CHAPTER 24
Regina groaned, slowly blinking her eyes open. For a moment, she lie still, trying to make sense of what happened, and where exactly she was. She was roused from her stupor when she heard more grunting and groaning from all around her. She sat forward, her brown eyes growing wide when she realized that she was sitting on the floor of Granny's Diner. All around her, there were others lying on the floor. They were all dressed in medieval style clothing, including herself. She quickly realized that all the people who had gone to Camelot in search of Emma and Shae were surrounding her, all of them slowly waking from some sort of daze.
Suddenly, the door to Granny's burst open. The dwarves Sneezy and Sleepy both rushed in, looking panicked. "What are you guys doing here?" Asked Sneezy.
"W-What… What happened?" Stammered Mary Margaret, clutching baby Neal carefully to her chest as her husband helped her to her feet.
"Oh my god…" David muttered, staring wide eyed out of the window. "We're back!"
Regina staggered to her own feet, and glanced out the window herself. David was right. Granny's was right back where it was supposed to be, on Main Street Storybrooke. Regina squeezed her eyes shut, trying desperately to make any sense of what was happening.
She remembered tricking her sister, Zelena, into summoning a cyclone with The Apprentice's wand, a cyclone that took the entirety of Granny's Diner, and those gathered inside, back to the realm of The Enchanted Forest. She remembered finding Emma in the forest, and then encountering King Arthur and his knights. The very last thing she remembered was walking up the drawbridge toward King Arthur's castle in Camelot. Then… Nothing.
"This doesn't make any sense." She muttered. "We were just walking into Camelot."
"What the hell are we wearing?" Growled Leroy, staring down at his own clothes. He then turned to his fellow dwarves. "Sneezy, Sleepy, what happened? How long were we gone?"
"Six weeks." Answered Sneezy.
Regina's eyes grew even wider than they already were. "What?"
"Our memories…" David whispered, his own eyes filled with fear. "T-They're gone!"
"Again." Mary Margaret added glumly.
Regina opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when she heard groaning from behind her. It was Remus, who was finally waking. "What? W-Where are-" He muttered, stopping mid sentence as he stared down at his own legs. "Dear god… Am I wearing tights?"
"Remus!" Regina exclaimed, rushing over to him. She then gasped, gazing frantically all around her. "Oh my god… Shae! W-Where's Shae?"
Silence fell over the diner momentarily as they searched all around them. "Look!" Henry suddenly exclaimed, pointing toward the back corner of the diner. "Over there!"
There were a pair of legs sticking out from behind one of the booths, and Regina immediately rushed over to them. "Shae!" She exclaimed. "It's her! It's Shae!"
Regina knelt down beside the woman she loved, her eyes immediately welling with tears as relief washed over her. Other than how exactly they all made it back to Storybrooke, Regina also had absolutely no memory of finding Shae. She was dressed as strangely as all the others, in a pair of medieval style black breeches, black boots, a white shirt, and a silk, dark blue vest. For some reason, all her piercings were missing as well. However, there was no mistaking that messy black hair. It was most definitely her.
"No, Beyonce, those are my pancakes…" Shae mumbled, her eyes still closed.
Regina couldn't help but laugh at Shae's dazed muttering. "Shae… Shae, wake up." She whispered, gently shaking her shoulder.
"Stop… Gettin' syrup all over…" Shae continued to mutter, weakly shoving Regina's hand away.
Regina breathed out an irritated sigh, her amusement quickly fading. "Shae! Come on, wake up!" She shouted, patting Shae's cheeks.
"Ow… OW!" Shae exclaimed, finally snapping awake. "Jesus Christ! I'm up, I-" She stopped mid sentence, her blue eyes growing wide as she gazed all around her. "Woah… Wait… What's going on?"
"That is an excellent question." Regina replied, smiling as tears of joy began to trickle down her cheeks. "We'll figure all that out later, right after this."
Regina took Shae's face in her hands, and placed a deep, passionate kiss on her lips. "You came back." She whispered, pulling away from Shae's lips and smiling into her eyes.
"Don't I always?" Shae replied with a wink and a grin.
Regina leaned in toward Shae's lips again, but stopped when Hook spoke from behind her. "That's all well and good, love." He said, his face grave. "But if you're here… Then where's Emma?"
"Relax. I'm right here."
Everyone in the diner gasped at the sudden, quiet voice, and Regina and Shae both leapt to their feet. "Woah." Shae whispered, staring wide eyed at the person who was suddenly standing by the diner's door.
It was indeed Emma Swan, but, she was no longer the Emma that they all knew. She was dressed head to toe in black, complete with a long, black coat, made out of a material that was very familiar to them all. It was the same kind of material that Rumplestiltskin used to wear, the kind that looked like it was made out of some sort of crocodile skin. Her usual long, blonde hair was now stark white, and tied up in a tight bun. What was most shocking of all, was the uncharacteristic and sinister scowl on her face. Her scowl was so dark, so full of malice, that it gave all of them chills.
"Mom?" Henry whispered, as he gaped at his mother in horror. "W-What… What happened to you?"
"Isn't it obvious?" Emma asked in reply, raising an eyebrow at them all. "You went to Camelot to get the darkness out of me."
Emma stepped up to her mother, Mary Margaret, and placed her hand gently on her cheek. "And you failed." She whispered.
Mary Margaret gasped, and visibly shivered at her daughter's touch. Emma stepped away from her mother, and froze when the aptly named Sneezy suddenly sneezed from beside her. Emma slowly turned her head to glare into Sneezy's eyes, which grew wide with fear. He then tilted his head back, and was about to sneeze again, when Emma waved her hand, and turned him completely to stone.
"Woah." Shae whispered again.
"Emma, stop!" Regina snarled, taking an angry step forward. "That's enough!"
"Or what?" Emma snarled back, glaring menacingly at Regina.
"Or I'll do exactly what you asked me to."
Regina reached for something at the sash tied around her red velvet dress, and she frowned when she realized that there was nothing there. "Looking for this?" Asked Emma, holding up The Dark One's dagger, which now had her name on it.
"Woah." Shae whispered once again, then grunted when Remus wacked her in the stomach with the back of his hand.
"No one is going to touch this dagger but me." Emma whispered to Regina, still glaring into her eyes. She then stepped away from Regina, sauntering amongst them as she swept her menacing gaze across their startled faces. "Now, for what you all did to me… You're going to be punished."
"Emma… Please…" Hook pleaded, his eyes glistening with tears.
"Emma." Shae whispered, reaching out and grabbing Emma's arm. "Stop… W-What's going on? Why are you doing this?"
Emma glanced down at Shae's hand on her arm, then back into Shae's eyes. Her lips curled into fearsome snarl that gave Shae even more chills. Then, slowly, as she continued to stare into Shae's eyes, her face softened, and her snarl faded. For a moment, just a moment, Shae saw her friend, the old Emma, the true Emma.
"Because…" Emma whispered, placing her hand gently on Shae's chest, right over her heart. "I… I-I had to-"
Suddenly, Emma stepped back, removing her hand from Shae's chest, wrenching her other out of Shae's grip. "Because," She whispered again, her malicious scowl returning. "I'm The Dark One."
Emma took a moment to glare sinisterly around at all the others, then, she disappeared in a puff of black smoke. While everyone else stood in shocked silence, Shae placed her own quivering hand over her heart, right where Emma's hand had been only a moment ago. She gasped as, suddenly, a memory popped into her head, a memory of what happened to her six weeks ago, back in The Enchanted Forest.
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Shae…
Shae whirled around, peering down the dark, torch lit hallway of the cave she had been deposited in. She could have sworn she heard someone whisper her name. She shook it off, deciding that it was just her nerves. She turned around around, and set off carefully down the cobblestone hall, hoping that she would, somehow, find a way out of the strange cave.
Shae…
Shae stopped in her tracks, spinning back around again. She had definitely heard it that time, someone was definitely whispering to her. "Hello?" She called out. "Emma, is that you?"
She remained where she stood for a moment, straining her ears and listening hard. When she was met with nothing but silence, she breathed out a shaky sigh. She ran an equally shaky hand through her hair, trying to calm her racing heart. She was about to turn back around, when she heard the voice again, much louder this time, and much more familiar.
"Shae!"
"Emma?"
"Shae! Shae, help!"
"EMMA!"
Shae sprinted headlong down the hallway, following Emma's voice as she continued to call out for her. Shae's heart pounded wildly in her chest as she followed the cave's every twist and turn. It appeared to go on forever. Finally, she rounded another corner, and was met by some sort of tall stone door. It looked ancient, impossibly ancient.
"SHAE!"
"EMMA!" Shae screamed, racing toward the door. "I'm here! I'm here!"
Shae frantically ran her hands up and down the door, finding no seam, no handle, no sort of mechanism of any kind to open it. There was nothing but a small circle carved right into the center. Shae drew back a step, her chest heaving, her heart racing with panic. Then, she stepped up to the door again, reaching out a quivering hand, and placing it atop the circle.
The circle began to glow with a bright, burning red light, and Shae leapt back in alarm. She clamped her hands over her ears, crying out as the circle began to emit a piercing, deafening humming noise. The very ground began to quake beneath her feet, and, suddenly, something dark and sinister burst forth violently from the circle. It looked like some sort of swarm of black flies, flies that were pulsating with dark magic.
Shae staggered backward, and fell to the ground. She threw her arms over her head as the dark swarm encircled her, buzzing wildly all around her body. After a few impossibly long and terrifying moments, the swarm swept away from her, and Shae removed her arms from around her head. She watched in horrified wonder as the swarm formed a humanoid shape, and hovered before her in the air.
"Emma?" Shae whispered, her heart hammering in her chest. "P-Please tell me that isn't you."
The swarm emitted a deep, dark chuckle, and then, it spoke. "I am not." It said, it's voice not quite a man's or a woman's, and certainly not human. "I have gone by many names, but most know me as… The Hollow."
Shae rose shakily to her feet, too confused, too frightened to find any more words. "I have been waiting many centuries for you, oh, Hollow One." The creature called The Hollow spoke again. "I have been waiting for someone with great and powerful magic such as yours, with a heart such as yours. Finally, you have arrived, and you have set me free my eternal prison."
Shae swallowed the hard, fearful lump that had formed in her throat. "I… I just… I-I don't…" She stammered, her chest heaving, her heart racing. "What?"
The Hollow chuckled again. "It is not your place to understand, Hollow One. Your purpose is to be my vessel, nothing more."
"What?" Shae exclaimed, drawing back another step. "W-What the hell does that mean? What do you want?"
The dark creature known as The Hollow emitted another deep, guttural laugh, and slowly hovered forward, whispering softly, sinisterly. "Everything."
Shae cried out in alarm as The Hollow reached one of its arms forward, and plunged it straight into her chest. She howled with pain as the flesh over her heart sizzled and burned, and watched in horror as the swirling black swarm began to shoot straight into her body. She could feel it inside her, from deep in her heart, straight down to her toes. All she could see was the buzzing black flies, all she could hear was a deafening ringing, blocking out even her own screams. The ground quaked beneath her feet again, and the only other thing she could feel was The Hollow swarming into her body.
Suddenly, Shae felt something strange on her fingertips, and she quickly realized it as the familiar tingle of magic. She seized upon it, and was suddenly swept up in a swirling gust of wind. She felt her body rising into the air, and she began to twist and turn wildly. As quickly as it came, it all stopped, and she collapsed onto solid ground once again.
Shae remained curled up on the ground for a few moments, her chest heaving, her heart hammering in her ribcage. Her chest still ached, but the rest of the pain was gone, and she could hear birds chirping softly in the distance. She slowly peeled her eyes open, and sat shakily forward. Her brow furrowed in confusion when she realized that she was in the courtyard of some sort of castle, a castle that she had never seen before.
She sat there on the ground for a while, trying to make sense of what had just happened to her. Finally, she realized that, for the first time in a long, long time, she had used her magic, her own magic. She had teleported herself out of the cave. Her brow furrowed even more as she stared up at the castle before her. She hadn't exactly chosen a destination. The last thing she remembered thinking just before she teleported, was that she needed to get out, and find a way to stop The Hollow from consuming her.
Shae craned her torso around when she heard a strange rustling from behind her. Her eyes grew wide when she realized that it was the wind blowing through the leaves of the great tree that was sitting in the middle of the courtyard. Slowly, shakily, Shae pushed herself up onto her feet. There was something very strange about this tree, something… Magical.
"You there!"
Shae nearly leapt out of her skin at the sudden shout. There was a man stomping toward her, a man with short, neatly combed brown hair, with a neatly trimmed brown beard to match. He was wearing a polished suit of armor, with a flowing red cape on his back. He promptly froze in his tracks as Shae turned around, and his eyes grew wide. What Shae saw in his eyes was all too familiar to her: Fear.
"You." He whispered, pointing a quivering finger at Shae. "It's… I-It's you!"
"Um…" Shae mumbled. "Hi?"
"Your majesty!"
Shae whirled around, and saw a group of armed knights marching toward her. "Is everything alright?" One of the knights asked, then raised an eyebrow curiously at Shae. "Who is-"
"SEIZE HER!"
The knights immediately obeyed, and rushed at Shae, grabbing her by her arms. "Hey! What the hell?" Shae exclaimed as two of the knights pulled her arms behind her back, and shoved her down onto her knees. "Get your fucking hands off me!"
"Silence!" One of the knights shouted. "You will mind your tongue in the presence of The King!"
"The King?" Shae asked, staring up at the man with the cape, who was now standing before her. "Who the hell are you?"
"I don't expect you to remember me. I was just a boy when we last met." The man answered. "I am Arthur, King of Camelot." He then crouched down in front of Shae, glaring deep into her eyes. "And you… You are under arrest."
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Since she had not been with them when they were entering Camelot, Regina and the others questioned Shae about what she remembered. She told them that she had been in some sort of cave, which she found out had been the vault of The Dark One. All she had said was that she found her way out of the cave, and was apprehended by King Arthur and his knights. None of them seemed to know why exactly Arthur had arrested her, and neither did Shae. At the moment, she had much bigger things to worry about.
Shae stood in front of the mirror in Regina's bedroom in only a pair of boxers and a t-shirt, staring at her own reflection. It was strange to look upon her human face again, her own piercing blue eyes almost unfamiliar to her after so many years. Slowly, shakily, she lifted up her shirt, and gasped audibly at what she saw. There was a black circle right over her heart, the exact same circle that had been carved into the door where she had released The Hollow. Her flesh within and around it was a bright shade of red. It looked as if it had been branded into her skin. She had been branded by The Hollow.
She quickly pulled down her shirt again when Regina entered the bedroom. She had left out her encounter with The Hollow, and the fact that she had used magic. She didn't want to worry anyone, since they already had enough problems to deal with. She especially didn't want to worry Regina. She felt bad about lying to her, but, they were finally together again, and she didn't want to spoil their reunion. She would tell Regina and the rest all about The Hollow once they found a way to help Emma. Then, she hoped, they could find a way to get rid of The Hollow.
Shae laughed when, as soon as she entered the bedroom, Regina threw herself into her arms, practically tackling her down onto the bed. Shae smiled as the woman she loved kissed her lips, and she felt all her worries slowly melting away. They lie there in silence for a few moments, slowly and gently enjoying each other's lips. Shae ran her hands up and down Regina's body, relishing the feeling of her comforting and familiar curves at her fingertips.
"You're so warm now." Regina whispered to her with a smile.
"You like it?" Asked Shae, raising an eyebrow at her lover.
"I love it." Regina replied.
Shae smiled against her lips as Regina kissed her again. "I love you." She whispered.
"I love you too." Regina whispered back. "I know our situation isn't exactly… Ideal. But at least we're finally together. At least you're safe. I was so worried about you."
"Hey, you should know by now that you don't have to worry about me." Shae told her, gently brushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. "I'm always alright, and I always come back, remember?"
Regina nodded, placing another kiss on Shae's lips. After a few moments, she leaned back, frowning down at her hands that were resting on Shae's stomach. "Still, though, I can't help wonder about… Everything." She muttered, folding her arms across her chest. "How does Arthur know you, and why did he have you arrested? What exactly happened to make Emma go all… Dark Swan?" She then breathed out a sad, heavy sigh, running her hands over her face. "What the hell happened in Camelot?"
Shae sat forward, wrapping her arms around Regina, placing a quick kiss on her lips. "Hey, we're gonna figure it all out. We always do." She whispered soothingly. "We agreed that we're gonna start in the morning. For now… Let's just enjoy being back together again. What do you say?"
Regina smiled, running her hands gently through Shae's messy black hair. "How can I refuse when I have you back in my bed?" She whispered back.
Shae grinned, and Regina cried out in shock, which turned into a laugh as Shae flipped them both over, and climbed on top of her. They began to tear at each other's clothes, and Shae was grateful that Regina's bedroom was dark enough so she couldn't see the brand left by The Hollow on her chest. She made especially sure that Regina's fingers never even made contact with it as they made urgent and passionate love.
Shae found it much more difficult now that she was human. Her arm now got tired, and she kept having to come up for air any time she had her face buried deep between her lover's legs. However, Regina put her concerns to rest. She assured her that she was just as good as she always was, better, even, now that she didn't have to worry about the icy chill of Shae's skin. Shae was grateful for that fact as she held Regina close once they were spent. There was no more need for a blanket tucked between them. They now could be as close as they wanted, their bodies entangled up in each other. They both loved it.
Regina fell asleep before Shae did, and Shae was left alone with her thoughts, with her worries. She thought about The Hollow, about how exactly she was going to continue to keep it a secret from Regina, and, more importantly, how she was going to free herself from it. Most of all, she wondered why the fabled King Arthur seemed to hate her so much, and how exactly she had made it out of his dungeon. The last thing she remembered before waking up in Storybrooke was Arthur's knights locking her in a cell, then… Nothing.
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Shae stumbled and staggered ever forward through King Arthur's dungeon, her hands shackled behind her back, two of Arthur's knights leading her firmly by her arms. She could see nothing through the black hood that was tied over her head. She heard a door burst open, and small beams of sunlight broke through the cloth of the hood. She heard murmured voices, and she stumbled more as the knights led her up some wooden steps. Finally she came to a stop, and she heard a familiar voice ring out.
"Remove her hood! I wish to look upon her face as she dies!"
She recognized it as The King's voice. She gritted her teeth as she felt one of the knights fumbling with the knot behind her head. She knew that she shouldn't, but it looked like she was going to be forced to use her magic again. There was no other way out. She knew full well what the consequences of using her magic would be, but she had little other choice. She would not die like this. She had to find Emma, had to make sure she was safe. Then, she would find a way back to Storybrooke, back to the woman that she loved.
"SHAE!"
As the hood was removed from her head, she heard another voice call out, another very familiar voice. She blinked dazedly in the sunlight for a moment, then, when her eyes finally focused, they grew wide with shock. She was standing upon a small, wooden platform, a headsman's block at her feet. The headsman himself was standing beside her, armed with a very large, and very sharp looking axe. Many of King Arthur's subjects were gathered around the courtyard, and Shae was shocked to see familiar faces among them.
Her heart soared when she spotted Emma, with her parents, her son, and Hook beside her. Belle was there as well, and so was Granny, as well as Leroy and few of his fellow dwarves. Shae spotted Robin Hood, and, shockingly, Zelena. Standing at the front of the group from Storybrooke was her best friend, Remus. Standing beside him, was her true love, Regina.
"Shae!" Remus exclaimed as he rushed toward her. He was immediately stopped by several of Arthur's knights, and his lips curled into a furious snarl as they shoved him back. "Let her go!" He shouted at The King. "You let her go RIGHT THIS INSTANT!"
"SILENCE!" Arthur commanded, rising from his chair where he had been sitting in a small pavilion, next to his wife, Queen Guinevere. He then turned to Regina, his eyes wide with shock. "You… Know this creature?"
"Er… Well, yes." Regina stammered in reply, looking quite nervous. "She's, um… She's my, uh-"
"Friend!" Mary Margaret suddenly cut in. "She's our friend."
"You would dare call this monster, 'friend?'" Arthur demanded incredulously.
"Shae… What did you do?" Asked David, raising an irritated eyebrow at her.
"I didn't do anything!" Cried Shae.
"LIES!" Roared Arthur.
"Look, I don't know, ok?" Shae retorted, glaring irritably at Arthur. "He won't tell me!"
Arthur's eyes flashed with rage, and he pointed a furious finger at Shae. "You know full well what you did!"
"See!" Shae exclaimed. "He just shouts at me like an asshole!"
"Mate, I think it would be in your best interest to keep that sharp tongue where it belongs." Said Hook, rolling his eyes at Shae.
"Please, Your Majesty," Mary Margaret cut in, before Shae could retort. "What exactly has she done to warrant an execution?"
King Arthur exchanged a knowing glance with his Queen. Then, he stepped down from his pavilion, and he took a moment to glare maliciously at Shae before answering. A sudden hush fell over the courtyard as he began to tell a horrible, terrifying tale.
"I was orphaned when I was just a boy." He explained quietly, his face grave. "My village was small, it's people poor, but they did their best to look after me. They did everything they could to make sure I had food in my belly, and a roof over my head. They were kind people, gentle people."
Arthur paused for a moment, turning his gaze back onto Shae, his eyes full of pure hatred. "One night, I ventured out into the forest, to gather firewood for the family I was to stay with that night." He went on. "When I returned, I was met with a blood curdling sight. My village was ablaze, and bodies littered the ground. I'll never forget the sight of all that blood."
The King paused again, his clenched fists trembling with rage. "I hid myself, and prayed to the gods to send down an angel of mercy to save me from that horrid nightmare." He continued, his voice quavering with emotion. "That was when I saw her, the angel of death. She had pale gray skin, and eyes red as blood. She laughed as my village burned, as she slaughtered men, women, and children alike."
The crowd began to murmur amongst themselves, casting fearful glances up at Shae. "The angel of death saw me, and I tried to run, but she appeared before me in a cloud of smoke, just as blood red as her eyes." Arthur went on quietly. "'Always leave one alive to tell the tale,' she said to me. 'And you will tell this tale well, boy. Tell everyone you can what you saw here today. Tell them that I am nothing but a monster to be feared.'"
Shae stood with her mouth gaping open as Arthur finished his tale. She remembered that night, that boy from the village. Her eyes welled with tears as she remembered tearing those poor townsfolk limb from limb. It was just after Ingrid had sent her away from Elsa, and that was the night she let the darkness into her heart once again, the night that she had been consumed by it.
"She may not have those blood red eyes anymore, or that pale skin, but I have never forgotten that face." Arthur snarled, glaring viciously up at Shae. "It haunts my dreams to this very day. Now, I will avenge my village, and put an end to this monster."
Arthur raised his hand in a commanding way, and Shae grunted as she was forced down onto her knees by the knights standing beside her. They shoved her face down onto the block before her, and the headsman took up his axe once again.
"SHAE!" Remus screamed.
"NO!" Regina shrieked, her eyes welling with frightened tears. "No, please! You can't!"
"SILENCE!" Arthur roared once again. "You may be The Savior, but I am The King!"
"Please, Your Majesty!" David pleaded with The King. "We know what Shae did all those years ago was awful, but she's changed! She's done a lot of good since then!"
Arthur laughed loudly, mockingly. "I have a hard time believing that."
"It's true!" Mary Margaret exclaimed. "She may have been a monster once, but she's not anymore. She's nearly sacrificed her life several times now to save our town, to save all of us. She nearly sacrificed her life to save our own daughter."
Mary Margaret turned to her daughter as the rest of the group from Storybrooke muttered in agreement. "She's right." Emma said as she stepped forward. "What Shae did to you and your village was truly awful, but she's not that person any more."
"Please." Regina begged of The King. "She's a… A-A friend, to all of us. Please… She doesn't deserve to die."
When Arthur continued to stand in conflicted silence, Guinevere finally rose from her chair. "Arthur." She said quietly, placing her hand gently on her husband's shoulder. "You've said yourself countless times that Camelot is a place of second chances. Perhaps even she is deserving of one. The Savior does call her friend, after all."
Silence fell over the courtyard once again as Arthur stared deep into his wife's eyes. He shifted his gaze over to Regina and the others, then over to Shae, then back at Guinevere. Finally, after several impossibly long moments, he breathed out a heavy, relenting sigh.
"When you speak true, my love, you truly speak it." He said, smiling affectionately at his wife. He then turned toward the wooden platform, where Shae was still lying with her head on the headsman's block. "Release her! There will be no beheading today."
The entire group from Storybrooke all let out the breaths they had been holding, as did Shae. She breathed out a sigh of relief as she was pulled to her feet, and the knights unlocked her shackles. As soon as she was free, Remus rushed toward her. Shae leapt down from the platform, and laughed as Remus threw his arms around her.
"Are you alright?" Asked Remus, holding her out at arm's length.
"Fine, I'm fine." Shae replied breathlessly.
The rest of Shae's friends from Storybrooke all rushed over to her, and Shae smiled when she caught Regina's eye. She stepped toward her, ready to sweep her up in her arms. She could hardly believe that she had found her. Suddenly, she stopped in her tracks, as Mary Margaret stepped in front of her.
"Shae!" She exclaimed, smiling a nervous smile. "You remember The Savior, right?"
Shae opened her mouth to respond, but shut it again when Mary Margaret tilted her head toward Regina. "Um…" Shae muttered, brow furrowed in confusion. "What?"
"Regina. She's The Savior." Mary Margaret went on, still smiling anxiously, her eyes gaping wide. "Remember?"
"Er… R-Right. Yeah." Shae stammered, nodding her head in agreement. Still, though, she wasn't entirely sure what was going on. "The Savior. Right."
Regina gave Shae a nervous smile as well, and she opened her mouth to speak, but shut it again when Arthur cleared his throat loudly from behind Shae. Shae whirled around, and drew back a step. She ruffled her messy black hair uncomfortable when she found The King glaring at her.
"You should be thanking The Savior, you know." He said, folding his arms across his chest. "It is because of her, and my lovely wife, that I have spared your life today." Arthur then took a step forward, bringing his face dangerously close to Shae's. "But know this… Every step you take in my kingdom will be carefully watched. If you so much as lay a finger on either myself, my wife, or any of my subjects, it will be straight back to the block for you. Understood?"
Shae quickly nodded her head, then cleared her throat awkwardly. "Look, um… I-I know it's probably not worth much…" She stammered anxiously. "But I really am sorry for what I did to your village."
Arthur continued to glare into Shae's eyes for a moment, then drew back a step, emitting a low, sour chuckle. "You're right. That isn't worth much." He replied scathingly. Then, he turned to the rest of the Storybrooke residents. "Now, then. I expect you all would like to freshen up before the festivities tonight. Allow The Queen and I to show you to your rooms."
The group from Storybrooke followed The King and Queen back into the castle, and Shae kept carefully silent as they led them to Camelot Castle's upper floors. She wasn't entirely sure how they had all gotten to the realm of The Enchanted Forest, or why Regina was suddenly pretending to be The Savior. She decided to keep her mouth shut for the time being. She could tell by the look on both Regina and Mary Margaret's faces that something strange was going on.
Each of the Storybrooke residents was given a room to stay in by Camelot's King and Queen. Once they had all settled in, they gathered inside David and Mary Margaret's room. "Are we finally alone?" Regina asked of everyone present.
David poked his head out the door, glancing carefully down both sides of the hallway. "Looks like it." He announced, swinging the door shut.
"Thank god!" Regina breathed.
She rushed over to Shae, and immediately threw her arms around her. Shae held her tight, joyous tears welling into her eyes. She smiled as she kissed the woman that she loved so very deeply. She was so immensely grateful that Regina had found her, that they were back in each other's arms once again.
"I was so worried about you." Regina whispered, pressing her forehead to Shae's, gently caressing her face with quivering hands. "What happened to you? Are you alright."
"I'm fine." Shae whispered back with a smile. "How the hell did you guys even get here?"
"They flew Granny's all the way here on the back of a cyclone." Emma answered with a chuckle.
Shae's piercing blue eyes grew wide when she suddenly noticed Emma. "Oh, shit! Emma!" She exclaimed, rushing over to her. She grabbed Emma by her shoulders, looking her up and down. "A-Are you alright? You look alright. Are you… Um… You know-"
"The Dark One?" Emma finished for her. "Yeah. Looks like you're not, though. My name is the only one on the dagger."
"Nope." Shae said with an anxious smile as she thought about her encounter with The Hollow. "Still just me." She paused for a moment, smiling as she glanced around at all the others. "It's good to see you guys." She then narrowed her eyes at Zelena. "Except for you. You can go fuck yourself."
Zelena's only response was a silent, seething glare. "What? No snarky comeback?" Shae asked, raising her eyebrows in surprise.
"Oh, she can't speak." Regina explained, grinning deviously at Zelena. "My sister is now my simple, silent handmaiden."
Shae barked out a loud, mocking laugh. "Oh, I can get used to that." She said with a grin of her own. She then cleared her throat, glancing around at the others again. "So, uh… Does someone want to tell me what's going on? Why do you got Regina playing The Savior?"
"Shh! Not so loud!" Regina exclaimed in a whisper. "I'm pretending to be The Savior because if Arthur finds out that it's Emma, she'll be forced to use magic. Dark magic. We can't let that happen."
"Oh." Shae mumbled, still extremely confused. "Um… Why exactly would she have to use magic?"
"Because The Sorcerer, er… Merlin, he's the only one that can free Emma from The Dark One." Mary Margaret explained. "And, well… He's, um… He's a tree."
Shae's eyes grew wide with shock. "A tree?" She asked, looking alarmed. "So… That tree in the courtyard, that's… Merlin?"
"Aye, that's why we've come to Camelot. To find him." Hook confirmed with a nod. "Though, finding him inside a tree is not something we expected."
"Now, we've got to set him free, before we can set Emma free." Leroy added.
"I think you're all up to speed now." Mary Margaret said with a smile. "Now, why don't you tell us what happened to you?"
Shae hesitated for a moment, biting her lip as she glanced over at Regina. Then, she recounted her tale of winding up inside the strange cave. She carefully left out her encounter with The Hollow. Now that she knew what exactly they had to do to save Emma from The Dark One, she figured that they all had much more than enough to deal with. She would tell them all about The Hollow when the time was right, and, hopefully, they'd figure out a way to rid Shae of her own darkness.
"Right, well, I guess we'd better start getting ready." David said, once Shae was finished.
"Ready for what?" Asked Shae.
David chuckled, and he smiled at his wife as she exclaimed excitedly. "The ball!"
XXXXX
Regina woke slowly the next morning, the sound of birds chirping floating in from her bedroom window. She opened her eyes when she felt a strange pressure on her chest, which she realized was Shae's head. She smiled as memories of the previous night washed over her, and she wrapped her arms around the woman that she loved, who was fast asleep, her head nestled between her breasts. She sighed contentedly, running her fingers gently through Shae's messy black hair. For a few moments, Regina's mind and heart were at peace as she held Shae in her arms.
"Good morning." Shae mumbled sleepily.
"Good morning." Regina whispered with a smile.
Shae picked her head up from Regina's chest, and placed a gentle kiss on her lips. Regina breathed out another contented sigh, and wrapped her arms around Shae's neck. They lie there together for a while, their lips parting slowly, gently, their tongues brushing lightly against each other. Shae then released Regina's lips and leaned back. She was ready to plunge her face between her lover's legs, like she had done several times the night before, but stopped when Regina emitted a startled gasp.
"What is that?"
Shae's heart nearly stopped dead in her chest. For a moment, she had forgotten all about the mark on her chest left by The Hollow. Now, Regina was staring wide eyed at it, her mouth gaping open in horror.
"Um… Right." Shae slowly replied. "A-About that…"
"Shae…" Regina whispered as she sat forward, brushing her fingers lightly across the black circle branded into her lover's flesh. "W-What… What is that?"
Shae hesitated for a moment, biting her lip anxiously. Then, she slowly explained to Regina all that happened within The Dark One's vault. Regina was shocked and alarmed when Shae told her all about her encounter with The Hollow. Once Shae was finished, they both immediately vacated the bed and got dressed. They quickly woke Remus, who had decided to remain in Storybrooke, and had taken up residence in Regina's spare bedroom. Shae quickly told him the same story, and the three of them were racing to Granny's Diner a few moments later.
Regina had made a call to David and Mary Margaret, and they told her to meet them at Granny's. They found them in the company of Henry and Hook, as well as Belle. Once they had settled in, Shae told her story all over again.
"The Hollow." Belle whispered, her eyes suddenly wide as saucers. "Hold on… I know that name…"
"You do?" Shae asked, looking surprised.
Belle nodded, her face suddenly quite grave. "Rumple told me about it once." She explained. "He said that it's been sealed inside The Dark One's vault for centuries. He never dared to even go near it."
"Bloody hell…" Hook whispered, his eyes just as wide as Belle's. "If even The Crocodile is afraid of this thing, then… Well, what exactly is it?"
"It's evil in its purest form." Belle explained in a dark tone. "It's said that it was released from Pandora's Box by Pandora herself, centuries and centuries ago. A few of The Dark Ones tried to harness it, to bend it to their will. None of them succeeded. It was too powerful, even for them. So, they had it sealed away inside their own vault. None have touched it since."
"My god…" Remus whispered, his green eyes wide with fear. "W-What… What exactly does it do? What does it want?"
Belle emitted a dark, knowing chuckle. "What else does evil want?" She asked, raising an eyebrow at all of them. "Power. Rumple said that it's only goal is to feed off of magical power. But, much like The Dark One itself, it can only gain power by living inside a host, a magical host. It feeds off of their magic until they're drained dry. Then, it moves on to another. Once it gains enough power, only then will it be able to fully sustain itself. And, once it can, well… I'm not sure. But I can assume it's nothing good."
They all sat in fearful, horrified silence for a few moments, processing everything Belle had just said. "So… How do we stop it?" Asked Henry, glancing concernedly at Shae. "How do we get rid of it?"
Belle heaved a heavy sigh, and slowly shook her head. "I don't know." She muttered. "I'm not sure if even Rumple knows."
"Shae…" Regina whispered, staring at her lover, her brown eyes glistening with frightened tears. "Why didn't you tell me about all this?"
Shae breathed out her own sad, heavy sigh. "I'm sorry, Regina." She whispered back. "I just… Didn't want you to worry. We're finally back together again, and… A-And we've all got enough to deal with, you know?"
Regina nodded slowly, and placed her hand gently on Shae's cheek. "I… Understand." She slowly replied. "But… Shae, if this is going to work, if we're going to work, then… I need you to be honest with me, about everything, no matter how much it might upset me."
Shae smiled a sad smile, and placed her hand ontop of Regina's. "You're right. I'm sorry. I… I should have told you."
"Hold on… There's something I don't understand." Mary Margaret cut in suddenly, her brow furrowed deep as she turned to Belle. "You said that The Hollow has to live inside a host that has magic." When Belle nodded, she went on. "Then… What exactly does it want with Shae? She doesn't have powers anymore… Right?"
They all looked expectantly to the former vampire. For a moment, silence fell over their table as Shae chewed nervously on her thumbnail. Then, she glanced over at her best friend, Remus.
"Shae…" Remus said quietly, his eyes wide. "Don't."
"Remus…" Shae sighed, running a hand through her messy black hair. "Regina's right. I can't keep secrets anymore."
"Yes, but this is a very big secret." Remus whispered through gritted teeth. "A very important and well guarded secret."
"What's going on?" Asked Regina, narrowing her eyes suspiciously at the two of them. "What are you two talking about?"
Shae heaved another sad, heavy sigh. She then turned to Regina, and gently took her hand in both of her own. "Regina…" She slowly began, staring mournfully into her lover's eyes. "There's, um… There's something else I haven't told you…"
XXXXX
Shae stood at the back of the ballroom inside Castle Camelot, idly scratching at the brand that had been left by The Hollow. As soon as she had been alone inside her room, she had examined her chest, and was horrified by what she saw. However, at the moment, she wasn't particularly worried about the strange mark. She was too busy glaring at Robin Hood, who was twirling the woman she loved about on the dance floor.
"There you are!" Belle said as she approached Shae. "You sure clean up nice."
Shae rolled her eyes as Belle smiled at her, looking her up and down. Shae had been furious when Arthur's servants tried to put her in a dress. After chastising the poor women, and giving them a long speech about the ridiculousness of gendered clothing, she chose a fine pair of black breeches, a white shirt, and a silk, dark blue vest. Regina had loved it, and said that it brought out her eyes.
"What happened to all your piercings?" Belle asked with a frown, staring at Shae's now metal free face.
"Snow suggested that I take them out." Shae replied with a shrug. "She said it would make me look less… Threatening, I guess."
"Well, I think you look quite nice." Belle said with another smile.
"Thanks." Shae grumbled.
Belle's furrowed her brow, and she curiously followed Shae's line of sight. "What is Regina doing dancing with Robin?" She asked of Shae.
Shae breathed out a heavy sigh, folding her arms across her chest. "Snow also suggested that, since Regina is pretending to be The Savior, it might not be a good idea for her to be seen with me." She explained. "Since, you know, Arthur hates my guts and his whole kingdom is generally terrified of me."
"Oh." Belle muttered, frowning again. "Well… I suppose she isn't wrong."
Shae sighed again. "I know." She growled. "Doesn't mean it doesn't suck."
Belle nodded, staring glumly down at the small glass case she was cradling carefully in her arms. Inside, was a single red rose, magically suspended in the air. It had been given to her by Mother Superior after Mr. Gold had fallen into a coma. Mother Superior explained that, while the rose still bloomed, it meant that Gold was still alive. But, with every petal that fell, he became closer and closer to death.
"Yeah…" Belle mumbled. "Love is shit sometimes, isn't it?"
"Mmhmm." Shae mumbled back.
The stood in silence for a time, Shae watching Regina and Robin, Belle watching one more petal fall from her rose. Shae couldn't help but smile as she gazed upon the woman that she loved. Though she always loved Regina's dresses from her time as The Evil Queen, she thought she looked exceptionally beautiful in her ball gown, which was a soft shade of pink. She desperately longed to be the one twirling her gracefully about the dance floor.
"Do you want to get really drunk?" Belle suddenly asked of Shae.
Shae thought for a moment, tapping a finger against her chin. "I really do." She replied with a grin.
Belle nodded, and shoved her glass case into Shae's hands. "Hold this." She instructed.
Shae obliged, and watched as Belle scurried away from her. Her brow furrowed in confusion as Belle passed up every servant that was carrying a tray of assorted drinks. Her blue eyes grew wide as she watched Belle scoop up two whole bottles of wine from the table where the alcohol was being kept.
"Go, go, go!" Belle whispered as she rushed past Shae.
Shae laughed loudly as she hurried after Belle. "Holy shit!" She exclaimed in a whisper. "I think I like this new Belle!"
Belle and Shae left the merriment of the ballroom behind them, and drank deep from their bottles of wine as they wandered about the castle. As they continued to get more and more drunk, their woes were suddenly forgotten. They laughed merrily as they skipped stones across the moat outside the castle, laughed even more as they tried on some suits of armor that were on display along the castle halls. They were caught during their mock sword fight by a few of Arthur's servants, and they quickly scampered away, giggling as their suits of armor clanked and clanged down the empty halls.
They were forced to remove their suits of armor when their bottles of wine were empty. They snuck back into the ballroom, and stole two more, as well as a whole tray of orderves. They ate and drank some more out in the courtyard, their backs resting against Merlin the Tree.
"You know what I realized is totally awesome?" Shae asked, taking another swig of her wine. "Food."
"I know, right?" Belle exclaimed. "Here, try this one!"
Belle giggled as she popped one of the orderves into Shae's open mouth. "Mmm!" Shae sighed. "So good!"
Belle nodded in agreement, popping one into her own mouth as well. "Hey! Where's Remus?" She asked of Shae.
"Dunno." Shae replied through a mouthful of food, shrugging one of her shoulders. "He was flirting with one of Arthur's knights last time I saw him. They're probably back at his room by now."
"Already?" Asked Belle, raising her eyebrows in surprise.
Shae chuckled, nodding her head. "He works fast."
"There you guys are!"
Belle and Shae both snapped their heads up, and found Mary Margaret stepping out into the courtyard. "Having fun?" She asked, crossing her arms and raising a knowing eyebrow at the two drunk women. "I heard that you guys stole some wine from the drink table, and some suits of armor."
Both Shae and Belle's eyes grew wide, and they glanced over at the armor lying in a heap next to the tree. They glanced back at each other, then at Mary Margaret. "Belle did it." Said Shae, pointing at Belle.
Belle gasped, smacking Shae in the chest with the back of her hand. "Liar!"
Mary Margaret rolled her eyes, and opened her mouth to chastise them more. She shut it again, and they all jumped when they heard a sudden scream from inside the castle. "That doesn't sound good." Mary Margaret whispered, then rushed back inside.
Shae and Belle both exchanged a panicked, wide eyed glance, then threw their food and wine aside. They scrambled up onto their feet, and stumbled after Mary Margaret. When they entered the ballroom, they found that the music had stopped, and everyone was gathered around the middle of the dance floor.
Shae and Belle both pushed their way through the crowd, and found Robin Hood lying on the floor, Regina kneeling beside him. Robin groaned as he clutched at the gaping wound in his belly, blood pooling around his fingers. A few feet away, another man was lying on the ground, David's sword protruding from his chest. He looked to be one of Arthur's knights.
"W-What happened?" Shae stammered.
Regina glanced up at Shae, her eyes streaming with tears. "T-That man, he tried to kill me!" She exclaimed, pointing a quivering finger at the dead knight. "But Robin, he… H-He saved me, and… Oh god…"
Regina choked out a strangled sob, and rested her head on Robin's chest. Suddenly, Shae drew in a sharp breath as she felt a stinging, burning pain in her chest. She clutched her heart as her flesh seared with pain, and, suddenly, the ballroom began to spin wildly around her. She heard someone talking to her, felt strong hands gripping her arms. Her vision turned red, her ears started ringing, and she felt a vicious, white hot fury burning inside her. All she wanted to do was curl her fingers around Robin Hood's throat, choke the life out of him, and watch as the light left his eyes.
"Shae? SHAE!"
As quickly as it came, it all stopped. Shae watched as David, Granny, Leroy, and Happy carefully lifted Robin from the ground, and began carrying him away. She stared at the back of Regina's head as she hurried after them, and she stood rooted in her spot, frightened and confused, her chest heaving. She felt someone gently shake her shoulder, and she realized it was Remus, who was now standing beside her.
"Shae, are you alright?" He asked her, brow furrowed in concern.
Shae nodded, gently rubbing her still aching chest. "I'm fine." She mumbled. "Come on."
Shae rushed off after Regina and the others, Remus and Belle following close behind her. The King and Queen remained behind to deal with their now dead, traitorous knight, while the group from Storybrooke took Robin to a nearby empty room. They carefully laid him down on a table, where Regina immediately bent over him, arms outstretched over his wound, her hands quivering, her eyes streaming with panicked tears.
Shae rubbed at her chest as it gave another painful twinge, and she was grateful that was all that happened. The rage she felt earlier, it was unlike anything she had ever felt before. It was pure, unadulterated evil. She had no idea what was happening to her, what The Hollow had done to her. All she knew was that she was terrified.
Shae snapped back to reality when she saw Emma step toward Robin, and outstretch her hands toward him. "Woah!" Shae exclaimed. "W-What's going on?"
"Shae… You're drunk." Mary Margaret muttered with a sigh.
Shae scoffed. "You're drunk!"
Mary Margaret sighed again, rolling her eyes at Shae. "Shae, just… Shut up." She mumbled, waving her hand impatiently.
"DON'T FUCKING TELL ME TO SHUT UP!"
Everyone in the room gasped in alarm at Shae's sudden, roaring outburst. They turned their heads toward her, and watched as she gripped Mary Margaret's arm tight, her chest heaving, her whole body trembling. Mary Margaret stood rooted in her spot, staring fearfully into Shae's wide, rage filled eyes. Robin then emitted another strangled cry of pain, which seemed to snap Shae out of her trance. She released Mary Margaret's arm, and stumbled backward, rubbing her chest.
"Emma!" Regina exclaimed, more tears spilling out of her eyes. "Please! Please, hurry!"
Emma tore her eyes away from Shae, and nodded, placing her hands out over Robin's wound once again. "WAIT!" Shae shouted, stumbling forward. "Don't!"
"There's no other way." Emma said quietly. "Regina can't heal him. I'm the only one that can."
Shae sighed, and pushed Emma out of her way, stepping up next to Robin. "No. You're not."
"Shae…" Remus muttered, staring wide eyed at her. "Don't."
Shae ignored her best friend. They all watched curiously as she outstretched her hands over Robin's bloody wound, squeezing her eyes shut. "Come on, come on…" She muttered to herself.
"Shae, what are you doing?" Cried Regina. "You don't have powers anymore! You can't-"
Regina stopped mid sentence, and drew in a shocked gasp, they all did. Shae's hands had started to glow with a soft, yellow light. They watched in silent wonder as Robin's wound began to close, and the blood began to disappear. Suddenly, he drew in a deep, shuddering gasp, and sat bolt upright on the table. Shae stepped back as he stared down at the spot where his wound had been, then into Shae's eyes.
"There you go." Shae said with a satisfied grin, clapping him on the shoulder. "Don't say I never did anything for you."
Shae turned her eyes onto Regina and the others, and her slightly drunken grin slowly faded as they stared wide eyed at her. "Shae…" Emma whispered. "How did you do that?"
"Hm? Do what?" Shae asked with an innocent shrug.
"You just used magic." Regina whispered as well, her eyes just as wide and confused as everyone else's. "You used healing magic. How?"
"Oh! Oh, that! Er… Right." Shae stammered with a nervous laugh. "Well, um… Y-You see… Here's the thing. I-"
"SHAE." Remus snarled through gritted teeth. "DON'T."
Shae rolled her eyes at Remus, snatching Hook's flask from off of his belt. "Come on, Remus. Cat's outta the bag now."
"That's mine!" Hook exclaimed, reaching for his flask.
"Stop it!" Shae shouted, holding the flask out of Hook's reach, attempting to push his hand away. "Just… Share!"
"ENOUGH!"
They all jumped at Regina's sudden, furious shriek. "Will someone please tell me what the hell is going on here?" She demanded.
Hook snatched his flask back from Shae, who breathed out a heavy sigh, running a hand through her messy black hair. "Right, um… You all might want to sit down for this." She mumbled. When noone moved a muscle, she sighed again. "Fine. I'll sit."
Shae grabbed a nearby chair, and sat herself down upon it. She hesitated for a moment, staring nervously around at everyone's shocked and expectant faces. "Er… Remus." She said, looking to her best friend. "Do you want to-"
"Oh, no!" Remus exclaimed, folding his arms across his chest, vigorously shaking his head. "You explain. This is your show, now."
"Fine, fine." Shae grumbled. She heaved another heavy sigh, leaning forward in her chair with her elbows on her knees. "Right, um… I guess I should start by telling you that, the homeland Remus and I talk about, it's not exactly… Our homeland. At least, not the one we were born in."
"What?" Regina whispered, staring at Shae with wide, baffled eyes. "Where exactly are you from, then?"
"Avalon."
Everyone's eyes grew just as wide as Regina's, and they gaped silently at each other for a moment. "Hold on… Isn't Avalon a part of the King Arthur myth?" Asked Emma.
"Yeah, it was some sort of… Afterlife, I think. Wasn't it?" Asked Belle, brow furrowed in confusion.
"Well, in reality, it's a… Whole different world." Shae slowly explained. "Ruled by the elves."
"No way!" Henry whispered excitedly. "Avalon is a world of elves?"
"Not just elves." Shae replied with a quick shake of her head. "There's humans too, and dwarves and fairies… All kinds of magical creatures. But the elves are the superior race."
Remus snorted, rolling his now green eyes. "Well, they certainly think so, at least."
"They sure do." Shae muttered, breathing out a sour chuckle. "The elves hate anyone who isn't an elf, especially humans. They think they're just dirty, brainless savages. They rule over them with an iron fucking fist, which means that the humans hate the elves just as much. They were always at war with each other."
"The elven King married off his son to a human Queen from a neighboring kingdom a few centuries back, in attempt to bring peace between the two races." Remus added in a dark tone. "It's said that she simply died of illness. I wouldn't be surprised if The Prince had her killed. He wasn't exactly thrilled about the union, and neither were the rest of the elves."
"I don't understand." Said Regina, slowly shaking her head. "What does all this have to do with Shae using magic?"
Shae exchanged a quick, anxious glance with Remus. "Right… That." She muttered. She then cleared her throat, shifting nervously in her seat. "See, Remus and I, we're not exactly, um… Human. At least, not fully."
Everyone's jaws dropped open in pure and utter shock. "What?" Regina whispered.
"Bloody hell." Hook whispered as well. "What exactly are you, then?"
"We are what you would call… Halflings." Answered Remus. "Half human, half… Elf."
Silence fell over the room for a brief moment as they all stared wide eyed at Shae and Remus. "Wait… If you guys are half elf, then why doing you have pointy ears?" Asked Henry.
"It would seem that pointed ears are a recessive trait." Remus replied with a slight shrug. "Most halflings are born without them, and those few that are, well… Let's just say they got it worse than the rest, even the slaves like us."
"Slaves?" Robin asked, his mouth gaping open in horror. "Y-You both were… Slaves?"
Shae and Remus both nodded gravely. "Sold by the people who ran our orphanage." Shae grumbled bitterly.
"I heard we fetched a good price." Commented Remus.
"Oh, great. That sure is comforting." Replied Shae, rolling her eyes.
"Wait a minute…" Mary Margaret suddenly cut in, brow furrowed in confusion. "I don't get it. If the elves hate human so much, then why would they have children with them?"
"Er… Well… Lets just say that most halflings get their elf blood from their fathers." Shae replied slowly, carefully. "I'll let you fill in the blanks. I don't want to say it in front of Henry."
Everyone in the room furrowed their brows at each other. Then, their eyes grew wide with collective understanding. "Oh." Mary Margaret breathed, placing her hand over her mouth.
"Oh, no." David whispered.
"Yeah." Shae said with a grimace. "Most storytellers in this world got it all wrong. The elves aren't some gentle woodland creatures. They're fucking savages.
"What are you guys talking about?" Asked Henry.
"Nothing!" Mary Margaret, David, Emma, and Shae all replied in unison.
"So, Remus," Belle cut in, hastily changing the subject. "Does this mean that you have magic too?"
Remus and Shae both exchanged another knowing, anxious glance. "Well… No." Remus slowly replied. "That's where things get even more interesting. Most halflings don't have magical abilities. The magic from their elf blood is nullified by their human blood. Shae is… An anomaly. Actually, we think she's likely the first, and, well… The only."
"Seriously?" Asked Emma, eyebrows raised in shock.
Shae and Remus both nodded. "I tried to keep my magic hidden." Shae replied. "And I did, for almost twenty years. Well… More like two hundred to you guys."
"Huh?" Said Henry.
"Time works… Differently, in Avalon." Shae slowly explained. "A year there is more like ten here, and in most other realms."
"So that's why you're so old." Emma muttered. "You weren't vampires for that long, were you?"
Shae breathed out a sad, heavy sigh. "No." She muttered as well. "I kind of… Lied about that too. We only became vampires after we escaped Avalon, so we couldn't be tracked by the elves."
"Wait a minute…" David said slowly, staring between Shae and Remus with wide eyes. "Are you guys saying you became vampires… On purpose?"
When Shae and Remus both nodded again, everyone's eyes grew just as wide as David's. "You see, the elves keep a very close eye on their slaves." Remus explained in a dark, bitter tone. "They use something they call a phylactery. It's a bit of our blood, infused with magic. Once they have it, they can use it to track us, no matter where we go."
"Even across worlds?" Asked Mary Margaret.
The two halflings Shae and Remus nodded once more. "The elves aren't originally from Avalon." Shae went on to explain. "They used to be sort of… Nomads. Travellers across worlds. They have all kinds of magic that can take them from one world to another. They even found us a few times after we left Avalon. Then, we found Dracula. Once we were vampires, our blood wasn't our own anymore. We were safe. And… A-And now-"
"Now you're not." Belle finished for her.
"Indeed." Remus agreed in another dark tone. "Shae, especially. Which is why I tried to warn her not to use her magic."
When Shae saw the perplexed look on everyone's faces, she quickly explained. "When the elves found out that I had magic, they captured me, and took even more of my blood. They were… Fascinated that a halfling like me had magic. Remus and Nadia helped me escape, but I figured out that every time I used my magic, even in a whole different world, they could find me that much easier."
"So… What kind of magic can you do?" Asked Henry, a bit suddenly, as if the question had been burning in his mind the whole time.
"Well… I can heal people." Shae replied, gesturing to a now injury free Robin Hood. "Just other people, though, not myself. The rest is mostly… Elemental. I can harness the elements, and create them too. Earth and air are pretty easy, since they're, you know, everywhere. Water is a little harder, and fire… Well, fire is the hardest."
"Woah!" Henry exclaimed, smiling excitedly. "So, you're like… The Avatar!"
"The Last Airbender?" Shae asked, with an excited smile of her own. "Exactly! Oh my god! As soon as I say that show, I was like, 'Holy shit! That's me!'"
Emma breathed out a small chuckle. "Can you guys, you know, nerd out later?"
"Sorry." Shae and Henry both mumbled.
Silence fell over the room once again as they all processed everything Shae and Remus had told them. "Wow, that is… A lot to take in." Mary Margaret said quietly. She then turned to Regina, who was staring silently down at the floor. "Regina, are you alright? You've barely said a word."
Regina nodded, slowly turning her eyes up from the floor. "I'm fine." She said with a small, strained smile. "It's just… Not every day you find out that the person you think you know best in the world, you don't really know at all."
"Regina…" Shae whispered, her piercing blue eyes filled with sorrow. She quickly rose from her chair, and rushed over to the woman she loved, taking both of her hands in her own. "I'm so sorry I didn't tell you. I just… I couldn't. But it's all out in the open now. I'm still the same person that I always was, I promise. I'm still… Me."
Regina nodded slowly. "You're right." She whispered, gently squeezing Shae's hands. However, she kept her eyes down on the floor, carefully avoiding her lover's gaze. "I'm just… Feeling a bit light headed. I think I'll go lie down."
"Regina… Wait, I-" Shae began, making to follow Regina as she started toward the door.
"Shae, please…" Regina whispered quietly, her voice quavering with emotion. "I just… I need to be alone right now."
Shae released Regina's hand, and her heart ached with sorrow as she watched her go. Slowly, everyone else began filing from the room, and Shae left as well, side by side with Remus. She paused, glancing over at Regina and the others, who were all gathered around Arthur and Guinevere, who were both apologizing profusely for their knight Percival's actions. Then, Remus wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and they slowly made their way back to their rooms.
As soon as she was alone in her room, Shae walked over to the vanity sitting against the wall, staring at her reflection in the mirror. She slowly undid the buttons of her vest, and lifted up her shirt. The black circle branded into her flesh was still there, looking as ominous as ever. For a moment, she had felt a great weight lifted off of her shoulders, now that Regina knew the truth about who she really was. Now, she felt the same heaviness all over again. Regina was obviously hurt by all her lies, all her secrets. But, she had to tell the woman she loved about The Hollow. She just didn't know how.
XXXXX
Shae sat at a table in the Storybrooke library with Remus and Belle, the three of them pouring over every book about magic and magical creatures that they could find. Regina had been shocked to learn both Remus and Shae's true origin, their true nature, as was everyone else. Regina had told Shae that she needed to be alone for a while, to process everything. She said that she was going to go have a talk with the new Dark One in town, Emma Swan.
Shae was heartbroken over keeping so many secrets from the woman that she loved so very dearly, but she knew that there was nothing more she could do to ease her pain. Regina needed her space. So, Shae, Remus, and Belle headed to the library, to try and find something, anything, that might tell them more about The Hollow, and, possibly, how to get rid of it.
Remus was idly clicking a pen as he read. Shae suddenly reached out, and smacked his hand down flat onto the table. "Click that pen again and I'll shove it up your ass." She snapped irritably.
Remus scoffed, wrenching his hand away from Shae. "Rude." He grumbled.
Shae sighed, rubbing her aching forehead. "Sorry." She mumbled. "I'm just… Upset."
"Are you sure it isn't The Hollow?" Asked Belle, eyeing Shae with concern. "It is pure darkness, after all. It might be making you act more… Aggressively, than normal."
Shae sighed once again, and slowly shook her head. "I dunno… Maybe." She admitted. "I just… Feel terrible. After I told Regina about The Hollow, about my magic, about who I really am, she just looked so… Hurt. We're finally back together again, and now all this." She paused, breathing out a frustrated groan as she ran her hands over her face. "I just… I had to have figured something out about The Hollow back in Camelot, I know I did. I just can't remember. Why the hell is Emma even doing this?"
Belle sighed herself, shaking her own head. "I wish I knew." She muttered quietly.
Remus and Belle both exchanged a sad, worried glance, as Shae groaned again, resting her forehead on the table. Remus gently patted her on the back, and opened his mouth to speak reassuring words to his oldest and dearest friend. He stopped, and they all jumped as the door to the library suddenly burst open. It was Leroy, closely followed by Granny. They both had wide eyed, panicked looks on their faces.
"You." Leroy said, pointing a finger at Shae. "You'd better come quick, sister. Your girlfriends in trouble."
"Regina?" Shae asked, immediately leaping to her feet in alarm. "What's going on? What happened?"
"Its Robin Hood." Granny replied breathlessly. "Some kind of creature with wings scooped him up and carried him away. Last we saw of our Mayor, she was racing off after the damn thing into the north woods."
"She's gonna get herself killed!" Cried Leroy.
Shae nodded hastily. "Right. North Woods. Got it."
They all watched curiously as Shae shook out her hands, and bent her knees. "Right. Gotta remember how to do this." She mumbled. "Last time I did it out of panic."
"Shae… What are you doing?" Asked Belle, brow furrowed in confusion.
"Teleporting."
Remus's jaw dropped open in shock. "Shae, no! You can't!" He exclaimed. "Just… Take a car, or something!"
"No time." Shae sharply replied. "Alright… Here we go…"
"SHAE, NO!"
Remus leapt to his feet, just as Shae disappeared in a gust of swirling wind. "Dammit!" He snarled, snatching his jacket from off his chair and stomping toward the door. "She's going to be the death of me, I just know it. Is my hair turning gray? I can feel it turning gray!"
While Belle, Leroy, and Granny followed a very angry Remus out of the library, Shae was landing deep in the Storybrooke forest. She swayed on her feet, grabbing on to a nearby tree as the world spun wildly around her. Using her own magic was much different than using her vampiric powers, and she wasn't quite used to it yet. She blinked furiously through hazy vision, trying desperately to steady herself. She had to find Regina.
"ROBIN!"
Shae turned toward the sound of Regina's voice, and staggered shakily toward it. She froze when she heard the blood curdling screech of something that most certainly wasn't human. Then, she broke into a run, her feet pounding into the dirt as she sprinted through the trees. She searched wildly all around her, her now beating heart hammering in her chest. Finally, she spotted a small group of people standing in a nearby clearing. It was Regina, accompanied by Mary Margaret and David. There was another man as well, whom Shae recognized as King Arthur.
"You!" Arthur snarled when he spotted Shae, pointing a furious finger at her. "What are you doing here? I thought I-"
"Oh, go shove it up your ass!" Shae snarled at him.
Shae dropped down to her knees in front of Regina, who was sitting on the ground, wincing in pain as she held her head. "Regina! Are you alright?" Shae asked, placing her quivering hands on her shoulders. "Y-You're bleeding!"
Regina nodded, wiping at her nose, which was trickling with blood. "I'm fine." She muttered shakily. "Robin… T-That thing… It took him."
"Regina, you're hurt." Mary Margaret said gently.
"Hold on, just hold still." Shae said in the same gentle tone, placing her hands on either side of Regina's face. "I can heal you."
Regina shook her head, and pushed Shae's hands away. "No… No, no, no… Robin… I have to save Robin."
"Regina, please!" Shae begged, attempting to hold Regina still as she struggled to get to her feet. "Just let me heal you!"
"Stop!" Regina shouted, shoving Shae's hands away from her again, her whole body trembling. "Robin! I… I-I have to…"
"Regina, calm down." Said David.
"No… Robin!"
"Regina!"
"ROBIN!"
"AAHH!"
Shae emitted a strangled cry of pain, and doubled over on the ground. She clutched at her chest as it seared with stinging pain. A deafening ringing began to toll through her ears, and her whole body began to tremble violently. Suddenly, she felt a white hot, vicious rage burning within her, and her vision turned red.
"Shae? Shae!" Regina exclaimed, urgently shaking her shoulder. "Are you alright? What-"
Regina stopped mid sentence as Shae straightened up again. Slowly, she turned her head toward Regina, who let out a startled, horrified gasp. Shae's lips were curled into a vicious snarl, and the entirety of her eyes had turned black as night.
"Shae?" Regina whispered, her mouth gaping open in horror. "What are you-"
The rest of Regina's words were lost, as Shae suddenly reached out, and grabbed her by her throat. Regina emitted a strangled gurgle as Shae rose to her feet, her hand closing around her windpipe as she lifted her effortlessly into the air. Mary Margaret, David, and Arthur all rushed at Shae, who casually flicked her free hand. A circle of flames erupted all around her, causing the other three to stop in their tracks.
"Regina? REGINA!" Mary Margaret screamed.
Shae emitted a deep, guttural chuckle, grinning at Regina with her black eyes. "You have great power." She said in a voice that wasn't quite her own. "Soon, it will be mine. Then… You will be nothing. NOTHING!"
Regina gasped desperately for air as Shae laughed loudly in her face, and she clawed at Shae's hand, digging her nails into her flesh, trying frantically to free herself from her vice like grip Suddenly, something behind Shae caught her eye. It was Arthur, bellowing out a fearsome war cry as he leapt through the flames, sword in the air. There was a hollow sounding thump as he struck Shae in the back of the head with the pommel of his sword.
Shae stood rigidly still, her black eyes gaping wide. Then, the circle of flames around her and Regina disappeared. Shae's eyes faded back to their normal shade, and her now piercing blue eyes rolled into the back of her head. Regina was released from her grip, and the last thing Shae saw was her true love's frightened, tear stained face, then everything went black.
XX
Shae stirred weakly as she slowly woke. She blinked her eyes open, wincing as her head pounded with pain. She found herself staring up at the ceiling of Regina's bedroom, and she quickly realized that she was lying in Regina's bed. She turned her head towards the window. Night had fallen over Storybrooke.
"Shae? Are you alright?"
Shae turned her heard to the other side, and found Belle sitting in a chair next to the bed, a book lying open in her lap. "Belle?" She muttered. "What are you doing here?"
"Regina asked me to look after you." Belle replied with a gentle smile. "She took Remus with her to go hunt down The Fury."
"Fury?" Asked Shae.
Belle nodded gravely. "It's what was after Robin Hood." She explained. "It was sent to collect the unpaid price of magic. It was going to drag him down to The Underworld."
"Holy shit." Shae breathed, sitting forward in alarm. "I-Is he ok? And Regina? Is she alright? Is she-"
"Fine, they're both fine." Belle cut in with a smile. "They saved Robin just in time. And Regina called to check in on you not that long ago. She said that she's meeting up with Mary Margaret and David at Granny's for a bit." She then shifted in her seat, staring concernedly into Shae's eyes. "How are you? Regina said that The Hollow sort of… Took over you, for a moment."
Shae breathed out a heavy sigh, rubbing the back of her head as it ached with pain. "Yeah." She mumbled. "I… I-I could see what I was doing, but I couldn't stop it. I… Could have killed her."
Belle sighed herself, and slowly reached out, taking Shae's hand. "It's alright, Shae, it wasn't you." She said, gently squeezing Shae's hand. "It was The Hollow."
"Yeah, I know." Shae whispered in reply. "I just… I need to get this thing out of me. I have find Emma. She needs to give me back my memories. I know I figured something out back in Camelot, I can feel it. I just-"
"Yes, you're right. You did."
Shae swung her legs down to the floor. She was about to head for the door, but stopped, furrowing her brow at Belle. "What? What do you mean?"
Belle bit her lip hesitantly, and, suddenly, her eyes grew very sad. "While you were still knocked out, I thought I'd help out a bit by cleaning up in here." She slowly explained. "I found these in the pocket of the vest you were wearing when we came back from Camelot."
Belle removed two pieces of paper from where they had been tucked inside her book. She handed them to Shae, whose eyes grew wide with shock. One of the papers looked like it had been torn out of a book. On it, was a drawing of a familiar looking black swarm. There was a very brief description next to the drawing.
The Hollow.
A powerful and ancient evil, it's origins shrouded in mystery. It took the combined strength of a force of great good, and a force of great evil, to seal it away. Should it ever be freed again, it will surely mean the end of days.
Shae swallowed the hard, fearful lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. Slowly, she turned to the other page, and her eyes grew even wider. The ink looked to be relatively fresh, and the parchment itself was not nearly as old as the other page. The writing was also strangely familiar to Shae. Her heart began to race as she read, and, suddenly, she knew exactly why The Hollow had chosen her, why it had spent centuries waiting for her. More importantly, she knew exactly how to get rid of it.
"My god…" Shae whispered, turned her wide eyed gaze onto Belle. "I… I-I have to go… I have to tell Regina."
"Wait!" Belle exclaimed, grabbing onto Shae's arm as she leapt to her feet. "There was… Something else in your pocket, something that I think you might want."
Belle reached into her own pocket, and placed something small into Shae's hand. It was a necklace, a necklace that Shae had seen many times before. It's chain was silver, as was the pendant. The pendant was in the shape of a snowflake, a blue gem glittering gently from the center. Suddenly, she knew exactly why the handwriting from the page looked so familiar.
Shae's eyes welled with tears as she stared down at the necklace in her hand. She quickly shook herself, and tucked the necklace, as well as the papers, carefully away inside her jacket. She then squeezed her eyes shut, picturing Granny's Diner in her mind. There was no time to walk. This was much too urgent.
The world spun wildly around Shae as she appeared on the darkened main street of Storybrooke with a whirl of rushing wind. She swayed dangerously on her feet again, and rested her hand on a nearby parked car. Once her vision focused, she saw Granny's Diner sitting across the street. She spotted the back of Regina's head at one of the booths, Mary Margaret, David, and Henry all sitting around her.
"Being a little reckless with your magic, don't you think?" A very familiar voice spoke quietly from behind Shae. "You don't want the elves to find you again, do you?"
Shae spun around in alarm, and found The Dark One, Emma Swan, standing behind her. She was now dressed in an elegant black trenchcoat, her hair still stark white, and tied up in a tight bun. Her heart ached as she looked upon the woman who had once been The Savior, who had once been her friend. Now, that Emma was gone, consumed by darkness.
"Emma?" Shae muttered, rubbing her chest as it gave a painful twinge. "What are you doing out here?"
Emma chuckled, leaning casually against a lightpost, hands in the pockets of her trench coat. "I don't think that's any of your business."
Shae folded her arms across her chest, narrowing her eyes angrily at Emma. "Well I'm making it my business."
Emma chuckled again, and pushed away from the lightpost. She stepped up to Shae, grinning deviously into her eyes. "You think you can threaten me, Shae?" She whispered, bringing her face dangerously close to Shae's. "You may have elf blood, and magic, but I am That Dark One."
Shae glared into Emma's eyes. Then, her face softened, and her heart ached with sorrow once again. "I'm sorry, Emma." She whispered back. "I don't know what exactly happened in Camelot. You obviously saw to that. But, I'm just… Sorry that we failed you."
Emma's face softened as well. Shae held rigidly still, watching Emma's face curiously as she reached out, and ran her fingers gently through her messy black hair. Emma then placed her hand on Shae's cheek, and leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on her other.
"You didn't fail me, Shae." Emma whispered softly in her ear. "Everyone else did." She then stepped back slightly, moving her hand down to Shae's chest. "Besides…" She went on, placing her hand over Shae's heart, just as she had once before. "You had your own problems to deal with."
"You're talking about The Hollow, aren't you?" Shae asked of her. "What do you know about it? You obviously know all about me, now. You have to know something about The Hollow."
"I know everything."
Shae breathed out a small chuckle of her own. "Well, sorry to burst your bubble, Dark One, but so do I." She removed the papers Belle had found from within her jacket. "I found these. I'm surprised you didn't take them from me, after you took my memories."
Emma seemed unimpressed. "Why would I?" She asked, giving Shae an unconcerned shrug. "I never wanted to prevent you from finding out what The Hollow was."
Shae blinked several times in surprise. She then shook herself, and held out one of the pages, pointing to the last sentence scrawled out at the bottom. "Is this really true?" She asked of Emma, her hand shaking slightly. "Is there really no other way?"
Emma didn't respond right away. For a moment, she simply stared into Shae's eyes, her own filled with a deep sorrow. "Why do you think I did all this, Shae?" She whispered softly, mournfully. "I did it for you, to save you. And, well… A few other reasons."
Emma glanced over at Granny's Diner, and Shae curiously followed her line of sight. "Hook?" She asked, watching the pirate, who was sitting alone at the counter, looking glum. "What happened to him? What happened to me?"
Emma slowly shook her head, turning her gaze back onto Shae. "You can't know, Shae. Neither of you can." She muttered, her eyes still filled with a deep and heavy sadness. "If you do, if you remember, then… Well… You'll end up just like me."
Shae opened her mouth to question Emma further, but shut it again when she disappeared in a whirl of black smoke. Shae breathed out a frustrated groan, running a quivering hand through her hair. Emma's cryptic words left her head spinning. She put their strange conversation out of her mind, and headed toward Granny's. She had much more important things to worry about at the moment.
As soon as she stepped into the diner, Regina whirled around in her seat, and gasped when she saw the woman that she loved. "Shae!" She exclaimed, rushing over to her and throwing herself into her arms. "Oh, I'm so glad you're alright!"
"Yeah, me too." Shae said with a laugh. "I'm glad you're ok, too." Her smile then faded, and she stared mournfully into her true love's eyes. "Regina, I… I'm so sorry. I didn't-"
"Shh, it's ok, it's alright." Regina whispered softly, gently caressing Shae's face. "It wasn't you. It was The Hollow." She smiled, her gorgeous brown eyes welling with grateful tears. "I just… I love you."
"I love you too." Shae whispered back.
Regina wrapped her arms around Shae's neck, and Shae breathed out a contented sigh as she held her tight. For a moment, just a moment, all her worries, all her fears, they melted away as she held the woman she loved in her arms.
"Shae, listen." David said from his seat at the booth. "We've been… Talking."
"Obviously we still need to figure out how to save Emma." Said Mary Margaret. "But… We think we need to save you first. The Hollow is obviously a much bigger threat at the moment. We're going to put everything else on hold, and figure out a way to get it out of you."
Shae breathed out a heavy sigh, and slowly shook her head. "There's no need. I know exactly how to get rid of it."
All their eyes grew wide with shock. "What?" Regina breathed.
"I, um… I found something. Well… Belle did, actually." Shae stammered nervously in reply. "But, uh… I think you all should see it."
Regina returned to her seat at the booth, and Shae pulled up a chair, as did Hook. She briefly explained where Belle had found the pages before she presented them to them all. Regina read them out loud, starting with the page that had been torn from a book. She quickly moved on from the brief, unhelpful description of The Hollow, and flipped to the other page. As she continued to read, her voice grew softer and softer, and began to quaver with emotion. Shae's heart hung heavy with sorrow as she watched the tears welling into her true love's eyes. She gazed around at all the others, who listened in shocked silence, their mouths gaping open in horror.
Finally, Regina finished reading. "Oh my god…" She whispered, tears beginning to fall freely down her face. "It's… It's all my fault."
Shae sighed heavily, placing her hand gently on Regina's shoulder. "Regina, no, don't say that."
"Why not? It's the truth!" Regina exclaimed, her voice cracking with sorrow as she slammed the paper onto the table.
Regina buried her face in her hands, and Shae gently rubbed her back, unable to come up with any comforting words. "Wait a minute…" Mary Margaret suddenly muttered as she examined the paper. "Who wrote this? This doesn't look like your handwriting."
"It's not." Shae replied, slowly shaking her head. "But… I recognize it."
"Really?" Asked Henry, eyebrows raised in surprise. "Who's is it?"
Shae hesitated for a moment, biting her lip anxiously. "Well, uh… It's… Um…" She stammered quietly. "It's… Elsa's."
Regina dropped her hands back into her lap, turning her head to stare wide eyed at Shae. "What?" She whispered.
"Are you saying that The Ice Queen was in Camelot with us?" Asked Hook, his eyes just as wide as Regina's.
Shae slowly shook her head again, breathing out another heavy sigh. "I… Don't know."
XXXXX
After seeing the pain that the woman she loved was in from finally learning all her secrets, Shae found herself unable to sleep. She sat beside the fire in her room within Camelot Castle, reading from one of the old books on magic that Arthur had gathered from Merlin's tower. Shae eventually nodded off in her chair as she read. The fire had long since burned out, but she finally slept with relative peace. That was, until she heard a strange but familiar whooshing noise.
"W-What?" She exclaimed, snapping violently awake. "Who's there?"
"Shae, it's me. It's just me."
Shae sighed in relief. "Regina?" She asked, turning in her chair toward the sound of Regina's voice. "W-What are you doing here?"
"I… Couldn't sleep." Regina slowly replied. "I just… Couldn't go to bed angry at you."
Shae breathed out a small, astonished laugh. "I'm really glad to hear you say that." She whispered with a smile. She peered through the darkness, barely able to make out Regina's outline standing behind her chair. "Just… Hold on." She fumbled around for a match on the end table beside her. "Dammit… I forgot how much not having electricity sucks."
Finally, she managed to find a match, and she struck it, lighting the candle sitting on the end table. It took her eyes a moment to adjust to the light, and, when they did, she drew in a sharp gasp. Regina was now standing before her, her nightgown lying in a heap at her feet. Shae stared in wonder at Regina's slender, naked body, feeling herself growing instantly wet. She had seen Regina's body countless times, but it never failed to leave her breathless.
Regina stepped forward, and slid slowly into Shae's lap. Shae leaned back in her chair as Regina straddled her waist, and she tilted her head back, gratefully and eagerly receiving the kiss that she placed on her lips. She ran her hands up Regina's back, relishing the feeling of her smooth, bare skin on her fingertips.
"I don't care who you are, Shae." Regina whispered softly, gently running her fingers through Shae's soft, messy black hair. "I don't care what you are. You're still the woman I fell in love with. I'm… Sorry I got so angry, I-"
Shae cut her off with another kiss. "We agreed, no more apologizing. Remember?"
Regina nodded, smiling against Shae's lips as she kissed her again. They enjoyed the taste of each other's lips for a while, their tongues gently exploring each other's mouths. Their desire quickly began to swell, and Regina drew back with a gasp as Shae gently pinched one of her already firm and swollen nipples.
"Tell me what you want." Shae whispered to her.
"You." Regina whispered back, staring hungrily into her lover's eyes. "I want you. All of you."
Shae smiled, and gently pushed Regina off of her lap. She spun them both around, and pushed Regina down onto the chair. Shae got down on her knees in front of Regina, and took both of her hands in her own.
"I'm yours, Regina." Shae whispered, smiling tenderly into her eyes. "All that I have, all that I am, it's yours. It's always been yours."
Regina smiled back into her lover's eyes, and her own welled with tears at Shae's loving, whispered words. Her eyes fluttered closed as Shae leaned forward, placing another deep, passionate kiss on her lips. She then moved away from her lips, and planted gentle kisses all down her torso. Regina grinned as Shae pushed her legs apart, and she gasped as she placed another kiss deep into her womanhood.
"Oh, Shae…" Regina moaned as she leaned back in the chair. "Mmm… Yes…"
Shae started out slow and gentle, like a cat, lazily lapping up some milk. Regina stared down at her as she slowly licked her from end to end, and she ran her fingers gently through the soft, messy black hair that she loved so much. She couldn't help but marvel at how incredibly beautiful Shae looked, on her knees before her like she had been so many times before, ready and willing to give her anything and everything she wanted.
"Oh! Oh, Shae!" Regina exclaimed as Shae focused her tongue on her clit. "Oh god, yes!"
Regina squeezed a fistful of Shae's hair as her tongue moved faster and faster. She raked the nails of her other hand up Shae's back, and she grinned as she felt her whole body shiver beneath her fingertips. Regina fought hard to keep her cries and moans of pleasure quiet, but it was proving quite difficult. Shae licked and sucked on her clit as if she were a rabid, starving animal, as if her lover's arousal was the only sustenance that she so desperately needed.
"Shae! Shae, I need you!" Regina cried, her chest heaving with exertion. "I need you inside me!"
Suddenly, Shae pulled away from between Regina's legs, and sat back on her knees, her own breaths deep and ragged. Regina opened her mouth to chastise her for stopping, but shut it again as Shae pulled her to her feet. She paused for a moment to carefully blow out the candle, then began to push Regina backwards toward the bed, viciously attacking her lips. She could taste her own arousal on her lips, but she didn't care. Shae's lips were the only sustenance that she needed, at the moment.
As soon as they crashed down onto the bed together, Shae slipped two fingers deep inside her. Shae loved the taste of her, loved the feeling of her fingers gliding between the glorious, glistening wetness of her folds. She pumped her fingers slow and deep, the sounds of Regina's muffled moans from around her lips making her shiver with pleasure. They kissed with a vigorous, unyielding hunger as Shae began to thrust her fingers deeper and harder inside her. Shae bucked her hips against Regina's slender, muscular leg, leaving the skin of her inner thigh hot and slick.
"More!" Regina whispered breathlessly in her ear.
Shae immediately obeyed, just as she almost always did, and inserted a third finger. There were times when Shae liked to be coy and elusive, deliberately disobeying her lover's every command, teasing her, but only for a little while. However, this was not the time for that. After everything they had been through, all she wanted was to give the woman that she loved whatever pleasure she so desired.
"Oh god! Shae!" Regina cried, digging her nails into the back of Shae's head, into the flesh of her shoulder blade. "Shae! YES!"
Shae bit down into Regina's neck, a muffled moan escaping her lips as Regina dug her nails deeper into her flesh. She felt blood trickling down her back, but she didn't care. She thrust her fingers wildly, fucking her as hard and as fast as she possibly could. She kept going as Regina's back arched high into the air, causing wave after wave of pleasure to crash over her. Finally, Regina collapsed back down onto the bed, and Shae removed her cum covered fingers from inside her.
As Regina lie breathless and quivering on the bed, Shae pressed gentle kisses on every inch of her that she could, worshiping her lover's sweat covered body with her lips and her tongue. She then rested her head between Regina's breasts, listening to her racing heart. Regina smiled, and ran her fingers gently through Shae's messy black hair.
"Oh, Shae." Regina whispered, her body still quivering with pleasure. "Shae, I love you."
"I love you too, Regina." Shae whispered back.
Regina smiled again, and grabbed a fistful of Shae's hair, pulling her head up to place a kiss on her lips. "I don't like keeping things between us a secret." She murmured against Shae lips. "I don't care what Arthur thinks of you. I want to be with you, fully."
Shae sighed, and propped herself up on her elbow. "Look, I don't like it either." She quietly replied. "But you've seen the way people around here look at me, and I can barely go anywhere without Arthur's guards a few steps behind. It sucks, but it's just… For the best."
Regina pursed her lips into a frown, to which Shae chuckled. "Besides," She went on, gently tracing a finger across Regina's collarbone. "Sneaking around could be kinda, you know… Fun."
Regina nodded, falling silent for a moment as she pondered. "I suppose it could be." She muttered in reply. Then, a devious grin stretched across her lips, and she wrapped her arms around Shae's neck. "By day, we can only look, not touch. And, maybe, in passing, I could… Whisper a little something in your ear, a little something about what I might do to you later."
Shae laughed, and her whole body shivered at her lover's whispered words. "See? Fun." She said with a grin of her own. "Maybe you could, uh… Whisper a few of those somethings right now. Or, you know… Just do them."
Regina laughed too, and placed another kiss on Shae's lips. "Mmm… Perhaps I could."
Regina rolled on top of Shae, who grinned even more as Regina pinned her arms down onto the bed. Regina gave Shae the same treatment that she had received, and she fell asleep with a smile on her face, watching the woman she loved quivering with pleasure.
Shae fell asleep soon after, grateful that her bedroom was dark enough to hide the brand on her chest left from The Hollow. She had tried hard to keep Regina's fingers carefully away from it as her lover ravaged her body. She was immensely grateful that she had succeeded, that she was able to keep her secret, so she could find the proper time to actually tell Regina about The Hollow. Unfortunately, her plan completely fell apart the very next morning.
In her blissful daze over waking up in the arms of the woman that she loved, Shae had completely forgotten about the dark circle branded into her flesh. Regina was shocked and horrified when she saw it, even more so when Shae was finally forced to tell her what had really happened inside The Dark One's vault.
They both got dressed immediately after, and quickly woke the others. Once they were all gathered in Regina's room, Shae told her story once more, and Belle shared with them the little knowledge about The Hollow she had gained from Rumplestiltskin. They were all shocked and confused, and Regina was hurt that Shae had kept yet another secret from her. However, she quickly forgave the woman she loved so very deeply, and they all began to formulate a plan for how to free Merlin from his tree, save Emma, and, now, save Shae.
"Sorry, are we boring you?" Regina snapped at Remus, who had emitted yet another yawn.
"Oh, my deepest apologies, but some wailing from the room next to mine kept me awake all night." Remus snapped back. He paused for a moment to raise a knowing eyebrow at both Shae and Regina. "You know our rooms share a wall, yes? Do try and keep it down next time."
Regina and Shae both exchanged a wide eyed, anxious glance. "Seriously?" Mary Margaret exclaimed. "You guys need to be careful! Arthur hates your guts, Shae. It won't be good if he finds out you're with The Savior."
"Especially now that you have some sort of… Evil creature living inside you." Added David.
Shae breathed out a sad, heavy sigh, and nodded. Emma sighed as well, and placed her hand gently on Shae's shoulder. "Look, you just… Need to get Arthur to like you." She said with a gentle smile.
Shae snorted loudly. "Yeah, like that's going to be easy. I mean… How long did it take you guys to like me?"
The room fell silent for a moment as they all exchanged uncertain glances. "Um… I mean… It took a few weeks, I guess." Mary Margaret stammered in reply.
"A few months." Muttered David.
"Jury's still out." Said Hook.
"See?" Shae exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air.
Regina chuckled, and she too placed her hand on Shae's shoulder. She opened her mouth to speak, but stopped when they all heard shouting and rushing footsteps from out in the hall. They all exchanged curious, and slightly panicked glances, and immediately rushed out of the room. Leroy and Granny were talking with one of Arthur's servants at the end of the hall, and they all hurried over to them.
"What's going on?" Asked David.
"Dunno." Leroy replied with a shrug. "I guess Arthur found some sort of dark creature skulking around in the garden."
The rest exchanged more wide eyed glances. "That's not good." Emma muttered.
"Great, that's exactly what we need right now." Regina grumbled sarcastically. "More evil creatures running around."
They all silently agreed, and promptly rushed off to investigate. When they entered the main part of the castle, they found more inhabitants hurrying toward the castle entrance. The group from Storybrooke followed them to the front hall, where they found Arthur and a few of his knights. They were all gathered around a burlap sack. There was something inside, something that was struggling wildly, and calling out for help.
"Help! Get me out of here! Let me go!"
The creature that Arthur had captured had a voice that sounded strangely human, and strangely familiar to Shae. She pushed her way to the front of the crowd, brow furrowed as she tried to recall where she had heard that voice before.
"Arm yourselves, men!" Arthur commanded to his knights. "There's no telling what kind of dark magic this creature possesses."
The knights immediately obeyed, and drew their swords, pointing the tips at the sack lying at Arthur's feet. Arthur then bent down, and undid the knot that was holding the sack shut. Then, he scooped it up, and turned it upside down. He drew his own sword as the dark and dangerous creature he had found in the garden tumbled out onto the floor. The crowd drew in a shocked and startled gasp.
"OLAF!"
They all turned their wide eyes onto Shae, who had an astonished smile plastered to her face. It was indeed Olaf the snowman, her old friend from Arendelle. He looked just the same as Shae remembered him, with his stick arms and carrot nose, the perpetually snowing cloud still hovering above his head.
The snowman named Olaf blinked several times, staring dazedly all around him. Finally, his eyes rested on Shae, and they grew wide with shock. "Shae?" He whispered.
Shae nodded, and Olaf's snowy, glistening features lit up with joy. "SHAE!" He exclaimed.
Olaf scrambled up onto his stubby, snowball feet, giggling happily as he ran toward Shae, arms spread wide. He skidded to a stop, emitting a frightened gasp as Arthur's knights blocked his way, their swords pointed straight at his carrot nose. Shae tried to go to him, but was stopped by more knights.
"Stop it! Leave him alone!" Shae shouted at Arthur.
"You know this creature?" Asked Arthur, to which Shae nodded. He then breathed out a dark chuckle, slowly shaking his head. "I should have known. You foul monsters do seem to come in packs."
Shae's jaw dropped open, and she gazed around at Arthur's knights and subjects in utter disbelief. "This is a monster to you people?" She exclaimed, gesturing to Olaf. "This is a snowman, with the mental and emotional capacity of a nine year old!"
"Yeah!" Said Olaf, folding his stick arms across his chest. He then furrowed his brow at Shae. "Wait… Should I be offended?"
"Don't worry about it." Shae hastily replied, waving her hand dismissively. She then turned her gaze back onto Arthur. "Look, he's not dangerous, he's not going to hurt anybody. He probably just got lost. Right?"
Olaf nodded vigorously. "Oh, yes, I'm very lost right now."
"Then what exactly were you doing trespassing in my garden?" Arthur demanded angrily, pointing his sword at the snowman.
"Well, you have the prettiest flowers in your garden." Olaf explained with a shrug. "And, well… I just had to stop and smell them."
Shae breathed out an exasperated groan, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Dammit, Olaf… You're gonna get yourself killed." She then paused, and raised an eyebrow at the snowman. "Actually, I don't know… Can you die? You're made of snow, and you kind of just… Fall apart, sometimes."
Olaf simply shrugged, to which Shae laughed. "Alright, come on, just… Let him go." She pleaded with Arthur once again. "I already told you, he's not going to hurt anyone."
"Absolutely not!" Arthur snarled, glaring fiercely at Shae. "I already have one foul creature wandering about my castle, and I will not have another!"
"Oh, go shove it up your ass!" Shae snarled back. She then shoved Arthur's knights out of her way, and scooped Olaf up into her arms, like one would a toddler. "Come on, Olaf. We don't need to listen to this bullshit."
Shae began stomping away, and Olaf stuck his tongue out at Arthur from over Shae's shoulder. "I'll make you some tea." Shae said to Olaf. "Do you like tea?"
"Oh, I love tea!" Olaf exclaimed excitedly. "But only if it has lots of honey in it. Do you think they have honey here?"
"Of course they do." Shae replied with a chuckle. "Don't worry, I'll get you all the honey you want."
Olaf giggled happily, wrapping his stick arms affectionately around Shae's neck. "Aww! I missed you so much!"
Shae laughed some more as she turned a corner toward the kitchens. "I missed you too, buddy." She said, just as she and Olaf were lost from sight. "I missed you too."
XX
While Mary Margaret and David remained behind to calm Arthur down, the others all followed Shae to the castle kitchens. She brewed up a pot of tea, just as she promised, and they all watched in astonished wonder as steam rose out of Olaf's snow covered body every time he took a sip. They could scarcely believe that they were actually meeting Olaf, the magical snowman from Shae's past in Arendelle.
They all listened with rapt attention as Olaf told them all about what he had been doing since Shae last saw him. Apparently, he had been on his way back to Arendelle, and arrived just in time to get caught up in Ingrid's spell. He was frozen with the rest of the kingdom for twenty eight years, and awoke to find Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff gone. Sven the reindeer had been the only one left behind, and the two of them fled Arendelle when Hans took the throne.
The snowman and the reindeer went in search of their friends, but never found them. Eventually, they got word that The Queen and The Princess had finally returned from a land far away, and they too returned to Arendelle. By the time they got back, Elsa and Anna had removed Hans from the throne, and chased him and his brothers out of their kingdom once again. Olaf and Sven were overjoyed to finally see Elsa, Anna, and Kristoff again, and they joined the rest of the kingdom for Anna and Kristoff's wedding. After that, Olaf set off on another adventure, and wandered into Camelot, where he had been apprehended by Arthur and his knights.
When Olaf was done with his tale, he questioned Shae about her own life the past thirty years. Shae gave him a very brief version of her own tale, and Olaf was shocked to learn that the reason she looked so strange to him was that she was now human, but only in part. Shae told him all about her past, her powers, and even The Hollow. Then, she told him why they had all come to Camelot.
"So, um… H-How's Elsa?" Shae asked of him once she was finished.
"Oh, she's great!" Olaf happily replied. Then, slowly, the smile faded from his snow covered face. "Well, I mean… She was really sad for a while. She told me all about what happened, how you couldn't come back to Arendelle with her. But she's great now!"
Shae heaved a sad, heavy sigh. "Yeah, it was… Rough." She muttered. "But I'm glad that she's ok now."
"You should go see her!" Olaf exclaimed, practically bouncing in his seat. "Oh, she'd be so happy to see you, Anna and Kristoff too. Oh! And Sven! He really misses you."
"Yeah, I, uh… I miss them too." Shae replied with a small, sad smile. "But, Olaf… I can't. Ingrid's spell, it'll turn me to ice as soon as I set foot in Arendelle."
"Well, I don't know, Shae." Belle suddenly cut in with a shrug. "You are human now, well… Sort of. You've got a new body, a new heart. Maybe Ingrid's spell won't have any affect any more."
"Yeah! What she said!" Olaf agreed, smiling at Belle. "I like you! You're smart!"
Belle laughed, rolling her eyes. "Well, at least someone noticed."
Shae fell silent for a moment, biting her lip as she pondered Belle's words. "Do you… D-Do you really think so?" She asked of her.
Belle shrugged once again. "It wouldn't hurt to try, right?'
Shae remained silent for another moment. Then, slowly, a smile crept across her face. "Yeah… Maybe you're right." She muttered. "I mean… I at least need to make sure Olaf gets home safe, you know?"
"Are you sure it's wise to leave at the moment?" Asked Hook, raising an eyebrow at Shae. He then leaned in close, lowering his voice as one of Arthur's knights strolled by the kitchen doorway. "We still have to figure out how to get that… Thing out of you."
"Oh, Elsa has lots of books about magic." Olaf replied matter-of-factly. "And she's really good at it now. If anyone can figure out a way to get rid of The Hollow, she can."
"Yeah… Maybe you're right." Shae muttered once again. "Besides, uh…" She paused, shifting her eyes over to another one of Arthur's knights passing by the kitchen doorway. "It's probably best for everyone if I'm out of sight and out of mind at the moment."
"Not everyone." Replied Remus, placing his hand pointedly on Regina's shoulder.
"It's alright, Remus." Regina said quietly, gently patting Remus's hand. She then gazed into her lover's eyes with a small smile. "You are back in this realm now. I think it would be… Good, for you to at least try and go see Elsa. I think you owe it to her, and… To yourself."
Shae nodded, and smiled back at the woman she loved. She stared deep into those gorgeous brown eyes that she loved so very much. She so desperately wanted to kiss her, but knew that she shouldn't, that she couldn't.
"Just… Promise that you'll come back." Regina said quietly.
"Always." Shae replied with a wink. She then rose to her feet, and patted Olaf on his snowy head. "Come on, Olaf. I guess we're going back to Arendelle."
"Hooray!" Olaf exclaimed.
"I'll go with you." Said Remus, as he too rose to his feet.
Shae sighed, and slowly shook her head. "Remus, we've been on a lot of adventures together." She said with a sad smile. "But, um… I think this is one I have to go on alone."
Remus frowned, looking hurt. He then heaved a heavy sigh, and sat back in his chair. "Fine, fine…" He muttered, dramatically rolling his eyes. "Just leave me here alone with this lot, I suppose."
"Gee, thanks." Muttered Emma, rolling her eyes as well.
Shae laughed, and so did Olaf, as she lifted him up onto her shoulders. "Ready?" She asked of him.
"Ready." Olaf replied.
Shae gave Regina one last smile, and she smiled back at her, but Shae saw pain in that smile, in those eyes. Shae felt the same pain deep within her own heart. She knew that Regina was right, that she owed it to herself and to Elsa to at least try and return to Arendelle. Still, though, it hurt to leave the woman she loved behind, especially since memories of the previous night were still fresh in her mind. Still, she knew what she was doing was right. Regina and the others would be free to find a way to free Merlin without the prying eyes of Arthur's knights that were constantly watching Shae. And, maybe, just maybe, Shae might be able to find some answers about her own predicament in Arendelle.
"I think the nearest dock is that way." Olaf said as Shae stepped out onto the road outside Camelot.
Shae chuckled, slowly shaking her head. "Oh, no. We're not taking a ship." She said with a grin. "We're teleporting."
Olaf furrowed his snowy brow as he frowned down at the top of Shae's head. "I thought you said you couldn't use your magic. Because of, you know, the elves."
"Yeah, well, the elves are a long way away, and it's been a really long time." Shae replied dismissively. "Besides, I'm extremely impatient, and I hate ships."
Shae stopped walking, deciding that she was now far enough away from Camelot Castle. "Ready?" She asked Olaf once again.
"Ready." Olaf replied.
Shae nodded, and squeezed her eyes shut. She pictured Arendelle in her mind, and, suddenly, she felt her body being lifted into the air. She began to spin wildly round and round again, wind rushing through her ears. Finally, it all stopped, and her feet touched solid ground again.
Slowly, Shae blinked her eyes open. She smiled when she found herself standing in a very familiar town square. There were people milling about, casting shocked glances at the woman and the snowman that had just appeared out of thin air. Shae ignored them, instead choosing to stare down at her own hands.
"Holy shit." She whispered, breathing out an astonished laugh as her hands remained ice free. "Belle was right."
"Look!" Olaf exclaimed. "There it is!"
Shae slowly turned around, and glanced up at Olaf's pointed finger. She followed it, and she smiled at the grand, magnificent castle that was sitting off in the distance. Her eyes immediately welled with tears as she looked upon that castle, the castle that had once been her home.
"Arendelle."
XX
