her guard, she knew that sound all too well. These were different voices, multiple voices.
Parchment scattered onto the floor as Shae scrambled from her cot. She pressed her ear up against the bars of her cell, holding her breath. She listened hard through the sound of her own heart pounding in her chest.
"Killian, this is my mom." Came the faint voice of a young boy. "Mom, this is Killian."
"H-Hello?" Shae called out. "Hello! Is someone there?"
For a moment, Shae was met with only silence. Her heart sank deep into her chest. Was she finally losing her mind after all this time? Suddenly, her heart began to race with excitement again when she heard the sound of rushing footsteps. She drew in an audible gasp as three people rounded the corner at the end of the hallway outside her cell. One of them was the young boy that she had heard, who looked to be no older than twelve or thirteen, and was dressed very strangely. The other was a man, who appeared to be some sort of pirate with a hook for a hand. The third was a woman with long blonde hair, dressed in ragged, dirty robes.
"Oh my god…" The blonde woman whispered, a wide smile slowly stretching across her face. "Shae!"
Shae blinked several times in surprise as the strangers began rushing toward her cell. "Er… Y-Yes, that's me." She mumbled, eyeing the strangers warily.
The strangely dressed boy pulled out a key ring that Shae recognized as belonging to her guard, and swiftly unlocked her cell. As soon as the boy pulled the bars open, he and the blonde woman both rushed into Shae's cell, throwing their arms around her. Shae stood rigidly still, her head spinning, her heart racing, too shocked and confused to even react.
"I'm so glad you're here, Shae." The blonde woman whispered.
"Er… Sorry… D-Do we know each other?" Shae stammered.
The blonde and the boy released her, and they both exchanged an uncertain glance. "Well… Yes. We do." Answered the woman. "You just… Don't remember."
Shae raised an eyebrow at them. "I-I'm sorry… What?"
"It's a long story." The boy said with a chuckle.
"Yeah, and we don't really have time to tell it." The woman agreed with a nod. "Come on, we've gotta get you out of here. We've gotta get you to Regina."
Shae's heart nearly stopped dead in her chest. Suddenly, a deafening ringing began to fill her ears, and the deep brown eyes of the woman she loved, the woman that she had lost, swam before her own.
"Regina?" She whispered, staring at the three strangers with wide, baffled eyes. "Y-You know… Regina?"
"Yeah." The blonde woman replied with a smile. "And we can take you to her."
A smile slowly crept across Shae's olive toned face. "She's… S-She's alive?" When the woman and the boy both nodded, Shae breathed out an astonished laugh, running shaky hands through her messy black hair. Suddenly, the smile faded from her face. "Wait a minute…" She muttered, taking a wary step back. "No… No, no, no… This is a trick, a-a trap. It's… I-It's a trick from The Evil Queen."
"Shae, this isn't a trick!" The blonde exclaimed. "We're telling the-"
The blonde woman stopped mid sentence, and her companions let out startled gasps as Shae suddenly scooped up the clay bowl that held the remnants of her breakfast, and smashed it against the wall. Before anyone could even react, Shae seized the young boy and spun him around, holding a jagged piece of the bowl to his throat.
"Tell me what Snow White is planning or I'll slit the boy's throat!" Shae snarled.
"Calm down now, love!" The pirate exclaimed, finally breaking his confused silence. "There's no need to harm the boy!"
"Call me, 'love,' one more time and I'll slit your throat too!" Growled Shae.
"Shae, come on, this isn't you!" The woman pleaded, her wide, hazel green eyes glistening with frightened tears. "None of this is real, ok? This whole world is fake!"
"What the fucking hell are you talking about?" Shae shouted, drawing back another step, pressing the jagged piece of clay harder into the boy's throat.
"Please, Shae, we know you! We're your friends!" Cried the boy. "We… W-We know you come from another world, not The Enchanted Forest!"
"So does the FUCKING QUEEN!" Shae roared, her blue eyes wide and wild.
"I always come back!" Shouted the woman, tears now rolling down her cheeks. "That's what you'd always say to Regina, right? She'd say, 'You came back,' and you'd say-"
"SHUT UP!" Shae screamed, her whole body trembling. "This proves nothing! Snow White could have told you all of this!"
"Her smile!" The boy suddenly shouted. "Y-You love Regina's smile!"
Shae opened her mouth to shout more, but stopped short, her bottom lip trembling. "I… I-I don't…" She stammered, staring down at the top of the boy's head. "I just… What?"
"Her smile is your favorite thing about her." The boy went on, his voice shaky with fear. "B-But not just any smile. It's the one that not a lot of people get to see. Most of the time, she… S-She saves it just for you. It's the one lights up her whole face, her eyes. Oh! And her eyes! You love her eyes! You said that when the sun hits them just right, t-they're like… Like warm pools of honey."
The boy paused for a moment, and he reached up, placing his quivering hand on top of Shae's. "When you see those eyes, and that smile," He went on, his tone quiet. "For a second, you forget about all the terrible things you've been through, all the things that you've done, all your pain, and… A-And you feel like, as long as you get to keep seeing that smile, then… Everything's gonna be ok."
Suddenly, the piece of clay slipped from Shae's hand, and clattered onto the stone floor. Shae slowly turned the boy around by his shoulders, and dropped to her knees in front of him. "H-How… How do you know all this?" She whispered, staring deep into the boy's eyes.
The boy smiled, and placed his hand on her shoulder. "You're my friend, Shae." He quietly replied. "We're your friends. You just… Don't remember."
Shae swallowed hard as tears began to fall down her face. "And… A-And you're Regina's friends too?" She asked, glancing up at the woman and the pirate.
"Yeah." The woman replied with a smile of her own. "And, like I said… We can take you to her."
The young boy placed his hands on either side of Shae's face, smiling into her eyes. "It's ok, Shae." He whispered. "You're going to see her again. I promise."
Shae choked out a strangled sob, and threw her arms around the strange boy, pulling him into a tight embrace. The boy held her tight, gently and soothingly rubbing her back as she wept. The blonde woman, Emma Swan, smiled at Killian Jones, aka Captain Hook. He gave her a nervous and uncertain smile back, and Emma had to stifle a laugh as his stubbled cheeks flushed a deep shade of red.
"It's ok, Shae." Henry whispered as he held Shae tight. "Everything is gonna be ok."
XX
Shae boarded the ship that the boy Henry and the pirate Hook had sailed to The Evil Queen's tower upon the sea. After narrowly escaping the guard, who happened to turn into a massive, fire breathing dragon, she, Emma, Henry, and Hook were sailing as fast as the wind and sails would carry them, back to The Enchanted Forest. Henry said that their final destination was a chapel in the middle of the forest, where the fabled thief Robin Hood was getting married. The boy said that Regina would be there. Shae wasn't entirely sure why, but she had little time muddle over it. She was too busy trying to keep her breakfast from coming back up. She had never liked ships. She preferred to keep her feet firmly planted on the ground.
To distract her from her seasickness, Emma and Henry decided to tell Shae a story, one that she was having a hard time believing. "You're telling me that all of this, this whole world, it's… Not real?" She asked, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "We're all trapped in some sort of… Alternate reality… Inside a book?"
When Emma and Henry both nodded, Shae breathed out a low chuckle, slowly shaking her head. "I'm not sure if the two of you are delusional, or just plain mad."
"That's what I said, lo- Er… Mate!" Hook called out from the helm.
"Look, you don't have to believe us, but we really are telling the truth." Emma said with an exasperated sigh. "All you need to do is get back to Regina so the two of you can end all this with true love's kiss."
"'True love's kiss?'" Shae exclaimed, laughing even more. "There's no such thing!"
"Yes there is!" Emma insisted. "Regina saved you from a sleeping curse with it once."
"Right, in this… Other reality of yours?" Shae replied. When Henry and Emma nodded, Shae laughed once again. "Right, well, if this other world really is real, it appears that you and I are… Quite close."
"Yeah, we are." Emma said with a smile. "We're… Best friends, actually."
"Oh… No." Shae replied, her amused grin falling into a frown. "Remus is my best friend."
"Well, yeah…" Emma said slowly. "But, I mean… You can have more than one best friend."
Shae snorted. "No you can't."
"Yes you can!" Emma exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air.
"No you can't!"
"Yes you-"
"LAND, HO!"
Emma, Shae, and Henry all glanced up at Hook. They leapt to their feet, and whirled around, following the pirate's pointed finger. In the distance, was indeed a small speck of land. A short while later, Shae finally set foot on dry, solid land once again, which she was immensely grateful for. She and Emma both borrowed some clothes from Hook, plus some swords, just in case they ran into trouble, and changed out of their dirty prison rags before setting out on the final leg of their adventure. Shae could scarcely believe it. She was finally going to be reunited with the woman that she loved. They were finally going to live happily ever after.
While Emma and Hook finished docking the ship, Shae went with Henry to hunt down some food. They purchased some bread and cheese from a nearby stall, and they both munched on the bread as they headed back to the dock.
"So, tell me, how exactly did you know all those things about Regina and I?" Shae asked of the boy as they walked.
"Well," Henry began through a mouthful of bread. "I have this book back in our world, one that tells everyone's stories, even yours and The Evil-, Er… Regina's."
"I see." Shae muttered. "And this book is… Different than the one we're supposedly trapped in?"
"Written by the same guy." Henry replied with a small shrug, stuffing some cheese into his mouth. "Anyway, in your story, Regina asks you one night what you love so much about her, and, all that stuff is… What you told her."
Shae chuckled lightly. "Yes, we've had that conversation many times." She said with a wistful smile. "I think she might have some memory problems, and just a touch of self loathing."
Henry laughed, and Shae laughed with him. "She loves you too, you know." Henry said, smiling up at her.
Shae smiled back at him. "Yes… I know." She whispered. She then cleared her throat, and went on. "So, in this other world, are Regina and I… Together? A-Are we married yet?"
The smile suddenly faded from Henry's face. "Um… Well, it's a long story." He muttered with another one armed shrug. "Things are kinda… Complicated."
Shae chuckled once again. "Yes, that does sound like us." She replied. "It's never been easy, in any world, I suppose."
"Yeah, that's for sure." Henry agreed with a laugh. "But… I think you guys are gonna be really happy soon. Or at least I hope so. I mean… You did come all the way back from The Underworld just for her."
"'The Underworld?'" Shae exclaimed, her blue eyes wide. "My god… H-How did I end up there? D-Did I die?"
"Um… No." Henry replied slowly. "It was because of Dracula, he found you and-"
Henry stopped mid sentence as he and Shae rounded the corner toward the docks, and they both froze at what they saw, the bread and cheese slipping from their hands. Emma and Hook were standing rigidly still, their backs to both Shae and Henry. Standing just before them was the guard from Shae and Emma's prison on the sea. She was accompanied by a few other black knights, and the captain of The Evil Queen's guard, Prince Charming. Beside Charming, stood The Queen herself, Snow White, a dark and twisted grin stretching across her face.
"Your Majesty! Look!" Charming exclaimed, pointing at Henry and Shae.
Snow White turned her eyes onto the two of them, and when her gaze met Shae's, Shae was paralyzed with fear. "Well, well, well…" Sneered The Queen. "If it isn't Shae. I almost didn't recognize you outside of your cell."
The fear that had taken hold of Shae's limbs suddenly melted away, replaced by a boiling, white hot rage. She let out an enraged snarl, wrenching her sword from the scabbard tied to her belt. Her vision turned red as blood as she stomped toward Snow White. The guard from the prison and her fellow black knights all rushed toward Shae, who slashed out with her sword at a nearby post. The awning above gave way, and the knights shrieked as sacks of flour and grain descended down upon them. Now, only Prince Charming stood in the way of Shae's vengeance.
"DON'!" Hook shouted, stepping in front of Shae.
"Out of my way, pirate." Shae snarled, glaring at Snow White's grinning face.
"Take Emma and the boy and get out of here!" Hook commanded, pushing Shae back. "If what they say is true, then you and Regina are the only hope to set things right."
Shae breathed out a low, dark chuckle, never taking her eyes off of Snow White. "Oh, I know of a much better way to set things right."
"Listen, mate, I know what it is to want revenge." Hook said in a rush, staring intently into Shae's eyes. "But it will only cost you your life. If you throw it away now, then you'll never see Regina again. Is that really what you want?"
Shae continued to glare into Snow White's grinning eyes for a moment, her heart hammering in her chest, rage boiling in her stomach. Then, she shifted her gaze to meet Hook's. She wrestled with the confliction in her heart, but, in the end, she knew the pirate was right. All she wanted was to see the woman she loved. Once they were reunited, they could take their revenge on The Evil Queen together.
"Emma…" Shae muttered, slowly walking backwards, eyeing Snow White and Prince Charming carefully. "Take the boy and run. I'm right behind you."
"Killian, no!" Emma shouted. "You can't do this, you'll-"
Emma stopped mid sentence, drawing in a startled gasp as Snow White summoned a dagger into her hand with a puff of purple smoke. "Now, now," She sneered, her wicked grin wider than ever. "Did you really think I'd let your wretched little boy escape that easily?"
Snow White hurled the dagger from her hand, and it sped right toward Henry's head. Emma screamed, and Henry's eyes grew wide with terror. Time seemed to slow to a crawl as Shae watched the horror unfolding before her. Then, she forced her legs to move, and she dove forward, straight into the dagger's path. She grunted, and there was a hollow sounding thump as the dagger buried itself in her shoulder. Shae tumbled to the ground, and howled in pain, clutching her shoulder.
"KILLIAN!"
Shae snapped her head to the side, and her eyes grew wide with horror when she spotted the pirate. Prince Charming was standing just behind him, his sword protruding grotesquely out of Killian Jones's chest.
"NO!" Emma shrieked, her hazel green eyes streaming with tears. "KILLIAN!"
Shae watched as Hook slumped lifeless to the ground, her mouth gaping open in sheer horror. Then, she saw a strange light out of the corner of her eye. She spotted The Evil Queen's fireball just as she hurled it from her hand, straight at Henry. Shae scrambled up onto her feet, and seized the boy by the front of his jacket, pulling him out of the way just in the nick of time. She clung to Henry's jacket, and wrapped her free arm around Emma's waist, dragging her away, still screaming.
"NOOOO!" Emma bellowed.
"GO! RUN!" Shae commanded, shoving both her and Henry forward. "RUN!"
Emma choked out a horrified, strangled sob, but obeyed. She, Shae, and Henry ran as fast as their legs would carry them through the streets of the tiny, seaside village. They kept running until they finally entered the forest, and kept running some more, their feet pounding wildly into the grass and dirt. None of them spoke, all too shocked and horrified for words. The only sounds to be heard were the pounding of their footsteps, and Emma's quiet sobbing. Shae barely knew the pirate called Hook, but her heart ached too for his loss, his sacrifice.
Suddenly, Shae felt a stinging, white hot pain shooting out from the dagger still buried in her shoulder. She felt it spreading all the way down to her fingertips, and straight across her chest. Her legs suddenly felt like they were made of jelly, and the trees around her started spinning wildly. Something was very, very wrong.
"SHAE!" Shouted Henry.
He and Emma both skidded to a stop as Shae suddenly collapsed to the forest floor. They exchanged a quick, panicked glance, then rushed over to her, dropping to their knees on either side of her, their chests still heaving with exertion, their hearts pounding. With quivering hands, Emma carefully pulled back Shae's shirt and leather coat, and she and Henry both gasped at what they saw. Some sort of blackness was spreading through Shae's veins from around the dagger.
"Oh my god…" Henry whispered, his eyes wide with horror. "I-I think the dagger was… P-Poisoned!"
"Shit… We've gotta get it out." Emma muttered, seizing the dagger's handle.
"No!" Shae shouted, gripping Emma's wrist. "Dammit… No. I'll just bleed to death."
"Right. Y-You're right." Emma stammered as she released the dagger. "Come on, we have to keep going. We need to get you to Regina, quick."
"I can't." Shae muttered through gritted teeth, her face contorted in pain. "Just… J-Just leave me."
"No!" Cried Henry, his eyes welling with frightened tears. "Shae, you have to get up! Y-You have to go to Regina! You have to save us!"
Shae started to cough violently, and Henry and Emma watched in horror as the blackness began to spread up the veins in her neck. "I… I-I won't make it, Henry. I'm sorry." Shae whispered, her breathing suddenly quite labored. "It's spreading to quickly. There… T-There has to be another way."
Emma suddenly gasped, gripping Henry's arm tight. "Henry… I think she's right." She muttered, her hazel green eyes wide.
Henry's own eyes grew wide with realization. "Robin Hood."
Shae snorted, which turned into another cough. "Robin Hood." She spat, grimacing in pain again. "The, 'noble thief.' Whatever the hell that is. What's he got to do with all this?"
Emma exchanged an uncertain glance with her son. "Um… That's a long story."
Shae chuckled, and coughed weakly some more. "Yes, well, it seems like I don't exactly have the time." She muttered, her normal olive toned face now suddenly pale as snow. "If everything you say is true, and he really can fix all this, then… T-Then you have to find him."
"But… Shae, we can't just leave you here." Henry protested, tears now falling freely down his face. "You saved me. You saved us."
Shae gave the boy a weak smile. "Oh, Henry. I've been dying every day since Snow White locked me away in that tower." She whispered. "At least this is a better death than rotting away in there, a noble death. I thank you for that."
Henry looked to his mother, his mouth gaping open in horror, his bottom lip trembling. "But… B-But… What about Regina?"
Shae smiled some more, gently taking Henry's hand in her own. "You find her for me." She murmured, emitting another strangled, painful cough. "Tell her that… T-Tell… Tell her…"
Shae words trailed off into another fit of violent coughing. "We will, Shae." Emma promised her, tears now leaking out of her own eyes. "We'll tell her."
Shae nodded, squeezing her eyes shut, tears of her own leaking out of the corners of her eyes. Henry choked out a strangled sob, throwing his arms around Shae, resting his head on her chest as he wept. Shae reached out a quivering arm, and gently patted him on the back.
"It's alright, Henry. Maybe there's still time." She whispered softly, more black poison slowly creeping up her neck. "If everything you said about this world is really true then… Maybe what happens to me here won't really matter… Right?"
Emma nodded as Shae turned her gaze onto her, and she smiled through her tears. "Right." She whispered back. "We're going to put a stop to all this. I won't let anyone else die. I… I won't lose you too. I can't."
Emma bit back a sob, and she leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on Shae's sweat covered forehead. "Then go." Shae told her quietly, her voice strained, and riddled with pain. "Don't let my sacrifice or the pirate's be in vain."
Emma nodded some more, and she rose to her feet. She pulled her shaking and weeping son up onto his own feet as well. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders as they slowly walked away from another one of their loved ones, dying on the forest floor. Emma glanced over her shoulder at Shae, who was now lying with her eyes closed, singing softly into the air.
"Darling don't be afraid, I have loved you,
For a thousand years.
I'll love you for a thousand more."
XX
Emma Swan watched in horror as the bells atop the chapel in the woods started to ring. A group of people came bursting out of the doors, laughing merrily as they threw rice at Robin Hood, arm in arm with his new wife, Zelena. The jubilant laughter came to a screeching halt when the wedding goers all saw the scene before them. Henry was kneeling next to his other mother, Regina, who lying bleeding on the ground.
Emma and Henry had finally found her, and were about to stop the wedding, when Rumplestiltskin intervened. He was about to cut Henry down, but Regina saved his life by taking the blow for him. Now, The Dark One was gone, his task complete, unlike Emma and Henry's. The wedding was over, and Regina, just like Hook and Shae, was dying. It was too late, they were at the end of the book. They weren't going to be able to fix anything now.
"It's alright." Robin said gently, smiling at Regina as he knelt down on her other side. "You're going to be alright."
Regina choked out a strangled laugh, grimacing in pain. "No… I'm not." She wheezed.
"Mom…" Henry sobbed, tears streaming down his face.
Robin sighed, placing his hand on top of Regina's. "At least I can promise you," He began with another gentle smile. "You won't die alone."
"No, she won't."
Robin leapt to his feet in alarm at the sudden voice. He whirled around, and Emma and Henry both drew in startled gasps. Standing behind him, was none other than Shae. Henry glanced back at Emma, and they both smiled at each other, barely able to believe their eyes. Snow White's dagger was still buried firmly in Shae's shoulder, and the poison had spread even farther up her neck. She was swaying dangerously on her feet, her eye sockets shallow and sunken, her skin ghostly pale. However, miraculously, she was still very much alive.
Emma opened her mouth to call out to Shae, but all that came out was another startled gasp as Shae struck Robin Hood in the face with her fist. The wedding guests all cried out in alarm as Robin immediately slumped to the ground, totally senseless.
"That felt strangely good." Shae muttered, staring down at her own fist.
"Shae?"
Shae smiled down at the woman she loved so very, very much, the woman that she fought off death itself just to see one last time. "Regina."
Regina sat forward, her pain momentarily forgotten as Shae collapsed to her knees beside her. She choked out a strangled sob of pure joy, throwing her arms around her. She squeezed her arms, her shoulders, her face, unable to believe that she was actually real.
"Shae… Oh, Shae…" She whispered, tears streaming from her eyes. "Is… I-Is it really you?"
Shae nodded, and opened her mouth to speak, but all that came out was a strangled cry of pain. She doubled over, bracing herself with on hand on the ground, the other clutching her heart as the poison took hold of it. Regina watched with wide, horrified eyes as the veins in Shae's cheeks started to turn black.
"Shae… W-What's happened to you?" Regina breathed.
"Snow White." Shae replied through gritted teeth. She nodded down at the bloody, gaping wound in Regina's stomach. "You?"
"Rumplestiltskin." Replied Regina.
Shae breathed out a bitter, sour laugh, which turned into another fit of coughs. "Well," She began, smiling at the woman she loved through her pain. "At least we got to see each other… One last time."
Regina choked out a sob, and threw her arms around Shae once again, and placed a kiss firmly on her lips. Henry gasped, glancing over his shoulder at his other mother, Emma. He smiled excitedly, and Emma smiled back at him. They watched and waited as Shae and Regina kissed, their hearts pounding in their chests. Slowly, the smiles faded from their faces. Nothing was happening, nothing at all.
"B-But…" Henry stammered, glancing back at Emma again. "True love's kiss."
Emma breathed out a miserable, heavy sigh. "We're at the end of the book, Henry." She muttered, slowly shaking her head. "It's too late."
Henry slowly turned his gaze back onto Regina and Shae, who had broken apart, and were smiling into each other's eyes. "You came back." Regina whispered, placing her hand gently on Shae's cheek.
"I always come ba-"
"AAH!"
Regina suddenly cried out in pain, doubled over with her hands on the wound in her stomach. Shae watched in horror as blood spilled out from between her fingers. She gasped as Regina's back arched, her body convulsing violently. She took hold of her just as she was about to hit the ground, and held her lover's quivering body tightly in her arms.
"Oh god…" Regina whispered, tears streaming down her face, her features contorted in pain. "Oh god, Shae… It hurts…"
"I know, I know…" Shae whispered back. "It's alright. It'll all be over soon."
Regina sobbed loudly, digging her hands into the front of Shae's coat as more pain wracked her body. "No… No, no, no…" She muttered, vigorously shaking her head. "It can't… It can't end like this. Not now."
"Shh… Just be still. I've got you." Shae whispered softly. She grunted, squeezing her eyes shut and gritting her teeth as pain shot through her own body, more blackness creeping up her cheeks. "I… I-Ive been writing you a song." She went on with a smile, once the pain subsided. "It's not quite finished yet, but… W-Would you like to hear it?"
Regina grimaced, then nodded, smiling up at Shae through her pain. Shae nodded back, and cleared her throat. A solemn silence fell over the group gathered around as Shae started to sing softly to the woman that she loved, the woman that was dying in her arms.
"The day we met,
Frozen I held my breath.
Right from the start,
I knew that I'd found a home for my heart,
Beats fast,
Colors and promises.
How to be brave?
How can I love when I'm afraid to fall?
But watching you stand alone,
All of my doubt suddenly goes away, somehow.
One step closer.
I have died everyday waiting for you.
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you,
For a thousand years
I'll love you for a thousand more."
Though Shae's voice was soft and strained with pain, with sorrow, it was still so hauntingly beautiful. Emma slowly walked over to her son as Shae sang, and knelt down beside him, wrapping an arm around his shoulders as they both wept. She glanced up at all the wedding goers that were gathered around Shae and Regina, and she noticed there wasn't a single dry eye to be seen. She then turned her gaze back onto the two dying lovers. Regina stared up into Shae's eyes in wonder as she sang to her, tears streaming from her deep brown eyes. Shae gently caressed Regina's face as she sang on, her voice gaining strength and swelling with emotion. Her voice rang out through the trees, surrounding them all.
"Time stands still,
Beauty in all she is.
I will be brave.
I will not let anything take away,
What's standing in front of me.
Every breath,
Every hour has come to this.
One step closer.
I have died everyday waiting for you.
Darling don't be afraid I have loved you,
For a thousand years.
I'll love you for a thousand more."
Shae suddenly stopped singing, and everyone was broken out of their trance as she cried out in pain. They all gasped as Regina slipped from her arms, and she slumped backwards onto the ground. Regina grunted and groaned as she pushed herself up onto her knees beside Shae, her whole body trembling. She sobbed loudly as the poison crept up her lover's face, snaking its way into her eyes. Still, though, she stared into those eyes that she loved so very much.
With tears streaming down her face, Shae reached out a quivering hand, and placed it gently on Regina's cheek. Her chest heaved with ragged, hollow breaths. Still, though, she continued to sing to the woman that she loved, her voice barely above a whisper.
"All along I believed I would find you,
Time has brought your heart to me.
I have loved you for a thousand years,
I'll love you for a thousand… More."
Shae drew in a sharp gasp, her eyes suddenly hazy and unfocused, gaping up at the sky. They all watched in horror as her eyes fluttered closed, and her arm fell away from her lover's face. She let out her last hollow, shuddering breath, and drew in no more. She was gone.
"Too little, too late."
Regina glanced up, and saw a strangely dressed man standing behind Emma and Henry. As soon as she noticed him, Emma immediately leapt to her feet, and punched him square in the jaw. Regina had no idea who this man was, and, at the moment, she didn't really care. She turned her gaze back onto the woman that she loved, the woman that she had been dying to see again for such a long time. She sobbed as she leaned forward, and placed one last kiss on Shae's lips.
Suddenly, Regina felt extremely weak. Unable to sit up any longer, she slumped down onto the ground beside Shae. She groaned as pain wracked her body, and she felt more blood oozing out of the wound in her stomach. She sobbed quietly as she stared at her lover's still, lifeless face lying beside her.
"Bring back Hook, bring back Shae! Save Regina!" She heard Emma shouting.
"I can't!" The strange man's voice shouted back. "I'm not The Author any more. I can't change a thing."
Regina's whole body felt like it was made of lead. Slowly, painfully, she forced her arm to move. She entwined her fingers in with Shae's, taking some comfort in the fact that her hand was still warm. She heard Emma's voice again as she continued to stare desperately at Shae's face, coupled with others.
"What's happening?"
"He's the next Author!"
"Henry! Fix it! Write everything the way it was!"
Regina's eyelids began to grow heavy, her entire body going numb. She heard voices all around her, but none of them made sense. Nothing made sense any more, nothing mattered, not now that Shae was gone.
"NO!"
"HENRY, DO IT!"
A small, hazy figure was bending over Regina, and she felt something touch her hand. "Hold on, mom." She heard Henry whisper.
Suddenly, Regina found that it was hard to breathe. She squeezed Shae's hand as tight as she could. The corners of her vision started to turn black, and she closed her eyes, more tears leaking down her face. I'll be seeing you soon, my love.
"Thanks to the heroic sacrifices of both Shae and Regina," She heard Henry muttering from somewhere nearby. "Isaac's villainous work was undone."
X-X-X-X-X
Regina slowly blinked her eyes open, and found that she was no longer staring up at the tops of trees. She lie still for a moment, frightened and confused, trying to make sense of her strange surroundings. Suddenly, she gasped, and sat bolt upright. She glanced down at her own body, and realized that not only was her gaping stab wound gone, but so were her dirty bandit rags. She was wearing a long black coat, along with a sensible pant suit. Suddenly, all her memories rushed back to her, memories of her real life. She now knew exactly who she was, and exactly where she was: Storybrooke.
"Mom!"
Regina turned her head to the side, and found her son, Henry, kneeling beside her, a joyous smile stretching across his face. She immediately pulled him into her arms, kissing the top of his head as grateful tears poured out of her eyes.
"You did it, Henry." She whispered to him.
Henry smiled at his mother, and slowly shook his head. "No, Mom. We did it."
"Henry!"
Henry's smile grew even wider when he saw his other mother, Emma, rushing toward him. He leapt up onto his feet, and threw himself into her arms. Emma smiled at Regina over Henry's shoulder, and Regina smiled back. Suddenly, the smile faded from her face. She turned to her other side, and gasped when she found Shae lying beside her. Her eyes were still closed, and she still wasn't moving.
"No… No, no, no…" Regina muttered, scrambling up onto her knees. "Shae? SHAE!"
Emma and Henry both exchanged a panicked glace. They rushed over to Shae, and knelt down on her other side. They watched in silent horror as as Regina shook Shae's shoulders, shouting at her as she patted her cheeks, desperately trying to wake her up. Emma glanced up at The Apprentice, who was now awake and on his feet. The old man simply stared down at Shae in solemn silence.
"No, please…" Regina sobbed, resting her head on Shae's chest. "Please… Not again. I can't. I-"
Regina was thrown back as Shae suddenly sat bolt upright, drawing in a deep, shuddering gasp. She stared wide eyed all around her, her chest heaving, her whole body shaking. She then glanced down at her own body, and patted her shoulder, where there had once been a dagger. When she found that it was gone, she breathed out a sigh of relief, and turned her eyes onto Emma and Henry.
"Bitches… Need to stop… TRYING TO KILL ME!"
Emma and Henry both burst out laughing, crying tears of joy as they threw their arms around Shae. When they released her, Regina placed her quivering hand on Shae's shoulder, causing her to jump in fright. When she finally saw Regina, the woman that she loved, the woman that she almost lost, her jaw dropped open, and her piercing blue eyes welled with tears.
Shae reached out with trembling hands, placing them on Regina's shoulders. She glanced down at Regina's stomach, then back into her eyes, her mouth opening and closing several times. Unable to come up with any words, she pulled Regina into her arms, placing a deep, passionate kiss on her lips. Regina sobbed with joy against Shae's lips, throwing her arms around her, holding her desperately, gratefully.
"You came back." She whispered, smiling through her joyous tears.
"I always come back." Shae whispered back.
They kissed again, and, just as it always did when the two lovers kissed, the entire rest of the world melted away. In that moment, nothing else mattered besides the two of them. Against all odds, they had found their way back to each other once again. After all the heartache, all the pain, their bond of true love remained as strong as ever.
"Oh my god…" Emma suddenly whispered, causing Shae and Regina to break apart. "Hook!"
Emma leapt up to her feet, and raced off down the street toward her apartment. Suddenly, Regina, Shae, and Henry heard groaning from beside them. "Remus!" Shae shouted.
It was indeed Remus, now finally awake, sitting on the ground beside Shae. He blinked dazedly a few times, staring all around him. "What the bloody hell?" He muttered.
"Hey! You ok?" Shae asked, reaching out and shaking him by the shoulder.
Remus nodded, slowly turning his gaze onto the other three. "What happened to you?" Asked Henry. "Where've you been this whole time?"
"I… I was a farmer." Remus answered, his now green eyes growing wide. "A pig farmer, of all things! And I had a wife, a-and children!" Somehow, his eyes grew even wider. "My god… Do you know the things I had to do to make children?"
Shae, Regina, and Henry all laughed at the absolutely mortified look on Remus's face. "It's alright, buddy. None of it was real." Shae said, gently patting his back. "It's all over now."
Shae then turned back to Regina, smiling into the gorgeous brown eyes that she loved so very much. "I love you." She whispered softly.
"I love you too." Regina whispered back.
Shae's now beating heart skipped an entire beat when she saw Regina's smile, the one that was her favorite, the one that meant everything. Regina reached out, and placed her hand on Shae's cheek, gently caressing it with her thumb. They both leaned in toward each other's lips again, but stopped when they heard a sudden shout.
"Regina!"
Regina gasped, and Shae clenched her jaw when she saw who it was: Robin Hood. The thief stopped in his tracks when he spotted Shae. Shae rose slowly to her feet, cocking her fist as she stomped toward him.
"Shae, don't!" Regina shouted.
"STOP!" Robin exclaimed, raising his hands in surrender and drawing back a step. "Please! There's no need to hit me again!"
Shae froze where she stood, fist still raised in the air. She glanced up at her own fist, then at Robin, then back at Regina. She slowly lowered her arm. What she did next floored them all; She stepped up to Robin Hood, seized him by his shoulders, and pulled him into a tight embrace.
A stunned silence fell over the street where they were all standing. Robin gave Regina a very confused, and slightly frightened, wide eyed glance from over Shae's shoulder. Regina had no idea what to say. She looked to Henry and Remus, who both shrugged at her.
Shae suddenly cleared her throat, releasing Robin and taking a step back. "W-What… What was that for?" Robin stammered.
"I dunno…" Muttered Shae, ruffling her jet black hair. "I'm just… Confused and… A-And emotional, and stuff." She glanced over at Regina, then back at Robin, heaving a heavy sigh. "Look, I think the three of us should… Sit down and talk."
Robin raised his eyebrows in shock. "Really?" He asked. When Shae nodded, he breathed out a bemused laugh. "Well, I think I rather like this new you. N-Not that I didn't like the old you, the vampire you, b-but… W-What I mean, is-"
Shae groaned, rolling her eyes as she spun Robin around by his shoulder. "Just… Shut up and go." She grumbled, shoving him forward.
Regina glanced over at Remus and her son, who both shrugged at her once again. She followed Shae and Robin to Granny's Diner, Remus and Henry trailing along behind them. When they arrived, they found many residents of Storybrooke were already celebrating their return to reality within. Remus and Henry sat at the counter together, while Regina, Shae, and Robin chose a booth at the very back.
Shae sat and listened as Robin, once again, recounted a shocking and miserable tale. She was shocked and alarmed to learn that Zelena was still alive, and that she had been posing as Marian the whole time. What was most alarming, was that Zelena was now pregnant, with Robin's baby.
"The worst part of it all," Robin was saying, his bright blue eyes glistening with tears. "Is that I fell in love with my wife all over again, only to learn that… That…"
"She wasn't really your wife." Shae finished for him. She then breathed out a sad, heavy sigh, running a hand over her face. "Jesus Christ… Robin, I… I-I'm so sorry."
"Yes… As am I." Robin replied, smiling sadly. "I really am, for everything. For all I've put you both through, I… I really am sorry."
Regina and Shae both exchanged sad smiles of their own. "It's alright, Robin." Regina said gently.
"It's all forgiven." Said Shae.
"Good." Robin replied with a gracious nod. "That is a considerable weight off my shoulders. Thank you." He paused, and smiled fondly at both Shae and Regina. "You should know," He went on, looking to Shae. "The only reason I was with Regina at the hospital is that we had been talking. She told me that, even though I was no longer married, that I was back in her life, and that you were gone, she… Couldn't be with me. Even if you were to never return from The Underworld, she simply couldn't betray you again. She loves you too much."
Shae slowly turned her eyes onto the woman that she loved, and they instantly welled with tears as she gazed upon her smile. "Regina," Robin went on, reaching out and gently taking Regina's hand. "I will always cherish what we had. It was really something… Special." He paused once more, giving the two lovers another fond smile. "But it pales in comparison to the bond that the two of you have. It defies all odds. Even in a whole different reality, on the brink of death, you found your way back to each other. It defies logic, to be perfectly honest."
Shae and Regina both chuckled, as did Robin. He then cleared his throat, and went on. "I would be mad to try and stand in the way of such a powerful force of nature, and I won't any longer. I only hope that, one day, I might find something that comes even close to what you two have."
Regina squeezed Robin's hand tight, her own eyes shining with tears. "You will, Robin." She whispered to him. "I will always cherish what we had as well. Always."
"And, listen," Shae began, leaning forward in her seat, staring determinedly into the eyes of the man she once hated. "We're going to help you figure out this whole Zelena situation."
"Yes, of course." Regina agreed with a nod. "She is my sister, as much as I hate to admit it."
"Thank you, that's… Kind of you both." Robin replied with another sad smile. "But I don't want to burden the two of you any more than I already have." Regina and Shae both watched sadly as he rose from his seat. "Now then… I will leave the two of you to celebrate. You are the heroes of the day, after all."
Regina reached out and took Robin's hand, staring concernedly up into his eyes. "Robin… Will you be alright?"
Robin squeezed her hand gently. "Yes, I believe so, with time." He said with a nod. "For now, I think I will go spend some time with my son. To say he needs me is certainly true, but… I think I might need him more, especially now."
Regina nodded, and Robin took his leave from them. Shae and Regina sat in silence for a time, their hearts heavy with the weight of Robin Hood's unpleasant situation. Shae had spent a long time hating the man, but now she felt nothing but pity for the noble thief. She turned slowly to Regina, carefully searching her eyes.
"How do you feel?" She asked her quietly.
Regina sighed, leaning back in her seat. "Sad." She answered. "And… Happy. All at the same time. You?"
Shae nodded in agreement. "Yeah." She muttered.
"Do you… Still think about Elsa?" Regina asked slowly. "Did you remember her at all, back in the other world?"
Shae slowly shook her head. "No. Not at all." She replied. "I thought that maybe not remembering her was better, but… I'm glad that I do. She helped me see who I really am, and I think Robin did the same for you. And… And now-"
"Now we're here." Regina said with a smile.
Shae smiled back at her, and nodded. "Yeah." She whispered. "And I'm sure glad we finally are."
Regina smiled too, placing her hand on the back of Shae's neck as she kissed her. "I love you, Regina." Shae whispered softly.
Regina nodded, placing another kiss on Shae's lips. "I love you too, Shae." She whispered back. "I love you. So much."
XX
More residents of Storybrooke began piling in to Granny's Diner, and Shae was relieved when Emma returned with her parents, along with a still very much alive Captain Hook. Shae and Regina both enjoyed the party for a time, but then decided to go for a walk, so they could finally be alone together. As they walked hand in hand, Regina told Shae all about how she felt it in her heart when she and Remus returned from The Underworld. Shae was shocked to learn that Regina discovered her heart was now whole, which meant Shae's own was as well.
"You really don't remember anything?" Regina asked of Shae. When Shae shook her head, her face fell into a frown. "That is… A bit concerning."
"Yeah. A bit." Shae muttered, then gave a shrug. "I'm not really worried about it. I'm not really worried about much of anything right now."
Regina rubbed Shae's arm affectionately as she smiled at her. "So, how does it feel to be human again?" She asked her lover.
"Um…" Shae mumbled, pursing her lips as she thought. "Squishy."
Regina laughed loudly. "Squishy?"
"Well, I mean… As a vampire, I was basically indestructible." Shae replied, shrugging uncertainly once again. "And now I'm just… You know…"
"Squishy." Regina finished for her. She laughed again when Shae nodded, then went on. "Still, though, it must be nice to finally be rid of your darkness."
Shae's brow furrowed in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"Well, you know, you're not a violent, bloodsucking creature anymore." Regina replied with a shrug of her own. "You're certainly… Different. You took pity on Robin, forgave him, hugged him, even. You're a changed woman now, Shae."
"Yeah, I guess you're right." Shae agreed with a small chuckle. "I definitely feel… Different." Slowly, the smile faded from her face. "Still… I don't think that means my darkness is gone. I still feel it, Regina. It's still very much a part of me. I think… I think it always will be, as much as I don't want it to."
Regina bit her lip, and the two of them fell silent for a time. Regina found herself contemplating her own darkness, turning over the memories of all the things that she and her Royal Protector had done, all the things that they had been through. Now, everything was different. They had both changed so much. She smiled. Now, they could finally start a new life, together.
Shae suddenly stopped walking, and tugged on Regina's hand, pulling her to a stop as well. "Regina, listen." She muttered, a deep sadness suddenly filling her eyes. She took both Regina's hands in her own, staring mournfully into her eyes. "I'm so sorry, for everything, for all of it, and-"
"No. Stop." Regina cut in, vigorously shaking her head. She placed her hands on Shae's shoulders, staring intently into her new and stunning blue eyes. "No more of that. No more apologizing, from either of us. What's done is done." She paused for a moment, smiling as she moved her hands to Shae's face. "Everything that's happened between us, all that we've been through, it's in the past now, especially everything in Henry's book. Let's just… Leave that all behind us, and start a new chapter, a brighter chapter, together."
Shae smiled back at her, her piercing blue eyes glistening with tears. She pulled Regina into her arms, holding her tight as grateful tears spilled down her cheeks. Regina rested her head against Shae's shoulder, nuzzling her face into her neck. She enjoyed the new warmth radiating from Shae's body, and smiled as she drew in her scent. It was much different now, but she loved it all the same.
"What do you say we, uh… Start that new chapter the best way we know how?" Shae suggested with a grin.
Regina grinned back at her, wrapping her arms around Shae's neck. "Mmm… I think that's a wonderful idea."
Regina smiled against Shae's lips as she kissed her. Their lips parted slowly, gently, their tongues brushing lightly against each other. Regina loved how warm Shae's lips were now. She gasped as Shae ran her hands over the curve of her backside, and she felt that familiar ache between her legs. She dug her fingers into the front of Shae's jacket, ready to tear it off as soon as she teleported them to her bedroom.
"Where is it?"
"We don't know!"
"It just… Disappeared!"
Shae and Regina broke apart at the sudden and distressed shouting. "Oh, good." Shae muttered sarcastically. "Right on cue."
Regina rolled her eyes, breathing out an exasperated sigh. "What the hell is it now?"
They both turned toward the sound, and found Emma, her parents, Hook, and Remus gathered in the middle of the street a few yards away. Regina grabbed on to Shae's hand, and they both rushed over to them. They immediately grew gravely concerned when they saw the panicked look on everyone's faces.
"Hey! What's going on?" Asked Regina.
"The Dark One, it's no longer tethered to the Crocodile." Hook answered gravely.
"That Apprentice fellow, he tried to seal it in that strange hat." Remus explained in a rush. "But it didn't work. It's… Gone!"
"No. Not gone." Shae suddenly whispered. They all watched her curiously as she stared wide eyed all around her. "It's everywhere. It's surrounding us."
"You're right." Emma whispered too, her eyes just as wide as Shae's. "I… I-I can feel it."
They all stood rooted in their spots, their eyes filled with fear as they gaze all around them. Suddenly, Regina emitted a startled gasp, and the others all turned toward her, just in time to see black tendrils of pure darkness shooting down from the night sky. Regina's hand was wrenched from Shae's as the darkness swept her up and dragged her away. Regina screamed as it began swirling around her like a massive, terrifying cyclone, crackling with magical energy.
"REGINA!" Shae screamed.
"My god." Muttered Remus, his mouth gaping open in horror. "W-What's it doing?"
"What darkness does best." Emma replied gravely. "Snuffing out the light."
Shae watched in sheer horror as the woman that she loved was slowly being consumed by the swirling black cyclone. "NO!" She shouted. "No, I won't let it!"
Shae rushed at the cyclone, only to be blown backwards. She sailed through the air, crashing straight into Remus. They both tumbled across the ground, and Shae immediately scrambled back onto her feet, her whole body trembling.
"That's not going to work on this thing!" Emma shouted over the magical energy that was crackling like lightning. "The Apprentice said we need to do what The Sorcerer did! We need to tether it to another person to contain it!"
Emma then glanced down at The Dark One's dagger that was clenched firmly in her fist. Suddenly, they all realized what she was about to do. "EMMA!" Shrieked Mary Margaret.
"NO!" Shae exclaimed, staring at Emma with horror in her eyes. "T-There… There has to be another way!"
"There isn't." Emma replied, slowly shaking her head. She then turned to her parents, smiling at them with tears in her eyes. "You got the darkness out of me once. You're gonna have to do it again."
"NO!" Shouted David.
"Emma, please!" Cried Hook, his own eyes glistening with tears. "Please… Don't do this!"
Emma smiled at Killian Jones, the man that she loved. "I love you." She whispered softly.
Emma then turned around, and raised the dagger into the air. "NO!" Shae screamed.
Shae rushed forward, and grabbed onto Emma's hands just in time, her own curling around the handle of the dagger as well. "Stop!" She shouted desperately. "Let me!"
"NO!" Emma refused, trying to wrench the dagger away from Shae. "You've worked too hard for your happiness to let it just get crushed by this thing!"
"Emma, you're The Savior!" Shae cried.
"SHAE, LET GO!"
"NO!"
Emma struggled against Shae for a moment, but then managed to shove both of their hands forward, stabbing the dagger straight into the cyclone of darkness. For a moment, nothing seemed to happen. Emma and Shae both stood with their hands clamped firmly onto the dagger, staring up at the terrifying, swirling cyclone. Then, the cyclone suddenly stopped spinning, and slowly began to shift. Regina was released from it's grasp.
Regina staggered backwards, her chest heaving, her whole body trembling. She watched in silent horror as the cyclone began spinning again. Black tendrils of magic began to work their way down both Emma and Shae's arms, creeping up to their shoulders, their necks, their faces. Regina caught Shae's eye just before both her and Emma were consumed by the darkness. She saw nothing but fear into those eyes that she loved so very much.
Regina drew in a startled gasp, they all did, as, suddenly, the cyclone disappeared into the night air, Shae and Emma along with it. A stunned, horrified silence fell over the group gathered on the main street of Storybrooke. Slowly, Regina forced her legs to move. She bent over and picked up The Dark One's dagger, which was all that had been left behind. The others all crowded around, staring down at the dagger in Regina's hands.
"'Emma Swan.'" Hook muttered, reading the name that was now etched into the dagger's blade.
With trembling hands, Regina turned the dagger over, expecting to find Shae's name etched into the other side. However, the back side of the dagger was blank. She turned it over again, then glanced up at the others, her mouth opening and closing several times, her bottom lip trembling.
"I… I-I don't understand." She whispered, frightened tears beginning to well into her eyes. "Shae's name isn't on here."
"What exactly does that mean?" Asked Remus, look just as terrified as Regina.
Regina slowly shook her head. "I don't know." She muttered in reply. She swallowed the hard, fearful lump that had formed in her throat, gazing around at all the others. "Where is she? Where did it take her?"
XX
Shae felt her body spinning round and round, twisting and turning wildly through the air. She peeled her eyes open a crack, and saw nothing but the swirling, spinning darkness. She heard strange noises through the wind rushing through her ears, horrible, terrifying noises. Some of them were voices, shouting, crying, laughing. Some of them were nothing but deep, guttural growls. The pressure in her head threatened to crush her skull, and the rushing wide drew all breath straight out of her lungs. Then, just when she thought she was going to be crushed to death, it all stopped.
Shae grunted as she was deposited face first out onto solid ground. She lie still for a few moments, her chest heaving, her whole body trembling violently. She rolled onto her side, and slowly peeled her eyes open. She found herself staring at a dark, rocky wall. She pushed herself shakily up onto her knees, staring wide eyed all around her. It looked like she was in a long, dark hallway inside some sort of cave. There was a cobblestone path beneath her, and there were torches sitting in sconces lining the rocky walls. Above all else, Shae could sense nothing but darkness from all around her, nothing but evil.
"What the fuck?" She whispered, peering down the long, torch lit hallway. "Where the hell am I now?"
She staggered up onto her feet, bracing herself with one hand on the wall as her legs trembled beneath her. She turned in her spot, examining her new and strange surroundings. Suddenly, she froze where she stood when she heard a strange whisper, a whisper that chilled her right to the very bone.
Shae…
XX
