Author's Note: Hello everyone! I'd like to apologize again for how long it took me to get this chapter out. I got a new job which unfortunately demands a lot of my time. Still, though, I promise you all once again that I am still writing as often as I can. Anyway... I won't take up any more of your time. I hope you enjoy Chapter 29! :)

CHAPTER 29

After the heroes of Storybrooke shared a surprised and emotional reunion with Shae, those that had just returned from The Land of Untold Stories introduced her and the others to their new friend: Doctor Henry Jekyll. The famous doctor's dark other half, Mister Hyde, had been the one to capture Snow, David, Zelena, and Hook. Not long after escaping, Jekyll used his new serum to completely separate himself from Hyde. Now that he was finally free of his darkness, he was excited to start a brand new life in Storybrooke.

Before heading back home, Remus, Hook, David, and Zelena set off on a search for Gold, who had disappeared shortly after Shae's chaotic arrival back to the land of the living. Meanwhile, the others decided to convene at Neal's old apartment. Once there, they filled Shae in on all that had happened.

She was ecstatic to learn that Hades, God of Death, had finally been defeated. However, her joy quickly disappeared when she learned of Robin's sacrifice. She had spent most of her time with the famous thief hating the man. She had never gotten the chance to thank him for what he did to protect both her and Regina from Van Helsing, for fighting on her own behalf. She lamented the fact that now she never could.

Once they had finished filling Shae in about their latest adventures, they questioned her about her own. They once again asked her how exactly she had managed to escape The Underworld, why she hadn't returned with Hook, and why she seemed to have been spat out by a violent storm. Once again, Shae remained strangely elusive about it all. They attempted to pry, but all Shae said was that it was a long story, and that she wasn't particularly in the mood to talk about it. The others, though a bit begrudgingly, respected her wishes, and asked no more.

After that, Shae decided to change out of her soaking wet clothes. She found an old pair of jeans that had once belonged to Neal, as well as a t-shirt and long sleeved flannel. Unfortunately, Shae was quite a bit taller and lankier than Neal had been. His jeans were basically high-waters on Shae, and his flannel barely covered her forearms. She had also found an old pair of shoes to replace her water-logged booths with, but they were much too small, which left her no choice but to go barefoot. The others couldn't help but chuckle at the sight.

"Yeah, yeah. Laugh it up, assholes." Shae muttered, rolling her eyes at them. Her brow then furrowed as she glanced around the room, searching for the woman that she loved. "Where's Regina?"

Emma was the one to answer, though a bit hesitantly. "She's, um… Up on the roof." She replied, her eyes suddenly solemn and sad. "She said she wanted to be alone."

"Oh." Shae mumbled with a frown. "Is… She ok?"

Once again, Emma hesitated for a moment. "Yeah, I think so. She's just… Been going through a lot." She then gestured for Shae to sit down next to her on the couch, which she did. "Listen… Here's the thing…"

Shae listened with a heavy heart as Emma explained to her everything Regina had been going through since being forced to leave her behind in The Underworld, and since Robin's death. She had been struggling with some inner turmoil, with The Evil Queen that still lurked deep inside her. Shae was a bit disturbed, but not at all surprised. She knew full well what it was like to fight against the darkness within.

"I think you should go talk to her, Shae." Snow said with a small smile. "If anyone understands what she's going through, it's you."

Shae nodded in agreement, and rose to her feet. "Here, take this to her." Snow went on, holding a mug of hot cocoa out to Shae. "It just might help."

Shae nodded again, and exited the apartment, making her way up several flights of stairs. She cursed her own mortality as she finally reached the top, her chest heaving with exertion. She made a mental note to start exercising more as she pushed open the door.

A smile stretched across her face, and she stood staring at the woman that she loved for a moment. Regina was standing with her back to Shae, leaning forward with her elbows resting on the low cement wall that surrounded the tiny rooftop terrace. The bright city lights cast a radiant glow upon the woman that she loved so very much. Shae couldn't help but smile at the sight.

The sound of the rooftop door swinging shut caused Regina to turn around. "Hey." She said, smiling too when she spotted Shae.

"Hi." Shae said as she quickly crossed the roof over to her. She handed her the mug of hot cocoa. "Got you something to warm you up."

Regina sighed as she took the mug from Shae. "Let me guess… Hot cocoa with cinnamon?" When Shae nodded, Regina breathed out a sour chuckle, and slowly shook her head. "Sorry, but, I'm not exactly in the mood for the Charming family special."

"Oh, you definitely want to try it." Shae replied with a grin and a wink. "I added my own secret ingredient."

Regina raised an eyebrow at her lover, and took a careful sip of the cocoa. She immediately started coughing as her throat burned. "Is that whiskey?" She exclaimed.

Shae nodded again as she produced a flask from inside her pocket. "I may have added just a smidge on my way up the stairs."

Regina rolled her eyes, and chuckled quietly as Shae knocked the flask against her mug. Shae drank straight from her flask as Regina took another careful sip of her cocoa. Regina then reached out and gently caressed her lover's face. Though she was smiling, there was a deep sorrow in her beautiful brown eyes.

"I just… Still can't believe you're really here." She whispered, brushing a stray lock of Shae's hair away from her forehead. "I thought I lost you for good this time."

"I promised you I'd find a way back." Shae whispered in return. She took Regina's hand, pressing a tender kiss on her knuckles. "I always come back, remember?"

Regina nodded silently, and turned her eyes away. Shae watched her with a frown as she sipped some more of her cocoa, gazing out at the bright city lights. It hurt to see so much sorrow in those gorgeous brown eyes.

"So, um… Emma told me about everything you've been going through." Shae muttered slowly, carefully. "I'm sorry you've been struggling so much. Do you… Wanna talk about it?"

Regina didn't respond right away. She remained silent for a few long moments, her lips pursed into a firm line as she continued to stare out into the distance. She then breathed out a heavy sigh, and turned her eyes back onto Shae.

"I'm so happy you found your way back to me, Shae. Happier than words can even describe." She quietly replied, taking Shae's hand in her own again. "But, at the same time, I'm still so sad. And, worst of all, I'm just so… Scared."

"Scared?" Asked Shae, brow furrowed in confusion. "Scared of what?"

"The future. Our future." Replied Regina. She sighed once more, and turned her sad eyes back out onto the New York City lights. "I look back on my past, our past, and all I see is suffering. I've lost you so many times, and this most recent time was nearly permanent. I was helpless, powerless. Thankfully you had the power to make it back. Unlike Robin."

Shae sighed herself, placing her hand gently on Regina's shoulder. "His death wasn't your fault, Regina."

"Wasn't it?" Regina asked, tears beginning to well into her eyes. "He died saving me, because of me. He deserved a long, healthy life with his daughter, with his son. That's all gone now. Now, I have his blood on my hands, along with so many others."

Shae watched in helpless silence as Regina wiped away the tears that were now leaking onto her cheeks. "I'm starting to think, no matter what I do, The Evil Queen's baggage, or karma, or whatever it might be… Will always be with me." She paused for a moment to let out another slow, shaky sigh. "To keep her at bay, I might have to open myself up to a lifetime of pain and suffering. And… If I don't keep her at bay…"

Regina paused again, her voice breaking with emotion. Shae opened her mouth to say something, anything, that might comfort her. However, she quickly closed it again, and continued to listen quietly as Regina went on.

"Do you know the first thing that popped into my head the moment I saw Hook had returned from The Underworld without you?" She asked. Shae slowly shook her head, and Regina breathed out a bitter, sour laugh. "I wanted to rip his goddamn throat out. It wasn't fair that he got to live and you didn't, that Robin didn't. I wanted to burn the whole damn town to the ground with him and everyone else in it."

Regina sighed again, wiping away more tears. "But… I didn't." She muttered quietly. "And the only reason that I didn't, was because I fought against the rage and the pain. I fought so, so hard. And that wasn't even the first time. It's almost like, nearly every day, with every decision I make, I… I just… I have to-"

"Fight against your own instincts?" Asked Shae, finishing her thought for her. Regina nodded, and Shae sighed herself, running a hand through her messy black hair. "Yeah, I, uh… Definitely know what that's like. It's… Exhausting."

Regina nodded in earnest agreement. Shae chuckled quietly, and a brief moment of silence passed between them before she went on. "Being a hero is so much harder than being a villain." She muttered, lightly tracing a finger back and forth across Regina's hand as she spoke. "There's been plenty of times when I've known that all our problems could be easily solved with destruction and bloodshed. But I fought too. I still have to fight, nearly every day."

For the first time, the small smile on Regina's face finally began to reach her eyes "Honestly, I don't really think I'll ever really be a hero. Not completely, anyway." Shae went on, leaning her elbows on the cement wall in front of her. "I've done too much damage, caused too much pain in my life. But I still have to try. I know if I don't keep my own darkness at bay, well… I'll lose everything I have that's worth fighting for. I almost did."

Regina's smile grew even wider, and Shae smiled back at her, gently squeezing her hand. "And, you know, maybe you're right. Maybe we really do have to suffer to keep our evil selves in check." She paused for a moment to place another kiss on her lover's hand. "But, there's no one else in this world or all the others that I'd rather suffer with."

Shae then wrapped her arms around Regina's waist, drawing her in close. "The road we've chosen to walk is a long one, a hard one, and a winding one." She went on, smiling into her lover's gorgeous brown eyes. "But, I'll walk it right beside you, and suffer right along with you. If you'll have me, of course."

Regina laughed as she leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on Shae's lips. "Are you kidding me? I'd have you right here and now if everyone else wasn't just downstairs."

Shae laughed too, and Regina breathed out a contented sigh as she snaked her arms around Shae's neck, resting her head on her chest. "Thank you for listening, and for understanding." She whispered softly. "I knew you would, I just… Should have said something sooner. I'm sorry."

"It's alright." Shae whispered back as she kissed the top of Regina's head. "Things have been kinda crazy since I got here. I'm just glad you're feeling better."

"Much better." Regina muttered, placing another kiss on Shae's lips. She then leaned back slightly, to better gaze into her lover's piercing blue eyes. "Just so you know, you're a hero to me. You're my hero, my Protector."

Shae nodded, tears of her own shining in her eyes. "And you're my hero." She replied, gently tucking a stray lock of Regina's hair behind her ear. "My Queen."

Regina smiled, the smile that Shae loved so very, very much. Regina pulled her in close again, breathing out a deep, contented sigh as she kissed the woman that she loved, the woman that she truly thought she had lost. They both stood wrapped up in each other's arms for a long while, their lips parting slowly, gently. Though there was a chill in the New York City air, Shae and Regina's deep, unyielding love for each other kept them both quite warm.

"I know you said you don't want to talk about it…" Regina said after a time, leaning only slightly away from her lover's lips. "But… Can you at least tell me how you got here? Hook said that it was Zeus that brought him back. But your arrival was, well… Much different."

Shae's brow suddenly furrowed. "Zeus, huh?" She mumbled, looking strangely disturbed. She then quickly cleared her throat, and shook her head. "Right, um… Yeah. Of course."

She gestured to the nearby table and chairs. Once she and Regina were both seated, Shae began her tale. "Right, you might want to settle in." She said, removing her flask from her pocket and taking a quick sip. "It's, um… Kind of a long story."

XXXXX

After her brief and angry encounter with Hook at The Underworld's version of Granny's Diner, Shae drunkenly staggered and stumbled her way over to the library. Once inside, she glanced around at the dusty shelves silently for a moment, taking another swig of her bottle of rum. Suddenly, something that Hades had said popped into her mind.

"Scooby and The Gang…" She mumbled to herself with a small hiccup. "What would they do?"

She gasped out loud as she got an idea, and set her bottle of rum down on the front counter. She then stepped up to the bookshelf nearest her, and seized the topmost book, pulling it off the shelf. She frowned as it fell at her feet with a small thump. She shrugged, and pulled down the next one, then the next, then the next.

Shae continued on through the rows and rows of books, sending one after the other falling to the floor. She was about halfway through the shelves, when, suddenly, the book her hand was resting on caught on it's shelf. Instead of tumbling onto the floor, it simply tilted back. Shae leaned in closer, a wide grin stretching across her face when she saw the mechanism that it was attached to.

She froze in place as she heard a click, then the sound of metal scraping on metal from somewhere toward the back of the library. She followed the sound, and found that part of the wall had swung forward, revealing a secret, hidden room. Her jaw dropped open as she stepped inside. All along the walls, tucked into tiny nooks, were dozens and dozens of scrolls.

Shae removed the nearest one with trembling hands, and slowly unrolled it. She gently blew the dust away. Her mouth gaped open even wider as she stared at the ancient text.

"Yes… Fuck yes!" She shouted, laughing out loud to herself. "Oh, thank you, Cora!"

She removed a whole armfull of scrolls from the wall, and carried them out to a nearby table at the back of the library. She spread them all out on the table, and placed her drawings side by side with them. Then, she pulled up a chair, where she remained all throughout the night, only getting up to retrieve more and more scrolls.

By the time the sun was rising over Underbrooke once more, Shae had scrolls and papers scattered haphazardly all over the floor around her. She was scribbling away on a scrap of paper when she heard the library door open. She didn't even bother to stop. She was too close to finally deciphering the runes and glyphs that she had seen flashing within her own mind.

"Shae?"

She finally glanced up when she heard her name. It was Hook, who was staring wide eyed at all the scrolls and papers that were littering the ground. Standing beside him, was none other than Arthur, King of Camelot.

"You…" Arthur snarled, narrowing his eyes at Shae. He then turned angrily to Hook. "You didn't tell me that she was the one we were going to for help!"

"Aye, that was entirely on purpose, mate." Hook replied dismissively. Before Arthur could retort, he turned to Shae. "What in the blazes are you doing? Have you been in here all night?"

"Guess so." Shae muttered in reply. She then cried out in alarm as Hook made to take a step toward her. "WOAH! Stop! Don't step on those! They're crazy ancient!"

Hook glanced down at the scrolls that he was indeed about to step on. "Where did all these come from?"

"Secret room." Shae answered bluntly, jerking a thumb behind her.

Hook's eyes grew wide all over again as he noticed the room filled with ancient scrolls. "Bloody hell." He whispered. "How did you manage to find that?"

"Easy. There was a suspicious book on the shelf attached to a mechanism that opened the hidden door." Shae replied with a shrug. She then pointed her pen very seriously at the pirate. "Never underestimate the lessons you learn from cartoons."

Hook exchanged a confused glance with Arthur, who gave an equally confused shrug. "Er… Right." Hook muttered, quickly shaking himself. "Listen, Emma and the others, I think they're in danger."

Shae snorted loudly as she turned her attention back onto the dusty scroll in front of her. "Of course they are. They're probably fighting Hades as we speak."

"Yes! Exactly!" Hook agreed with a nod. "And they need our help."

Shae glanced up from the scroll to raise an eyebrow at Hook. "And what exactly are we supposed to do? We're dead!"

"The Captain and I are on a quest to find a storybook." Arthur was the one to answer.

"Henry's storybook?" Asked Shae.

"Aye." Said Hook, nodding some more. "There has to be a version of it down here, with the pages that Hades tried to hide from us. Those pages just might be the key to defeating him."

"The problem is, this storybook is likely deep within Hades' inner sanctum, which is likely fraught with danger." Added Arthur. He paused for a moment, and breathed out a deep, begrudging sigh. "I suppose we really could… Use your help."

Shae pursed her lips for a moment, then turned her attention back on the scroll before her. "Sorry. I'm busy." Was all she said.

Hook exchanged another baffled glance with the King of Camelot. "Are you serious?" He exclaimed. "Shae, this is important!"

"So is this!" Shae shouted back, pointing at her scroll.

Hook groaned as he pinched the bridge of his nose with his good hand. "This is about that bloody prophecy again, isn't it?" He grumbled. "Why in god's name are you so damn obsessed?"

"Because, it's the key to me getting out of this place!" Shae snarled, glaring very briefly at the pirate before going back to her scribbling. "I know it is."

"How?" Cried Hook, throwing his arms up in the air. "How can you possibly know that?"

"I JUST DO!" Shouted Shae, slamming her fists onto the table. There was a brief moment of silence as she breathed out a heavy, shaky sigh, running a hand through her messy black hair. "I… I-I can't explain it… But I just know, ok?"

Arthur scoffed loudly, narrowing his eyes angrily at Shae. "She won't help us." He muttered to Hook. "Come on. We can do this ourselves."

The King seized Hook's arm, but the pirate shoved his hand roughly away. "NO!" He shouted. He then took an angry step forward, pointing a furious finger at Shae. "Listen to me, dammit! Emma and Regina need our help! You-"

Hook stopped short as Shae suddenly leapt to her feet. "Shut up." She muttered, putting out her hand.

"I… What?" Hook exclaimed.

"I said, shut up!" Shouted Shae. She then bent over the table, staring down with wide, crazed eyes at the scroll sitting in front of her. "Fire… Flames… Cast? To cast? Good… Evil… Both? No… No, no. Maybe… Neither?"

Arthur and Hook stood in confused silence as Shae continued mumbling incoherently to herself. They both jumped in alarm as Shae suddenly drew in a loud, sharp gasp. She turned her wide eyes onto the two of them, a strange sort of grin stretching across her face.

"I know what I need to do." She whispered.

"What?" Hook asked again. "Shae, what the bloody hell are you on about?"

"I figured it out!" Shae exclaimed, barking out a loud, maniacal sort of laugh. "I mean… Sort of. Enough of it, anyway. I… I just. I-I have to go."

"Go?" Hook echoed. "Go where?"

The pirate never got an answer. Instead, Shae disappeared in a rush of swirling wind. He and Arhtur stood in shocked, baffled silence for a moment. They both shook their heads, completely and utterly confused.

"What just happened?" Asked Arthur. "Where the hell did she go?"

Hook stared down at the scrolls and papers littering the floor for a moment as he thought. "Fire… Flames…" He muttered quietly, slowly stroking his beard. He then groaned once again, grabbing urgently onto Arhtur's shoulder. "Dammit… I know where she is. Come on, we have to hurry!"

XXXXX

Shae appeared within The Cave of Judgement. Her legs shook as she slowly made her way up the cliff. She stood at the edge, staring down into the roaring flames below. She closed her eyes, tears beginning to leak onto her cheeks. She saw Nadia, her first love, smiling at her and as she crossed over into the light. She knew that no warm, welcoming white light would appear for her. Suddenly, she wasn't sure if she had the courage to do what needed to be done. She hesitated for a long, long time, staring silently down into the roaring, churning flames.

"I am not a hero!" She suddenly announced, finally summoning up her courage. She spoke out loud to whatever forces that were watching over the cave. "I am not a force of goodness. I've killed, I've maimed, and I've caused pain, all simply because I could, because I wanted to."

She paused for a moment, drawing in a shaky breath as more tears spilled from her eyes. "But, I'm also not a villain." She went on, her voice quavering as she bit back her fear. "I am not a force of evil. I may have been once, but not anymore. I've worked hard to change. I've saved lives, and I've spread hope, because I could, because I wanted to."

She drew in another shaky breath, running a trembling hand through her messy black hair. "Hades was right. I don't know who I am anymore, what I am. I'm not a hero, not a villain. Maybe I'm neither, maybe I'm both. I don't fucking know!" She laughed loudly, throwing her arms up in the air. "So… I put myself at the mercy of the cosmos! I will cast myself into the depths, into the flames, to be judged!"

Shae took one more small step forward. Her whole body trembled as she stared down at the tips of her boots, leaning over the edge of the rocky cliff. She took one more, deep, quivering, steadying breath. She closed her eyes again, spreading her arms wide.

"SHAE!"

Shae jumped at the sudden shout, and quickly spun around. She spotted Hook sprinting toward her, King Arthur following close behind. "SHAE, STOP!" Hook shouted. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?"

"What I have to." Shae answered with a small, sad smile. "I'm sorry about this, Hook… But moving on just isn't in the cards for me. It's not even what I want. But I hope you can find a way to. I hope you find peace."

Hook and Arthur both jerked to a stop as Shae turned back around. She spread her arms wide again, squeezing her eyes shut. The king and the pirate watched in horror as Shae fell forward, disappearing over the edge of the cliff.

"NO!" Hook screamed. He rushed to the spot where Shae had just been standing, and stared wide eyed down into the flames. "No… No, no, no… SHAE!"

XXXXX

It was cold, very cold. That was all Shae knew for a moment. She slowly began to realize that she was lying on something hard, flat, and solid. She listened, and all she could hear was the sound of roaring wind. Slowly, she peeled her eyes open.

She was immediately forced to close them again as the cold stung. In that brief moment, she had seen snowflakes swirling in the air. She quickly realized that she was lying on her back, and she groaned as she rolled over onto her belly. She opened her eyes again, blinking furiously through foggy vision.

Shae was now staring at pure whiteness, which she quickly realized was a thick layer of snow. She lie still for a while, her chest heaving with exertion. Wherever she was, it was so cold that her breath came out in thick clouds of vapor.

Slowly, shakily, Shae pushed herself onto her feet. She grunted and groaned as she did, her limbs sore and stiff. A thick layer of snow tumbled from her body in clumps. She had no idea exactly how long she had been lying on the ground, but it must have been quite a while.

She began to stagger forward, shivering as she attempted to rub some warmth into her arms. She squinted through the blizzard surrounding her. All she could see was the steep slope of a hill before her. Her chest heaved as she climbed it, her labored breaths forming into thick clouds in front of her face. The roaring wind pelted her body with ice and snow, but she kept pushing forward. As she finally reached the top of the hill, her jaw dropped open, and her dead heart nearly stopped.

As far as the eye could see was nothing but more rolling hills, all of them covered in snow. Shae remained where she stood for a long time, her mouth hanging open in complete and utter horror. The bitter cold, as well as the overwhelming dread from the sight of her desolate surroundings, caused her whole body to go numb. She couldn't help but thinking that she had made a mistake, a horrible, terrible mistake.

Suddenly, Shae felt a low, distant rumbling beneath her feet. She stood completely still for a while, listening hard. All she could hear was the roaring of the violent wind around her. Slowly, the trembling beneath her feet began to pulse in waves, growing and building more and more as time went by. She turned herself around, and squinted into the blizzard. An excited grin stretched across her face when she spotted a figure through the ice and snow. The grin immediately disappeared as the figure crossed over the slope of the hill.

What Shae originally thought was the tall form of another person, was actually just a head. She tilted her own head up, her jaw dangling open as her eyes scanned over the massive, hulking creature that was lumbering toward her. She quickly realized that the creature was a giant, an ice giant of old lore. It stood as tall as a mountain, a terrifying, sinister mountain. It's arms and legs were like massive, bulging tree trunks, it's eyes glowing a bright shade of blue, shining through the storm. Shae's heart stopped all over again as those glowing blue eyes focused in on her.

"Oh, shit." She whispered.

The giant bellowed out a fearsome, deafening roar, causing Shae to clap her hands over her ears. The ground heaved violently, knocking her off her feet. She fell flat on her back, staring wide eyed and open-mouthed at the ice giant. Suddenly, the giant raised his massive, hulking fist, and brought it crashing down.

Shae managed to roll to the side just in time. Though she avoided being crushed, the sheer force of the giant's fist sent her tumbling down the hill. Her head bounced back and forth painfully against the snow covered ground. When she finally came to a stop, she couldn't move, couldn't even breathe. The ground beneath her began to pulse even more, and her eyes grew wide all over again as she saw the giant pursuing her down the hill.

"SHIT! Shit, shit, shit!" She exclaimed as she scrambled up onto her feet. She began to run wildly, frantically. "Shit! Fuck! Oh, FUCK!"

She glanced over her shoulder several times as she ran, watching in horror as the angry, ferocious ice giant loomed closer and closer. She sprinted up another steep hill, her chest heaving, her breaths coming in quick, frantic gasps. Shae leapt to the side just in time to avoid the giant's fist yet again, stumbling as the ground shook from the pulsewave of the blow.

Finally, she reached the top of the hill, but she didn't dare stop. She kept running, crossing over the slope and down the other side. She glanced back once again, her eyes growing wide all over again as she saw the giant raise both of his massive fists. The ice giant's roar shook the very air around her, and she was sent hurtling forward as he slammed his fists down.

Shae screamed in terror as she sailed through the air. She crashed back down onto the ground, all breath knocked completely out of her as she began tumbling wildly down the hill. Just as she hit the bottom, her head smacked into a rock, and everything went black.

XXXXX

Slowly, Shae began to wake. Once again, she was lying on her back on something hard and flat. This time, however, her body was warm, very warm. She slowly blinked her eyes open, and found that she was staring at some sort of dark, rocky ceiling. She turned her head to the side, and saw a campfire flickering a few feet away. Suddenly, the dark figure of a person moved across her field of vision, and she sat bolt upright.

"It's alright, Shae." Came a woman's voice. "It's alright, darling. You're safe now."

Shae scrambled away in alarm from the voice. Her already throbbing, aching head, smacked painfully into the wall of the cave she was now in. She sat still with her chest heaving, blinking furiously through foggy vision. Slowly, her eyes began to focus. There was a woman kneeling in front of her.

"Just calm down, now." The woman said with a gentle smile. "You're safe here, I promise."

Shae's ragged, panicked breaths slowly began to even out, though her limbs were still shaking violently. She shook her head from side to side, squeezing her eyes shut. She slowly opened her eyes again, and took a moment to examine the woman before her.

She seemed to be middle aged, and had fiery red hair, which fell in loose curls down her back. She was dressed in black, tattered robes, with a deep maroon colored shawl draped around her shoulders. Her skin was milky white, her eyes the brightest shade of icy blue that Shae had ever seen. Those eyes, and her general aura, made Shae realize that this was no mere human woman. Whoever she was, whatever she was, she was one of the most beautiful, radiant creatures Shae had ever laid eyes upon.

"Who… W-Who the hell are you?" Shae stammered.

The strange woman didn't respond right away. She pursed her lips, which were a shade of red that matched her hair. Her blue eyes pierced into Shae's in a way that gave her full body chills.

"Who am I? Hmmm… Excellent question." The woman muttered, slightly cocking her head to the side. "I suppose… You can call me… Lilith."

Shae blinked several times, rubbing her still hazy eyes. "Lilith? As in… The ancient demon, Lilith? From… Hebrew lore?"

The woman, supposedly named Lilith, gave a small, dismissive shrug. "If you'd like."

Shae got the suspicious feeling that this strange, though strikingly beautiful woman, wasn't being entirely truthful. She shrugged it off, too confused, in too much pain to really care. She winced as Lilith pressed a cold, wet rag onto the wound in her forehead.

"Where am I?" Shae asked her in a whisper.

Once again, Lilith took a moment to respond. She stared deep into Shae's eyes as she continued to dab gently at her head wound. "Where do you think you are?" She asked in return.

Shae breathed out a heavy, shaky sigh, leaning her head back against the rocky wall. The cold rag against the burning wound in her forehead felt nice. "I… Don't know." She muttered in reply. "I guess, with all the ice and snow… And the ice giant… It all reminds me of the stories the elves used to tell of… Niflheim."

Lilith smiled, a bright, dazzling, white-toothed smile. "An excellent deduction." She said with a light, tinkling laugh. Her accent was heavy and strange, possibly Scottish, or Irish, or Norweigan, even. Shae knew, however, that she was none of those things. "Quite perceptive as always, Shae."

Shae narrowed her eyes suspiciously at the woman who was supposedly Lilith. "How do you know my name?"

Lilith chuckled quietly, smiling another warm, welcoming smile. "Oh, I know all about you, my dear." She replied, gently caressing Shae's cheek. "Your coming was foretold. I've been waiting for you for a long, long time."

"I… What?" Shae mumbled. She shivered as Lilith's touch sent chills all throughout her body. "H-How?"

"Shh… Don't worry about that now." Lilith whispered softly, pressing a finger to Shae's lips. "I know your heart's desire. I know all you want is to return to the land of the living, to the woman that you love, your Queen. Regina."

Shae opened and closed her mouth several times as she stared into Lilith's bright, shining, stunningly blue eyes. Though she was suspicious of the strange woman that had brought her into a dark, damp cave, she knew that she was in no danger. In fact, she felt at peace in her presence, felt safer than she ever had within Hades' Underworld.

"Yes…" Shae muttered. She reached out with trembling hands, tightly gripping Lilith's. "Can… C-Can you help me?"

Lilith slowly nodded her head. "Of course." She replied with another smile. "That's why I'm here, why you're here."

She then rose to her feet, and held her hand out to Shae. "Come with me." Said the beautiful woman that just might be a powerful, ancient demon. "Let's get you home."

XX

Regina sat in silence for a time as Shae finished her harrowing tale about her escape from The Underworld. She stared open mouthed at her lover, her eyes wide with shock and confusion. Shae took another sip from her flask, waiting in slightly apprehensive silence for Regina to respond.

"So… Wait… Let me get this straight…" Regina slowly began. "You threw yourself into the flames in The Cave of Judgement, ended up in what might have been Niflheim, where an ancient demon named Lilith brought you back to life?"

Shae gave her a small shrug, and nodded. "Yep. That's pretty much it."

Regina continued to gape at Shae for another few moments, then quickly shook her head. "I… Don't understand. Why exactly did she save you? Why, and how, did she send you back here?"

"I… I-I don't know." Shae replied, shaking her own head.

"And what exactly did she mean when she said your coming was foretold?" Asked Regina.

"I don't know, Regina." Shae repeated, breathing out a small laugh. "Honestly, I'm just as confused as you are. I was so desperate to get back that I just… Went with it."

Regina pursed her lips, staring into Shae's eyes with her brow furrowed as she processed everything she had just said. "Well… I suppose it doesn't really matter." She quietly replied. "All that matters is that you're here now. Right?"

"Right." Shae agreed with another nod.

Another moment of silence passed between them as Regina stared down into her lap. "It is all a bit concerning." She mumbled. "Especially the, 'Your coming was foretold,' part. It has to be linked to that prophecy you were trying to translate. Don't you think?"

"I don't know." Shae said once again. "Honestly, I don't really want to think or worry about it right now. I'm just happy to be back."

"I'm happy you're back too, Shae." Regina quietly replied. Her brown eyes began shining with tears as she smiled into Shae's, gently squeezing her hand. "So, so happy. More than words can even describe."

Shae smiled too as she stared into those gorgeous brown eyes that she loved so very much. "Then why don't you show me how happy you are?" She whispered softly.

Regina grinned and she leaned in toward the woman that she loved. "How exactly would you like me to show you?"

"Come over here and give me another taste of those lips." Shae replied, grinning back.

Regina's sultry grin grew even wider. She rose from her chair, and slowly slid into Shae's lap, wrapping her arms around her. Shae smiled, breathing out a contented sigh as Regina pressed a deep, passionate kiss on her lips.

"I love you." Shae whispered.

"I love you too." Regina whispered back. "I love you so much."

The two lovers kissed again, their lips parting slowly, gently. After a few moments, Regina suddenly drew back. Shae's brow furrowed in concern when she saw her eyes shining with more tears.

"Are you alright?" She asked her quietly.

"Fine, I'm fine." Regina muttered, running her fingers through Shae's messy black hair. "Now that you're here, all I want is… A fresh start, with you, with Henry, with my family and friends. But I'm worried that, I… I can't. Because of her."

Shae sighed once again. "The Evil Queen."

Regina nodded, wiping away a few stray tears that managed to leak onto her cheeks. Shae's heart ached for the woman that she loved. She didn't know what to do, what to say. She simply held her tight, hoping that warmth and love of her embrace would give her some sort of comfort.

"It seems like, every time I try, every time we try… Something goes horribly wrong." Regina went on, her voice heavy and solemn. "It seems like, no matter how much good I do as just Regina, it'll never make up for all the evil I did as The Evil Queen." Regina's voice broke with emotion, and Shae's heart ached even more. "God, I just… I just wish I could be free of her."

"Wish granted!"

Shae and Regina both leapt in fright at the sudden voice. Regina cried out in alarm as she tumbled straight off of Shae's lap. "JESUS!" Shae exclaimed. "Snow, what the hell?"

"Sorry! I'm so sorry!" Cried Snow White. She had somehow managed to slip through the rooftop door without either Shae or Regina noticing. "We didn't mean to scare you guys."

Regina clambered back up onto her feet, with Shae's careful assistance. Emma had accompanied her mother onto the roof, and was smiling apologetically as well. They immediately noticed the large syringe that Emma was holding in her hand, which was filled with a strange, glowing red liquid.

"What is that?" Asked Regina.

Emma and Snow both exchanged wide, excited grins. "You want a fresh start, for real this time?" Emma asked. "This is the key."

The glowing red liquid within the syringe was none other than Doctor Jekyll's famous serum. It was the same kind that he used on himself to separate himself from his inner darkness, Mister Hyde. He managed to steal one more syringe full before escaping from The Land of Untold Stories.

Emma had told the good doctor all about Regina's inner turmoil, which Jekyll felt the utmost sympathy for. He offered up the last of his serum to The Heroes of Storybrooke, as repayment for their kindness, and for saving his life. Now, Emma and her mother were offering it to Regina, so she could finally separate herself from The Evil Queen, and destroy her, once and for all.

Oh, no. Oh, this is a bad idea.

Shae squeezed her eyes shut as the voice in her head whispered softly to her. "Stop it." Shae whispered back. "You promised."

I know, I know. I'm just trying to help. This is a very bad idea.

Shae turned her back on the others, rubbing her suddenly aching forehead. "Look, it feels weird to me too." She snarled, struggling to keep her voice soft and low. "But it's… I-It's not my decision to make. It's Regina's."

I'm warning you… Light and dark, right and wrong, good and evil… One cannot exist without the other. You can't-

"STOP!"

Shae realized that she had shouted out loud, and slowly turned around to face the others. They were all staring at her, eyes wide. "I mean, um… You… Y-You know…" She stammered, quickly clearing her throat. "Are we really sure this is a good idea?"

Regina stepped up to Shae, taking both of her hands in her own. "Shae, this could be the end of The Evil Queen." She replied, staring intently into her lover's eyes. Her own were wide, shining with excitement. "This is it, my fresh start. Our fresh start."

Shae bit her lip hesitantly, then slowly nodded her head. "If… I-If you're sure this is what you want."

"It is." Said Regina, nodding back. She then held her hand out to Emma, who handed over the syringe. "Right… Now, I need you all to leave. This might get messy."

Shae, Snow, and Emma all exchanged a wide eyed, baffled glance. "No way!" Emma exclaimed.

"Absolutely not!" Cried Shae.

"We're not going anywhere, no matter how messy it gets." Snow said seriously, firmly shaking her head. She then breathed out a small chuckle, shaking her head some more. "I mean… I was there when The Evil Queen was born, Regina. I helped bring her into the world. Now, I want to see you end her."

Snow paused for a moment to take Regina's hand. "We can finally be the family that we were always meant to be." She went on. She smiled at her daughter, then placed a hand on Shae's arm, smiling at her too. "All of us."

Shae bit her lip again, waiting for the voice in her head to chastise her more. However, she was only met with silence. "Shae?" Said Regina, eyeing her lover with concern. "Are you alright?"

Shae nodded, managing a small smile. "Yeah, just, you know… A little nervous, I guess."

Regina breathed out a shaky sigh as she stared down at the syringe in her hand. "Me too." She whispered.

Shae nodded once again, and took her lover's hand in both of her own. "I'm with you, Regina. If this is truly what you want, then I'm with you." She whispered back. "Let's get rid of The Evil Queen once and for all. Together."

Regina's deep brown eyes swam with tears all over again as she smiled into Shae's. "Thank you." She then placed a quick, gentle kiss on Shae's lips. "I love you."

"I love you too." Shae replied, smiling back.

"Right, Jekyll said that there will be a moment of disorientation where The Evil Queen won't have her magic." Emma quickly explained. "That's your chance, Regina. You cannot hesitate."

"Understood." Regina replied. She drew in a quick steadying breath, and handed the syringe over to Shae. "Alright… Be ready. I have a feeling we're going to be dealing with a very angry Queen."

"You might want to stand back." Shae said to Snow as Regina began rolling up her sleeve. "The Evil Queen didn't like you even on a good day."

"Oh, I know. And I'm ready for her." Snow replied with a chuckle. She then turned to her daughter. "Emma? You ready?"

Emma nodded as she widened her stance and raised her hands. "Alright, then." Shae muttered, gently taking Regina's arm in her free hand. She placed the tip of the needle on top of the vein near the crook of her elbow. "Here goes nothing…"

Regina emitted a soft grunt as the needle pierced her flesh. They all watched as the serum drained from the syringe, and into Regina's vein. Once she had administered the entire syringe, Shae took a small step back, carefully watching her lover's face. For a moment, just a moment, only the sounds of the bustling city could be heard upon the rooftop.

Suddenly, Regina emitted a strangled cry, doubling over in pain. "Shae… N-No!" She groaned as Shae rushed forward. "Get… BACK!"

"No way!" Shae shouted. "I'm staying right here, Regina! I've got you!"

Regina groaned some more, and Shae stood behind her, tightly gripping her arms. She continued to hold her tight as her entire body began to tremble. Shae started to panic as Regina's trembling turned into violent convulsions, as her grunts and groans turned into shrieks and howls of pain.

"Guys…" Shae muttered as Regina's writhing body began to glow with a bright red light. "GUYS!"

"It's alright, Shae!" Snow shouted over the din of Regina's screaming. "This is exactly what happened when Jekyll split from Hyde!"

"Fuck… Oh fuck…" Shae whispered, grunting in exertion as her lover jerked and flailed in her arms, screaming all the while. "It's alright, Regina! I'm right here! I-"

Shae stopped short, her breath catching in her throat as a glowing red hand suddenly burst forth from Regina's chest. She, Snow, and Emma all watched in a combination of both wonder and horror as the hand was slowly followed by an arm, a shoulder, a torso, and, finally, a head. The head slowly turned itself around, and Shae was suddenly staring into the glowing, distorted eyes of The Evil Queen.

"Holy shit…" She breathed.

The Evil Queen emitted a deep, dangerous snarl, her glowing red eyes filled with fury. She reached out with both of her arms as she continued to crawl her way out of Regina's body. She then placed her hand on Regina's forehead, and gave one final push.

Shae was knocked backwards off of her feet by a pulsewave of magic. She quickly propped herself up on her elbow, and her jaw nearly hit the floor. The Evil Queen was stumbling forward, now in full, solid form. She was even wearing the same dress as the last time Shae had seen her, back in The Enchanted Forest. It was the same dress she had been wearing when she had finally cast her dark curse, the night she had ripped out her heart. The sight gave Shae instant chills.

Regina stood rigid in place as The Queen slowly turned herself around to face her. For a moment, The Evil Queen seemed confused, frightened, her brown eyes darting left and right. She stared down at her own body, at her own two hands. Then, her eyes finally rested on Regina, and her lips curled into a furious snarl.

"You…" She growled in a low, dangerous tone. She looked Regina up and down, her eyes filled with contempt, with disgust. "Look at what you've become…"

Suddenly, The Evil Queen raised her hand into the air. Emma reacted quickly. She threw out her own hands, and The Evil Queen gasped as shackles attached to heavy chains magically appeared on her wrists. Emma then jerked her arms down, forcing The Queen's own arms down firmly at her sides.

"Regina, now's your chance!" Shouted Emma. Her arms trembled as The Evil Queen struggled against her bonds. "Destroy her!"

The Evil Queen barked out a loud, mocking laugh. "You? Destroy me?" She snarled, narrowing her eyes at Regina. "You don't have what it takes!"

"Regina…" Shae muttered as she pushed herself back onto her feet. "Do it. Do it now."

Regina remained silent as she took a few, shaky steps forward, staring wide eyed at her other half. "You're weak." The Evil Queen growled, her deep red lips curling into a mocking grin. "No matter what you do, you can't destroy our darkness."

Shae stumbled forward herself, placing a trembling hand on Regina's shoulder. "Don't listen to her, Regina. You can do this."

"Deep down inside you know the truth." The Evil Queen went on, her eyes wide and wild as she stared into Regina's. "You need me…"

There was a moment of silence as Regina drew forward another few steps, and stood staring into the eyes of her darkness, The Evil Queen. "No." She whispered. "I don't."

Shae, Snow, and Emma all gasped as Regina plunged her fist into The Evil Queen's chest, and tore out her heart. Whatever confidence The Evil Queen had immediately faded away. She stared wide eyed in horror at her own glowing heart clutched in Regina's hand, her heart that was clouded over in darkness.

"No…" She whispered. Suddenly, she turned her eyes onto Shae, eyes that were filled with fear. "You… You can't let her do this to me."

For a moment, Shae simply stared back into The Evil Queen's eyes in shock. "Do it." She muttered, quickly shaking herself. "Do it, Regina."

"NO!" The Evil Queen shouted, her deep brown eyes shining with tears. She struggled wildly against her chains, choking out a strangled, frightened sob. "How can you do this to me, Shae? I'm the one you fell in love with, remember? Not her!"

Shae opened and closed her mouth several times, unable to speak, unable to look away from The Evil Queen's frightened, tear stained eyes. "What will she be to you without me?" The Queen cried. "She won't know you the way I do, Shae! She won't love you like I do!"

A sudden, painful lump formed in Shae's throat. She opened her mouth to call out to Regina, but no sound was able to escape her lips. She simply watched in silence as Regina slowly raised her trembling hand, her hand that was clutching her evil half's heart.

"I'm sorry…" Regina whispered.

Regina clenched her fist around the heart in her hand. Sparkling, silver dust slipped through her fingers and onto the floor of the rooftop terrace. Shae, as well as Snow and Emma, watched with their mouths gaping open as The Evil Queen herself slowly crumbled into dust. They continued to watch as the dust was carried off into the night air, blown away by the New York City winds.

Suddenly, Regina began to sway on her feet. Shae instinctively rushed forward, and caught her in her arms before she collapsed. She dropped to her knees, clutching Regina in her arms. Her heart hammered in her chest, the sight of The Evil Queen's wide, terrified eyes swimming before her own.

"Regina… Regina!"

Emma was kneeling in front of her, shaking Regina urgently by her shoulder as Shae sat in dazed, dumbfounded silence. For a moment, Regina's eyes remained closed, her body lying limp in her lover's arms. Then, slowly, she began to stir, and Shae snapped back to reality as her eyes fluttered open.

"Regina…" Shae whispered, placing a trembling hand on Regina's cheek. "Hey… You ok?"

Regina groaned as she sat forward, and slowly nodded her head. "I… I-I think so." She muttered, rubbing her forehead. "What… Happened?"

"You did it." Snow replied with a smile, crouching down next to her daughter. "Regina… You did it. You destroyed The Evil Queen. You're finally free!"

Slowly, a smile crept across Regina's face. "How do you feel?" Asked Emma, eyeing Regina with concern.

"Good. Really good." Replied Regina, nodding some more.

She then turned her smile onto the woman that she loved. When Shae saw that smile that she loved so very much, all of her worries, all of her woes, immediately melted away. She smiled too as Regina wrapped her arms around her, and placed a warm, gentle kiss on her lips.

"I'm free, Shae." Regina whispered, smiling some more into her eyes. "We're free."

Shae nodded her head, holding her lover close as she kissed her again. "Come on." Regina said, gently caressing Shae's face. "Let's go tell Henry. And let's go home."

XX

After a long, harrowing day, The Heroes of Storybrooke, along with their new friend, Doctor Jekyll, decided to spend the night in Neal's old apartment. First thing in the morning, they set off on another search for Gold. New York was a big city filled with thousands of people, so, very quickly, they were forced to give up their search. Gold was gone, his goals and motives, at the moment, unknown to the rest. This left them all unsettled, but they knew that there was little they could do.

A few hours later, they finally arrived in Storybrooke. "Oh, thank god." Emma muttered as she joined her parents and the others in front of Granny's Diner. "These two would not stop making out in the back seat."

She jerked her thumb back at Shae and Regina. They had their arms wrapped around each other, and they both shrugged. "Sorry, not sorry." Shae replied with a grin.

Emma rolled her eyes, to which her mother laughed. "So, Regina, you're finally free from The Evil Queen." Snow began, wrapping an arm around her husband's waist with a smile. "And Shae, you're back from the dead. What's next for you two?"

There was a brief moment of silence as Regina and Shae both pondered Snow White's question. "I know exactly what I want to do." Regina replied, smiling up into her lover's eyes. "I want to marry you."

Shae laughed, placing a quick kiss on Regina's lips. As Regina continued to stare expectantly into her eyes, Shae's own grew wide. "Oh! You mean, like… Today?" She asked, eyebrow raised. "Like… Right now?"

"Yes! Before the next inevitable crisis in this town splits us apart again." Replied Regina. She then gave a small shrug. "All we really need is Archie to perform a quick ceremony."

Shae laughed once again, slowly shaking her head. "You're crazy." She said with a smile. She then took Regina's face in her hands, and placed another kiss on her lips. "Let's do it."

Regina laughed too, and threw her arms around Shae, kissing her again. "Wait! Hold on!" Cried David, looking alarmed. "You guys can't just run off and get married without a ceremony! You deserve at least some sort of a celebration!"

"Oh! Let us plan your wedding! You two won't have to worry about a thing." Said Snow, clapping her hands excitedly. "We'll take care of everything, I swear. Just give us… I dunno… Three days!"

"No. Absolutely not." Replied Regina, firmly shaking her head. "It has to be today. No exceptions."

"WHAT?" Snow cried. She opened and closed her mouth several times, thoroughly distraught. "Shae?"

"You heard the lady." Shae replied with a shrug. "Today. No exceptions."

Snow and David both exchanged a wide eyed, horrified glance, their jaws dangling open. "Mom, Dad, it's gonna be ok." Said Emma, quickly stepping in. She placed both her hands on their shoulders, and looked to Shae and Regina. "We can make this work. Just give us at least till the end of the day. It'll be a sunset wedding. What do you say?"

There was a moment of tense silence as Regina pondered Emma's request, Shae watching her carefully. "Fine." Regina replied with a shrug of her own. "A sunset wedding actually sounds nice."

"Agreed." Shae said with a nod.

"Oh my god… Oh my god!" Snow muttered, frantically waving her hands. "There's so much to do! We need a dress, obviously, and a matching outfit for Shae."

"And a cake, and food for the reception…" David mumbled, just as frantically as his wife. "And we'll need lights, music, a dance floor, and-"

"You know what?" Emma loudly interjected, stepping in front of her panicking parents. "You guys just go home and relax. We'll call you when everythings ready."

"You'll absolutely love it." Hook added with a smile. "We swear."

Shae nodded as she shook Hook's good hand. "I'll hold you to that." She said with a grin.

She then took Regina by the hand, and made to set off toward her house. However, she was pulled to a stop when Regina remained where she stood. "Hold on… There's something I want to do." Said Regina.

The others all gasped as Regina suddenly dropped down onto one knee. "Shae Cormac." She quietly began. She smiled up into her lover's eyes, holding her hand in both of her own. "My love, my heart… Will you marry me?"

Shae smiled back at the woman that she loved, the woman that she had cheated death itself for. "You bet your sweet ass, I will."

Regina, as well as the others, laughed loudly. The two lovers, now fiancees, embraced and kissed to a round of joyous applause. Regina laughed more as her son threw his arms around her. She smiled at Shae as she held him tight, her brown eyes shining with joyful tears.

"Excellent!" Remus exclaimed, wrapping his arms around both Shae and Regina's shoulders. He then looked to the others. "Right, you all take care of everything else. I'll see to setting up a bar, and tend it myself." He paused for a moment to squeeze Shae and Regina tight, laughing excitedly. "This is the wedding of the century, everyone! I don't want a single damn soul to be sober!"

"Remus, what about the children?" Asked Snow, folding her arms across her chest.

"Even the children!" Cried Remus.

"Awesome!" Henry exclaimed, grinning at Violet, who grinned back.

Emma and Regina both firmly shook their heads. "No." They replied in unison.

Remus' excited smile faded, and he frowned at Henry and Violet. "Er… Right… Sorry, children, got a bit carried away." He muttered, quickly clearing his throat. "Right, then. Off to work, you lot! No time to waste! Chop, chop!"

Regina and Shae both chuckled as Remus placed a firm kiss on both their foreheads. He then rushed off down the street, and the others quickly parted ways as well. They hurried off in all different directions, in a rush to plan, as Remus put it, the wedding of the century, in only a few short hours.

As instructed by Emma, Regina and Shae both headed home to relax before their impromptu nuptials. "It's good to be home." Shae sighed as soon as they entered the house.

"It's good to have you home." Regina agreed with a smile. She wrapped her arms around Shae's neck, drawing her in close, placing a deep, passionate kiss on her lips. "But it'd be even better to have you in my bed." She whispered softly in her fiancee's ear. "Our bed."

Shae chuckled against Regina's lips as she kissed her again. She breathed out a contented sigh as their lips parted, as Regina's tongue brushed lightly against her own. Regina slipped Shae's black leather jacket off of her shoulders, and slid her hands beneath her shirt. She stopped as Shae suddenly placed her hands on top of her own.

"Wait…" Shae whispered against Regina's lips. "There's… Something I need to show you."

Regina frowned in concern at the sudden anxious look in her lover's eyes. "It's, um… A bit shocking." Shae went on, taking a step back. "So just… Be ready. Ok?"

Not at all knowing what was about to happen, Regina simply nodded her head in silent, confused, support. Shae then pulled her shirt off over her head, and let it drop to the floor on top of her jacket. The sight of Shae's bare torso caused Regina to gasp in pure shock.

Shae's body was somehow free from the dozens and dozens of white, knotted scars. There was no longer a deep, gnarled indent over her heart from when Van Helsing had tried to tear it out so many years ago. The only thing that remained the same were her breasts. They were still missing, but the skin where they should be was now smooth and flat.

What caused Regina's jaw to nearly hit the floor were the dark tattoos that were now covering her lover's body. They stretched from just below her collarbone, down to her biceps, stopping just below her pelvis. Regina traced them with her finger, and Shae slowly turned around as she followed them around to her back. They seemed slightly familiar, and Regina quickly realized she had seen some of them before. They were the same runes and glyphs she had seen Shae drawing back in The Underworld.

"What… Are they?" Regina whispered.

"I… Don't really know." Shae quietly replied.

She turned back around, and Regina stared in silence for a while in part shock, part wonder. There were hundreds of tiny runes and glyphs etched into Shae's flesh, thousands, even. Regina continued to brush her fingers across them, opening and closing her mouth several times.

"Are they… From Lilith?" She asked, unable to tear her eyes away.

"Yeah, I guess so." Shae replied with a small shrug. "I haven't really had a lot of time to spend in front of a mirror. Even then, they'd all be, you know… Backwards. Even harder to translate." She then breathed out a heavy sigh, slowly shaking her head. "I… Don't know, Regina. I just don't know."

Finally, Regina glanced up into her fiancee's eyes. Her heart ached when she saw sorrow in those eyes that she loved so much. "It's alright." She said with a smile, placing her hand on Shae's cheek. "I… Like them."

The sadness immediately faded from Shae's eyes, and a smile of her own stretched across her lips. "Really?"

Regina nodded, running her hands down Shae's arms, then down her chest. "Really." She whispered in reply. "They're actually… Quite sexy."

Shae's smile grew even wider. "Yeah?"

Once again, Regina nodded. She stepped forward, drawing her hands slowly and gently back up her lover's torso, and wrapped her arms around her neck. Shae breathed out a sigh of relief against Regina's lips as she kissed her.

"Are they anywhere else?" Regina asked with a sultry grin. "Maybe, I don't know… Down here?"

Shae drew in a sharp gasp as Regina slipped her hand beneath her jeans. "I'm not sure." She whispered, grinning back. "You might have to take a closer look and find out."

Regina's grin grew even broader as she swiftly undid the button of Shae's jeans. Their lips crashed together again as they tugged at each other's clothes. Their desire was so urgent, so intense, that they didn't even make it to the bedroom. They fell onto the couch together, and, when the couch proved to be too small for their wild and frantic love-making, they tumbled onto the floor. Regina paused for just a moment to quickly light a fire in the fireplace. Then, she and her fiancee remained wrapped up in each other on the carpet in front of the fire for the rest of the day.

As the sun was beginning to set over Storybrooke, they finally received the call from Emma that everything was ready for their wedding. They then parted ways, Shae to Emma's house to get ready for the ceremony, and Regina to do the same at The Charming apartment. They were both pleasantly surprised at the outfits their friends and family had picked out for them. Once they were dressed and ready, they were then escorted out into the Storybrooke woods.

"Ok… Almost there…" Emma was muttering as she led Shae forward by the hand. "Your eyes are still closed, right?"

Shae nodded, her eyes squeezed firmly shut. "Yes, they're closed, I promise." She chuckled in reply. Her brow then furrowed as she began to hear music in the distance. "Is that… A piano? Out here in the woods?"

"Uh-huh." Said Emma. Shae could hear the grin in her voice.

The gentle sounds of the piano playing grew louder and louder as Shae continued to stumble slowly forward, led carefully through the trees by Emma. She could hear the sounds of a crowd of people mumbling quietly. The voices grew quiet as Emma stopped walking. She then told Shae she could finally open her eyes. What she saw caused her to gasp out loud.

The first thing she noticed were the dozens and dozens of white lights glowing softly in the leaves of the trees. Upon close inspection, the lights were actually tiny orbs, suspended in the air by magic. She smiled knowingly at Tinkerbell, who smiled excitedly back at her.

Next, she saw the faces of the people of Storybrooke, of her closest friends and soon to be family. She was surprised to see how large of a crowd had come to her and Regina's wedding. They were all dressed to the nines, seated in folding chairs that were laid out in rows in the grass.

The chairs parted in the middle to form an aisle, which was laid out with a train of white silk, covered in purple flower pedals. At the end of the aisle was a brilliant white archway, covered in bright purple calla lilies, Regina's favorite flower. Just behind the arch, stood Archie, smiling and waiting. Just behind him, was the wishing well.

"Do you like it?" Emma asked anxiously from beside Shae.

"Oh, Emma…" Shae breathed in wonder. Her eyes swam with tears as she took everything in. "It's… Perfect. Thank you."

"You're very welcome." Emma replied, placing a gentle kiss on Shae's cheek.

Suddenly, Remus appeared at Emma's shoulder. "Will you do me the honor of allowing me to escort you down the aisle?" He asked Shae with a smile.

Shae nodded as Remus held out his arm, and she linked her own in with his. "Absolutely."

The two of them walked arm in arm together down the aisle way laid out with white silk and flower petals. Shae smiled at Granny, who was seated at a piano off to the right of the well. More tears welled into her eyes once she finally recognized the song that Granny was playing. It was a rendition of the love song Shae had written for Regina when they were trapped in Isaac the Author's fake world. She had no idea how Granny had gotten her hands on the score she had written out, but she knew that Emma was likely responsible. She wasn't mad in the slightest.

Once they reached the arch way, Remus released Shae's arm. The two of them stood smiling at each other for a moment, both of their eyes shining with tears. Remus then threw his arms around Shae, who embraced him tightly, gratefully. Remus placed a quick kiss on Shae's forehead before taking his seat in the front row with the rest of Shae and Regina's closest and dearest friends.

They only had to wait for a few moments before Regina arrived. She too had her eyes shut, and was being led carefully forward by Snow White. "Ok… Open your eyes!" Snow exclaimed.

Regina obliged, and she too drew in a sharp gasp at what she saw. She stared all around her in wonder, giving the same knowing smile to Tink when she saw all the beautiful, magical lights. Then, Henry stepped forward, holding his arm out to his mother.

"Hey, mom." He said with a smile. "You ready?"

Regina nodded as she linked her arm in with her son's. "I've never been more ready for anything in my life, Henry."

"Good." Henry replied, smiling back.

The two of them then started down the aisle, and Shae watched her soon to be wife walk toward her with a misty eyed smile. Regina looked absolutely, unbelievably beautiful. She was garbed in a bright golden colored dress, the tiny sequins inlaid in it sparkling like diamonds in the soft white light. Her raven hair fell in loose, elegant curls down past her ears, her lips Shae's favorite color of deep red. Shae could barely breathe as she gazed upon her.

Once they reached the end of the white silk train, Henry threw his arms around his mother, who laughed joyfully as she hugged him tight. Regina placed a kiss on her son's cheek before he took his seat next to Remus. Then, she took one more step forward, and stood in front of Shae, the woman that she loved, the woman that, in a few short minutes, was going to be her wife.

Shae and Regina stood silently staring at each other for a moment, both with smiles on their faces. Shae's usual wild, messy hair was neatly combed to the side. She was dressed in an elegant black silk shirt, black pants, and a golden colored vest that perfectly matched Regina's dress, sequins and all. Her belt even matched her soon to be wife's dress, as did her shoes. They were black wing tips, carefully polished, the tips and laces gold and glimmering in the white, magical light.

"Regina…" Shae whispered, wiping away the tears that were finally leaking onto her cheeks. "You look… So beautiful."

"So do you." Regina whispered back, gently running her fingertips down Shae's vest. Her brow then furrowed as she stared at Shae's face. "Are you… Wearing makeup?"

"Just a little." Shae mumbled with a shrug. "Emma made me."

"You're welcome!" Emma whispered loudly from her seat.

Regina and Shae both laughed, as did the rest of the crowd. Archie then cleared his throat, and they all fell silent. "Welcome, everyone!" He said with a smile, spreading his arms wide. "I am truly and deeply honored to be a part of this wonderful, joyous occasion."

He paused for a moment to smile at both Shae and Regina, who smiled back at him. "I am so glad to be bringing these two together today." He went on. "These two who were, once, so afraid of love. Now, they are here to profess that very same love to each other in front of all their friends and family. That love that has continued to bring them together despite all odds, now brings them and all of us together today."

Archie paused once again to glance expectantly at both Regina and Shae. "Regina, Shae…" He slowly began. "Do you have vows that you'd both like to make to each other?"

"Oh… Right…" Regina muttered with a frown.

"Yeah… Vows…" Mumbled Shae.

There was a moment of awkward silence as Shae and Regina both shrugged at each other. "Seriously?" Cried Snow White, throwing her arms up in the air. "What did you guys even do all day?"

Shae opened and closed her mouth several times, as did Regina, neither of them exactly knowing how to respond. "Wait, no, nevermind…" Said Snow, quickly clearing her throat. "We don't want to know. Carry on."

Archie chuckled quietly, placing his hands on both Shae and Regina's shoulders. "It's alright. Just speak from the heart." He said with another gentle smile. "Regina? Would you like to go first?"

Regina nodded, and took Shae's hands in both of her own. There was another moment of silence as Regina stared into Shae's eyes as she thought. Then, she cleared her own throat, and slowly began her vows.

"Shae… Oh… My Shae." She whispered softly, placing a hand gently on Shae's cheek. "I truly don't know what to say to you in this moment, other than that… I love you. So, so much."

Shae nodded back at her, more tears spilling down onto her cheeks. "I can say that to you over and over again, for a thousand years, and it wouldn't ever be enough." Regina went on, wiping her lover's tears away with her thumb. "We've been through so much together. So much pain, so much heartache, so much betrayal. But, somehow, our weird, insane love always seems to bring us back together. As a dear friend once said… Our love defies logic itself. It's been hard on both of us at times, cruel, even. But… Despite all that, I wouldn't trade it for the world."

Shae laughed, as did Archie, and the rest of the crowd. "Shae…" Archie said with a smile. "Your turn."

Shae nodded once again, and drew in a quick, steadying breath. "Regina…" She whispered, smiling into those deep, gorgeous brown eyes she loved so much. Once more, there was a moment of silence as Shae pondered what to say. Then, she chuckled quietly, and went on. "There's a Christian bible verse that's commonly read at weddings in this world. It goes like this…"

She paused to clear her throat, and went on. "Love is patient, love is kind. It does not envy, it does not boast, it is not proud. It does not dishonor others, it is not self-seeking, it is not easily angered, it keeps no record of wrongs. Love does not delight in evil but rejoices with the truth. It always protects, always trusts, always hopes, always perseveres."

Those gathered in the crowd all breathed out quiet 'Oos' and 'Aas' as they placed their hands over their hearts. Shae chuckled once again, more loudly this time. She waited for the crowd to quiet down, and what she said next caused all their jaws to drop.

"Our love is none of those things." She said, giving a small, one armed shrug. "Other than the very last part, it's the complete opposite, in fact. Our love is super impatient. We had our friends plan our wedding in less than a day!"

Shae's words were met with laughter this time, and Regina laughed along with all the others. Shae then took both of Regina's hands in her own. She placed a quick kiss on her knuckles before going on.

"Our love is angry. It is envious, it is proud." She said, smiling into her lover's eyes. "It's self-seeking, for sure, and it's most definitely easily angered. At times, in the past, it's even delighted in evil. Now, not so much. Our love definitely protects, trusts, hopes, and, most of all… Perseveres. Despite all odds."

Shae's eyes were swimming with more tears as she placed her hand on her soon to be wife's cheek. Regina laughed, placing her hand on top of Shae's. "We have a vicious love." Shae went on with a smile. "And I wouldn't trade it for the world."

The people of Storybrooke all smiled along with the two lovers, and there was barely a single dry eye in the crowd. "That was beautiful, both of you." Said Archie, smiling as well. "Now, then… It's time to exchange rings."

Shae nodded as she removed her ring from her finger, and Regina's smile quickly faded. "Oh no!" She cried. "Shae, I… I don't have a ring to give you!"

"I think I can fix that." Remus said as he rose from his seat.

Regina gasped as he removed his own ring from his finger, the one that matched Shae's, that was connected to it, and handed it to Regina. "Remus…" Regina whispered, her eyes welling with tears all over again. "Are… A-Are you sure?"

"Oh, absolutely." Remus replied with an earnest nod. "This means she's your responsibility now. Best of luck. She's quite a handful."

Regina chuckled quietly, as did the rest of the crowd. She placed a quick, grateful kiss on Remus' cheek before he returned to his seat. Then, with ring in hand, she turned back to face her soon to be wife.

Shae and Regina exchanged rings, both of them repeating after Archie the words; "With this ring, I do thee wed." It was a short and simple exchange, which had been planned by Emma, her parents, and Henry. They all knew that a long, drawn out, wordy ceremony was neither needed nor wanted for Shae and Regina. The two of them had been through so much, and had already said and done more than enough for each other to prove their love.

"This wishing well is where lost things are finally returned to us." Archie said once the exchanging of rings had been done. "I think it's an absolutely perfect place for Regina and Shae to pronounce their love for each other, which was once lost, but is now found, now returned."

He paused for a moment to smile at the two lovers, his eyes shining with tears just like all the rest. "It is my great privilege, and great honor, to stand here with you before this wishing well." He went on. "As it is my honor to now pronounce you both… Married! You may- Oh!"

Regina had been wanting to kiss Shae since the moment she had laid eyes on her. Unable to wait a second longer, she threw her arms around her before Archie could even finish his sentence. As soon as she did, as soon as their lips touched, the gathered crowd leapt to their feet. Shae and Regina shared their first kiss as a married couple to a round of joyous applause.

They continued to stand wrapped up in their passionate embrace as the people of Storybrooke tossed handfuls of rice at them. When they finally parted, they stood smiling into each other's eyes, foreheads pressed together, listening to the applause and the laughter of their friends and family. Finally, after so long, after so much heartache, the two of them were now one.

"Alright, everyone! It's time for the reception!" David called out merrily to the crowd. "Follow us!"

Shae and Regina exchanged a confused glance as David began marching deeper into the woods. "Where are we going?" Regina asked of her son and his girlfriend, Violet.

"You'll see." Henry replied with a grin.

"Come on!" Said Violet, grinning too.

Regina gave Shae a small shrug, who shrugged back at her. Regina then took her son's outstretched hand, and Shae took Violet's. They led the now married couple through the trees, following after David, the rest of the crowd trailing along as well.

When they finally arrived at their destination, both Regina and Shae's jaws dropped open all over again. It was a large clearing, which their friends and family had decorated in the same style as the smaller clearing their ceremony had been held in. More of the same brilliant white lights, provided by Tinkerbell, were glowing in the trees. They cast a magnificent, beautiful glow on the scene before them.

In the center of the clearing, Emma and the others had placed wooden tiles in the grass to function as a dance floor. All around it were round tables draped with white cloths, vases of more purple calla lilies sitting as centerpieces. There were even garlands of the flowers strung up in the trees.

Off to one side were several large, rectangular tables. They were shoved together in a line, draped in white cloth as well, with dozens of delicious looking appetizers, entrees, and desserts sitting on top. In the center stood a beautiful, quadruple tiered cake. It was decorated in the colors of white, purple, and gold, baked by Granny herself.

Nearby, even larger than the buffet table, was the bar. Remus had promised that no soul would be sober at the wedding of his two dearest friends, and he clearly meant it. The bar tables were also draped in white, with a multitude of assorted bottles of liquor carefully placed on top. There was even a hefty looking keg of beer sitting off to the side, ready and waiting to be tapped.

"So…" Emma began with a smile. "What do you think?"

Shae and Regina both had tears in their eyes all over again as they took everything in. "It's… Amazing." Shae whispered.

"Yes. Absolutely." Regina whispered in agreement. She smiled around at the friends and family that were standing before her and her wife. "Thank you… All of you. I'm just… Speechless."

"Yeah…" Shae breathed in wonder. "I don't… I can't… I-I can't believe you guys did all this for us."

"We were happy to." David said with a smile.

"After all the two of you have been through, you deserve it." Said Emma, smiling as well. "We're all just glad you like it."

Regina and Shae both nodded earnestly, still lost for words as they gazed all around them. "Everyone! Gather around!" Snow White suddenly called out in a clear, ringing voice. "It's time for the first dance!"

"Remus has a surprise for you." Henry said with another grin.

Shae and Regina followed Henry's pointed finger, and saw Remus dragging the piano through the grass toward the dance floor, helped by Hook. They watched in silence as Remus and Hook finally stopped when the piano had reached the corner of the carefully laid out tiles of wood, both of them huffing and puffing. Then, Remus sat down at the bench, rolling his shoulders and stretching his fingers.

"Oh my god…" Shae suddenly whispered, gripping her wife's hand tight. "I think… He's gonna sing!"

"Remus can sing?" Asked Regina, eyebrows raised.

Shae nodded as she continued to watch her best friend, her brother. "He's good, too. Really good." She quietly replied. "He used to sing all the time, before Nadia died. I… Haven't heard his voice since. He said that the song within him died with her."

Once he was settled in, Remus placed his fingers on the keys of the piano, and began to play. Shae gave Regina, who was now her wife, an excited grin, and pulled her forward by the hand. She led her out onto the middle of the dance floor. She kept Regina's hand in one of her own, and placed the other on her hip. The two of them then slowly began to sway together in a circle. Suddenly, as Remus began to sing, their breath caught in their throats.

"What would I do without your smart mouth?

Drawing me in, and you kicking me out.

You've got my head spinning, no kidding, I can't pin you down.

What's going on in that beautiful mind?

I'm on your magical mystery ride.

And I'm so dizzy, don't know what hit me, but I'll be alright.

My head's under water,

But I'm breathing fine.

You're crazy and I'm out of my mind.

'Cause all of me,

Loves all of you.

Love your curves and all your edges,

All your perfect imperfections.

Give your all to me.

I'll give my all to you.

You're my end and my beginning,

Even when I lose I'm winning.

'Cause I give you all of me,

And you give me all of you."

Remus' fingers glided across the piano keys with expert precision. His voice was silky smooth, his range broad and strong. Shae and Regina both had tears spilling down their faces as they listened, as they turned slowly around the dance floor. Among the crowd there was, once again, barely a single dry eye.

"Gorgeous, strong, and has the voice of an angel?" Zelena muttered breathlessly. "Bloody hell… I think I might be in love with a gay man."

"Mmhmm…" Snow mumbled from beside her.

"Same." Emma mumbled back.

David and Hook both exchanged a wide eyed, alarmed glance. "What?" They exclaimed in unison.

"How many times do I have to tell you?

Even when you're crying, you're beautiful too.

The world is beating you down, I'm around through every mood.

You're my downfall, you're my muse,

My worst distraction, my rhythm and blues.

I can't stop singing, it's ringing, in my head for you.

My head's under water,

But I'm breathing fine.

You're crazy and I'm out of my mind.

'Cause all of me,

Loves all of you.

Love your curves and all your edges,

All your perfect imperfections

Give your all to me.

I'll give my all to you.

You're my end and my beginning,

Even when I lose I'm winning.

'Cause I give you all of me,

And you give me all of you.

Give me all of you."

"We did it, Shae." Regina whispered to the woman that she loved, who was now her wife, her partner. "We got our happy ending."

A frown suddenly appeared on Shae's face. "No… I don't think so." She muttered. "I don't like that."

Regina's brow furrowed in confusion, in shock. "What?"

Shae chuckled at the concerned look on her wife's face, and placed a quick, reassuring kiss on her lips. "'Happy Ending,' sounds like, I dunno… An ending. Like our story is over." She replied with a small shrug. "I don't think that at all. To me, this feels like… A beginning. A new beginning. Like our story, our new story, is just about to start. Finally, after all we've been through."

Regina silently pondered Shae's words for a moment. Then, she smiled into her new wife's eyes, placing her own kiss on her lips. "Agreed." She said with a smile, wrapping her arms around Shae's neck. "This isn't a happy ending, then. It's a… Happy beginning."

"'Happy Beginning…'" Shae repeated quietly. She then nodded in a satisfied sort of way. "Yeah… I like it. This is our happy beginning."

Regina nodded too, and her smile grew even wider as Shae drew her in closer by her hips. She breathed out a contented sigh as Shae's lips parted against her own. Their lips continued to part against each other, and they continued to sway back and forth, dancing slowly in a circle to Remus' song.

"Cards on the table, we're both showing hearts.

Risking it all, though it's hard.

'Cause all of me,

Loves all of you.

Love your curves and all your edges,

All your perfect imperfections.

Give your all to me.

I'll give my all to you.

You're my end and my beginning,

Even when I lose I'm winning.

'Cause I give you all of me,

And you give me all of you…"

Remus finished his song to a round of roaring applause, every single person gathered wiping the tears from their eyes. The newly wedded couple kissed once more to another round of raucous applause. Suddenly, Henry rushed over to the large speakers that were set up at the front of the dance floor. He hit play on his iPod that was connected to them. Party Rock Anthem began to blast through the speakers, and the dance floor was suddenly rushed by a mob of excited people.

"We let Henry choose the rest of the music." Emma said as Regina and Shae removed themselves from the crowd to join her, her parents, and Hook. "I… Hope that's ok."

Shae and Regina both laughed as they nodded their heads, their hearts full to bursting. They were quickly joined by Remus, and the two newlyweds both embraced him with tears in their eyes. Then, Remus led them all to the bar, where he gave a joyful toast to Regina and Shae's union. They all drank deep from their glasses. Then, the party really started.

After a few songs, and another round of drinks, Shae and Regina cut their cake together. None of their closest friends and family were at all surprised when they both smeared the cake across each other's faces. After that, the party goers settled in to dancing, eating, and, most of all, drinking. The dozens and dozens of bottles of liquor that Remus had gathered were left completely open to the people of Storybrooke. Soon, the wide assortment of alcohol was flowing like water from a babbling stream.

"Psst… Henry… Violet…"

Henry and his girlfriend were chatting together when they heard a sudden whisper. They spotted Shae and Remus peering at them through the trees, beckoning them over. They both exchanged a confused glance, then shrugged at each other, and hurried over to them.

"Hey, Mom!" Henry said with a grin.

Shae's own grin immediately disappeared. "Dude, seriously, call me that again, and I'll smack you silly." She snarled, pointing a stern finger in Henry's face.

"Well, aren't you technically Henry's step-mother now?" Violet asked with a shrug.

Shae exchanged a glance with Remus, who merely shrugged at her himself. "Yeah, ok, I mean… I-I guess. Technically." She stammered, then quickly shook her head. "But, really, I'm just… I'm… Your… Shae. Alright? That's all."

Henry laughed, then folded his arms across his chest, raising an eyebrow at Shae. "How drunk are you already?"

"A bit. It's all his fault." Shae replied, pointing at Remus. Before he could reply, she quickly went on. "Listen… I know everyone else said, 'No,' to the whole drinking thing. But, since your uncle Remus and I are cool as hell, we're gonna offer you guys your first drink."

Henry and Violet both exchanged a wide eyed, baffled glance. "Really?" Asked Henry.

"Really." Remus replied with a nod.

He and Shae produced two glasses of whiskey from behind their backs, and handed them to Henry and Violet. They both took them with excited grins on their faces. Remus and Shae then knocked their own glasses against Henry's and Violet's.

"To Shae and Regina!" Remus announced. "May they live happily ever after!"

"To happily ever after!" Said Henry, grinning at his girlfriend.

They all then drank deep from their glasses. Shae and Remus both drained theirs in one swift gulp. The two of them jumped as Violet and Henry started coughing violently.

"Oh, god!" Violet choked out, waving her hands in front of her face. "Oh, it burns!"

"It's so bad!" Cried Henry, dropping his glass onto the ground. "I… I-I need… I need some water!"

He then rushed off through the trees, back toward the reception area. "Me too!" Violet agreed in a strangled voice as she hurried after him.

Remus and Shae both frowned at each other. "Maybe whiskey was a bad choice." Shae mumbled, staring down into her empty glass.

"Oh, bollocks!" Remus snorted with a dismissive wave of his hand. "How old were you when you had your first taste of whiskey?"

Shae pursed her lips as she thought. "I dunno… Nine. Maybe ten."

Remus snorted once again. "I was seven!"

A sudden silence fell between the two friends as they pondered the gravity of what they had just said. "Maybe we just had terrible childhoods." Shae offered with a shrug.

"Indeed." Remus mumbled quietly. He then gave a shrug himself. "Another round?"

"Yup!" Shae agreed.

They then hurried back to the bar for more whiskey. A short while later, the dance floor was mostly empty as the party-goers sat down to eat. Shae and Regina were seated at a table as well, along with Remus, Emma, Henry, and Hook. They all froze mid bite as an unexpected guest made a sudden appearance.

"I hear congratulations are in order." Mr. Gold said with a surprisingly warm, genuine smile. "Sorry I missed the ceremony. I've been busy trying to wake my wife. I'm sure she would have loved to have been here to celebrate with you."

Upon returning from The Underworld, Gold had immediately gone to Belle's father, and told him all about his daughter's condition, about the baby, about the sleeping curse. Unexpectedly, Belle's father refused to perform True Love's Kiss. He said that he'd rather leave his daughter in her current state, where she would be safe from her own husband. Thus, Belle was left under the thralls of the sleeping curse. Gold had been working desperately to wake her ever since.

"Yes, we certainly would have loved to have had Belle here with us." Regina replied slowly, carefully, still just as wary of Gold as the others.

"Definitely." Shae agreed with a nod. "And, uh… I heard about what you did back in The Underworld, to protect Regina and I from Van Helsing. So, um… You know… Thanks."

Gold chuckled quietly, slowly shaking his head. "Oh, don't go thanking me just yet, dearie." He quietly replied, the smile fading from his face. "There's something I need to share with you about your friend Van Helsing. Something I've kept hidden for a long, long time."

Emma exchanged a wide eyed glance with Hook, who stared with equally wide eyes back at her. Henry had shared the secret he had learned about the deal Gold had made with Van Helsing with his mother. Emma, in turn, shared it with Hook. The three of them had agreed not to tell Shae, Remus, or Regina until the time was right. The time Gold had chosen was certainly not right, but it appeared that it was going to happen anyway.

"Er… Right." Hook mumbled as he rost from his chair. "I suppose we should… Leave you all to it, then."

"Come on, Henry." Said Emma, pulling Henry to his feet by his arm. "Let's, uh… Go check out the dessert table."

Emma, Hook, and Henry then promptly left the table. Shae exchanged a confused and concerned glance with Remus, then her wife. They waited in silence as Gold took Emma's vacated seat. He drew in a quick, steadying breath before explaining himself.

"It was no accident that Van Helsing and his men were posing as mere lost, wandering peasants the night Nadia was killed." Gold began in a quiet, even tone. "In fact, it was no accident that she fell in that battle at all."

Shae exchanged another glance with Remus, both of their eyes wide with shock. "What?" Remus whispered.

"I made a deal with Abraham Van Helsing." Gold explained. "I instructed him to kill Nadia. In turn, I provided him with all the gold he needed to build his army."

The others all sat in shocked, disturbed silence for a few moments, staring with wide, baffled eyes at Gold. "Why are you telling us this?" Remus asked in the same whispered voice as before.

Gold breathed out a heavy sigh, and leaned back in his chair. "Because, my dear grandson already knows." He replied with a small, one armed shrug. "I'm honestly surprised he's managed to keep it secret this long. Therefore, I thought it only right that you hear it from me."

Regina glanced sideways at her wife, who had remained unusually silent the whole time. Her face was a calm, careful mask, but she could see the rage and the pain in her piercing blue eyes. Suddenly, she heard Shae's knuckles crack from under the table, and she placed her hand on top of her's.

"Why?" Shae growled through gritted teeth.

Gold sighed once again before responding. "If Nadia had lived, if the two of you had remained together, then you never would have left Dracula's employ. You never would have ventured to The Enchanted Forest, even with the war of the brothers Van Helsing raging around you. At the time, I thought Regina would take your heart to cast my curse, and not her father's. In the end, I was wrong. Predicting the future can be funny that way."

Another stunned silence fell over the table as Shae and Remus both gaped at Gold. Regina could feel Shae's hand trembling beneath her own. Then, suddenly, Shae started to laugh. It started out as a low chuckle, then grew into a fit of wild, high pitched giggles.

"Is something about all this amusing to you?" Asked Gold, raising an eyebrow at Shae.

Shae continued giggling as she took a large sip of her whiskey. "You know… Most people spend their entire lives wondering how they're going to die. Some even obsess over it." She replied, chuckling some more. "But, you, my friend… You just got lucky."

It was Gold's turn to laugh. "Lucky?" He asked. "How so?"

Shae took a moment to smile at her new wife before answering. The smile gave Regina chills. "Because… You don't ever have to wonder. I'm going to kill you." Shae replied, turning her smile onto Gold. "Not today, not tomorrow. Maybe not even next month, next year, or even in the next ten years."

She paused for a moment to lean forward in her seat. Her chilling smile slowly faded from her face. She fixed Gold with a piercing, furious glare, and pointed a quivering finger in his face.

"But, one day, I'm going to figure out how to get that stupid fucking dagger away from you." She went on in a low, dangerous whisper. "And I'm going to plunge it straight into your stupid fucking heart."

Shae leaned back in her chair once more, and drained the rest of her glass of whiskey in one gulp. "Now… Get lost." She snarled. "Before I decide to start trying right this second."

Gold merely nodded his head, and rose from his chair. Shae stared down at the table as both Regina and Remus watched him walk away. Regina then leaned forward to glance at Remus. He was sitting with his fists clenched upon the table, his green eyes swimming with furious tears.

"Remus… Are you alright?" Regina asked him quietly.

Remus drew in a deep, shaky breath, and slowly shook his head. "I should have known…" He whispered softly. "Something about that day, that battle, just felt… Off. Like Van Helsing and his men were going solely after Nadia, mostly ignoring Shae and I. Now… I know that they were simply trying to distract us from what was really going on."

Regina opened her mouth to speak something comforting, but stopped as Remus suddenly rose from his seat. "Where are you going?" She asked in concern.

"The news that my sister did not simply just fall in battle has been… Quite sobering." Remus replied, his fists still clenched firmly at his sides. "I need a drink. Several, in fact. Shae?"

Shae grunted in agreement. Remus nodded silently, and set off toward the bar. Regina stared at her now wife's face in concern for a few moments. She had no idea what to do, what to even say to her.

"Are you alright?" Was all she could think to ask.

Shae closed her eyes as Regina gently and soothingly ran her fingers through her hair. "Yeah… I think so." She whispered, finally turning her gaze onto Regina. "Just so you know, just so we're clear… I meant what I said. Every bit of it."

Regina pursed her lips as she stared into Shae's eyes, eyes that were swimming with tears. "I should probably be telling you something about how… Revenge isn't the answer, that it isn't the right path." She quietly replied. She then breathed out a heavy sigh, and slowly shook her head. "But, honestly… I can't. I don't have it in me. Not after what I just heard."

A moment of silence passed between them as Shae stared back into Regina's deep, gorgeous brown eyes. "You're perfect." She whispered, a smile slowly creeping across her face.

Regina smiled back at her, and leaned forward, placing a gentle, tender kiss on her lips. "I love you." Shae whispered as she cupped her wife's face in her hands.

"I love you too." Regina whispered back.

The newlyweds managed to share another passionate embrace before they were interrupted by Remus. He had returned with a full bottle of whiskey in his hand, and quickly poured three glasses. Regina ignored the burning in the back of her throat as she drank with them to Nadia's memory. After the first bottle was emptied, and a second was poured, they were able to enjoy the party once again.

With their bellies now full with dinner and dessert, the people of Storybrooke took to the dance floor once again. After a few minutes of protesting, Shae managed to convince her wife to dance with her. Regina was awkward and clumsy, but Shae didn't care one bit. It was one of the many, many things that she loved about her.

After a few songs, and a few more drinks, Shae somehow ended up in an arm wrestling competition with a very drunk Savior. Granny, the dwarves, Hook, and Tinkerbell were all gathered around, hooting and hollering as the two women clasped hands, and began struggling against each other. Emma managed to overpower Shae, and she leapt to her feet once she had shoved Shae's arm down onto the table.

"WOOO!" She shouted, throwing her arms up in the air. The drink in her one hand sloshed down onto her shoulder, but she didn't even seem to care. "OH, YEAH! I win! Suck it!"

Shae pouted silently as the dwarves gave her sympathetic pats on the back. "That's it…" She mumbled to her wife. "Starting tomorrow, I'm hitting the gym."

Regina nodded in silent support as she watched Shae down the rest of her whiskey. "Ok… Maybe not tomorrow." Shae disagreed with herself. "I'm gonna be way too hung over…"

"Mmhmm…" Regina agreed as she sipped some more of her own drink.

"So!" Tink suddenly exclaimed, quickly changing the subject. "What are you two going to do for your honeymoon?"

Both Shae and Regina sat in silence for a moment. The thought of a honeymoon hadn't crossed either of their minds. "I… Guess we haven't really thought about it." Replied Regina, shrugging at Shae. She then breathed out a wistful sigh, resting her chin in her hands. "Ever since coming to this world, I've always dreamed of going to Paris. People call it, 'The City of Love.'"

Suddenly, someone called out Regina's name. It was Snow White, who was beckoning her over. Regina rose from her chair, and leaned forward to place a quick kiss on Shae's cheek. Shae watched her leave with a frown on her face.

"Paris…" She muttered quietly.

Tink sipped silently at the glass in her hand as she watched Shae pull out her cell phone, quickly dial a number, then press it to her ear. "What are you doing?" She asked of her.

"Getting my wife her dream honeymoon!" Shae replied with an excited grin. She then held up a finger to Tink, and continued to speak into her phone. "Vinny! It's Shae! What? No, I'm not dead! No… No, I'm not in prison either!" She paused as she groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Vinny… Vinny, just listen, ok? Remember that favor you owe me? The big one? I'm finally cashing in."

Shae then got up from the table, and hurried away as she continued talking to some man named Vinny that Tink didn't know. The fairy gave an unconcerned shrug as she gulped down the rest of her drink. She then became the next contender in the arm wrestling competition against Emma, the current, reigning champion.

Some time after that, and some more drinks, Shae wandered over to the dart board that the dwarves had nailed to a tree. Emma had abandoned arm wrestling, and was now challenging any who came by to a game of darts. Shae bet her that she couldn't knock an apple off of her head with a dart. Emma took that bet, and stood several feet away from Shae, who had said apple balanced carefully on her head.

"You can do this, Swan!" Hook proudly told the woman he loved as he took a swig from his bottle of rum. "I know you can!"

"Hell yeah!" Shae shouted, swaying slightly on her feet. She took a moment to adjust the apple, then held her arms out carefully at her sides. "Do it! Throw it! DO IIIIIT!"

Emma aimed her dart, and let it fly loose from her hand. The merry chatter and laughter around her came to a screeching halt, and they all drew in a startled gasp. In her drunken state, Emma had completely missed the apple. Instead, the dart had buried itself in Shae's shoulder.

"Did… D-Did you do it?" Shae asked with a small hiccup. "Did you get it?"

"Umm…" Emma mumbled, staring around with wide eyes at Hook, Leroy, and Tinkerbell. "Yep!"

Shae laughed loudly as she took a sip of her whiskey. She didn't even seem to feel the dart in her shoulder. "FUCK yeah!" She exclaimed.

Just then, someone called out her name. It was Regina, and she grinned drunkenly as she wandered off toward her. The apple tumbled from her head and down onto the ground. She didn't seem to feel that either.

Emma and the others stood in shocked, frozen silence as they watched her walk away. Emma then slowly turned to the others. They all immediately burst into laughter, knocking their glasses against each other.

The music Henry had chosen continued to boom through the forest, and the drinks continued to flow. Emma and Hook were busy with the rest of the dwarves, watching as Leroy helped his brother, Dopey, do a keg stand. Shae and Regina were sitting at another table, drinking and chatting with Tink and Remus.

"You know what's drunk?" Tink slurred at Regina. She then quickly shook her head, and attempted to correct herself. "I… I-I mean… You know what's weird?"

"Hm?" Regina mumbled around her glass.

"How drunk I get when… W-When I'm thirsty…" Tink replied.

Regina snorted into her drink as Tink reached for a glass of water, but ended up drinking from Shae's glass of whiskey. Shae didn't even notice. She was having a very serious, and very different, conversation with her best friend, her brother.

"I don't get what's so terrifying about vaginas to you." She was saying to Remus. "I mean… You put it in dude's butts all the time. What's the difference?"

"The difference is that I know what's in there!" Cried Remus, throwing his arms up in the air. "I have no idea what might be hiding in that damn cavern between a woman's legs! There might be… Vagina Dentata!"

Shae suddenly slammed her palms onto the table. "Dude! I told you not to watch Teeth!"

"Well, I obviously had to!" Remus cried once again.

Suddenly, the soft clearing of a throat caught the attention of all four of them. "Oh! H-Hey, Blue!" Shae said with a nervous grin when she saw Mother Superior standing before their table. "We, um… W-We weren't just talking about vagina teeth!" She quickly cleared her throat, and attempted to smooth out her face. "Anyway… What's up?"

Mother Superior, The Blue Fairy, breathed out a small laugh, slowly shaking her head. "I came to offer my congratulations to both you and Regina." She said with a smile, folding her hands in front of her. "I've come with a wedding present for the both of you, as well as Tinkerbell."

Tink coughed and sputtered into her glass at the utterance of her name. "Wuzzat, now?" She mumbled.

Mother Superior laughed once again, then softly cleared her throat. "Green… Tinkerbell…" She went on, smiling warmly at Tink. "You have been quietly supporting Shae and Regina's union. You have believed in their love, despite all odds. Therefore, I name you… Fairy Godmother, to the both of them!"

Regina drew in a sharp gasp, as did Shae. They both grinned excitedly at Tink, who was staring dumbfounded at Mother Superior. "F-Fairy… G-G-Godmother?" Tink stammered. "That's… T-That's the highest honor a fairy can get!"

"Yes, I know." Mother Superior replied, smiling some more. "And you deserve it, Tinkerbell. As I said, you have believed with all your heart in Regina and Shae since the beginning, and held on to that belief and hope when even I myself had abandoned it. Now, it is your task to be their guardian. And I know you will do well."

Shae, Regina, and Remus all watched Tinkerbell with smiles on their faces. Tink simply blinked at Mother Superior, opening and closing her mouth several times in shock. "You… Y-You aren't-" Tink paused, placing a hand quickly over her mouth as she emitted a drunken hiccup. "You know… Gonna give me the big dress and everything, right? And… A-And the big hair?"

Mother Superior laughed loudly this time. "No, of course not. Not for you, Tink." She replied with a shake of her head. "I am going to give you this. You'll need it, after all."

Mother Superior then waved her wand in the air. Tink gasped as a wand of her own suddenly appeared in her hands with a flash of bright blue light. It was much more ornate and longer than the training wand that she used to carry.

"Oh, Blue…" She whispered, studying her new wand with wonder filled eyes. "I… I-I don't know what to say… Thank you."

"You're very welcome." Mother Superior replied with another smile. She then turned to Regina and Shae. "Enjoy your wedding. I wish you both nothing but joy and happiness in the years to come."

The newly wedded couple both nodded, and watched in silence for a moment as Mother Superior walked away. "TINK!" Shae suddenly exclaimed. "Tink… Holy shit… Holy shit balls! This is… T-This is amazing!"

"This is terrible!" Cried Tinkerbell. Regina and Shae's jaws both dropped open in shock and confusion. Tink then groaned, dropping her head into her hands before going on. "You guys, this is… Really bad! I'm a terrible fairy! I… I-I'm not fit to be fairy godmother to heroes like you!"

"Tink… Relax… It's gonna be ok." Said Regina, mumbling in a drunken slur. She placed both of her hands firmly on top of Tink's, staring very seriously into her eyes. "Because… Listen… L-Listen to me…Wanna know a secret?" She took a moment to glance carefully around her, then leaned in closer, whispering loudly. "We're terrible heroes!"

Shae snorted loudly, nodding in earnest agreement. "To terribleness!" Cried Remus, raising his glass.

When he realized his glass was empty, Remus poured himself another, as well as three more. Regina and Shae both knocked their glasses merrily against Remus', and drank deep. Tinkerbell, however, stared wide eyed down at the table the whole time. When the other three insisted that she toast with them, she begrudgingly obliged, and took a large gulp of her own glass.

"Oh… Oh no…" She muttered, clapping a hand over her mouth. "Oh god… I'm gonna be sick…"

Tink suddenly leapt up from her chair, and rushed off into the trees. "Bye, Fairy God-Mom!" Shae called after her, waving her hand in the air. "Love you!"

Regina chuckled as she took another sip of her drink. "She's gonna do-" She paused to hiccup. "So great!"

"Definitely." Shae agreed with a nod.

As the night wore on, the party-goers slowly began to disperse, most of them stumbling drunkenly through the trees back to their homes. Eventually, Emma and her family, Remus, Zelena, Regina, and Shae were the only ones left. Hook and Emma both volunteered to see the inebriated newlyweds safely home.

"Captain Hook!" Shae cried, grinning drunkenly at the pirate as he helped her up onto her feet. "You know… I really didn't like you at first, but you're… Y-You're a good dude. A good friend."

Hook chuckled as he threw one of Shae's arms over his shoulder. "Thanks, mate." Hook replied with a smile. "I'm deeply honored to call you my friend."

"Aww! You're the best!" Shae cooed, hiccuping as she threw her other arm around Hook's neck. "I'm… I-I'm gonna kiss you. Ready?"

Shae placed a quick kiss on Hook's cheek. She immediately wrinkled her nose, and turned her head to spit. "Ugh! Blech! Beard!" She cried, wiping at her lips as she glanced over at Emma. "I don't know how you stand it!"

Emma, who was carefully supporting a very drunk Regina, merely chuckled quietly. "Wait… Hold on!" Snow White suddenly cried. "What do we do with Remus? We can't just send him home with Regina and Shae on their wedding night!"

Remus was currently passed out cold in a chair at a nearby table, his lolling back and his mouth gaping open. "Granny?" Asked David. "Can we put Remus in a room at your place?"

Granny, who was seated at the same table as Remus, had her head resting in her folded arms atop the table. She merely grunted in reply, raising one of her arms in the affirmative. "Uh oh." Snow muttered with a frown. "We might need to help Granny home too."

"Right. You two take care of the old woman, and I can help Remus." Zelena offered with a grin. "He may need help undressing, after all."

"No! No, no." Cried David. "I'll take care of Remus."

Zelena pouted her lips as David stepped toward Remus. "Come on, buddy." He muttered, grunting as he seized Remus' arms, hoisting him to his feet. "Let's get you to bed."

Remus blinked dazedly for a few moments, then turned his eyes onto David. "Oh… Hello." He mumbled, a wide grin stretching across his face. "My handsome prince…"

He then began to lean forward, his lips pursed for a kiss. "No… No, no, no…" David muttered in alarm, leaning back. "Remus… No!"

Snow White rolled her eyes, and grabbed one of Remus' arms, dragging him away from her husband. "I'll take Remus to Granny's." She said with a small chuckle. "You help Granny."

Remus pouted his own lips as Snow threw one of his arms around her shoulders. "Boooo!" He protested loudly.

Snow rolled her eyes once more, and set off into the trees, Remus stumbling along beside her. As David helped Granny up onto her feet, Zelena wandered off as well, back to her farm house. Hook and Emma then set off toward Regina's house, with both Regina and Shae in tow.

After a long, slow, staggering walk, they finally arrived at their destination. Shae suddenly stopped, throwing out her arm as Regina made to walk through the door. "Wait! Wait, wait, wait… I wanna do the… T-The thing." She mumbled, swaying on her feet and emitting a small hiccup. "You know, the… Carry you across the threshold… Thing."

Regina frowned into her new wife's eyes. "Are you sure? You're awfully drunk." She placed a hand over her mouth as she hiccuped herself. "Well… We're awfully drunk. And you're not as strong as you used to be."

"Shhhh…." Shae whispered, placing a drunken, wobbly finger against her wife's lips. "It's cool. I got this."

As Regina shrugged and nodded, Emma and Hook exchanged a worried glance. "This is probably a bad idea." Emma muttered.

"Definitely." Hook muttered back.

The two of them watched as Shae took a brief moment to ready herself, then scooped Regina up into her arms. All seemed to be well for a moment, until Shae attempted to go through the door. Emma and Hook both gasped as the side of Regina's head smacked against the door frame. She cried out in pain, Shae cried out in alarm, and they both tumbled to the ground.

"Holy shit!" Emma exclaimed as her and Hook both rushed forward. "Are you guys ok?"

Their panic quickly dissipated as Regina and Shae both snorted with laughter. "Oh, Shae…" Regina whispered, giggling some more as she turned her head to smile into her now wife's eyes. "I love you."

Shae giggled too, and smiled back at her. "I love you too."

Hook and Emma both shook their heads, smiling themselves at each other. They then helped the drunk newlyweds back up onto their feet. They carefully led them into the house, and up the stairs to their bedroom. They both collapsed into bed together, fully clothed, and were immediately asleep.

"Well… It looks like they won't be consummating their marriage tonight." Hook muttered with a laugh.

Emma laughed too. "Don't worry. I'm sure they'll do plenty of consummating later to make up for it." She then took Hook's good hand. "Come on. Let's go home."

She paused for a moment to place a quick kiss on his lips. The two of them gave one last glance at both Shae and Regina, who were both thoroughly passed out, then quietly left the house. As they walked hand in hand together down the street, they had no idea they were being watched. None of the people of Storybrooke had any idea that a dark, shadowy figure had been carefully watching as they celebrated Regina and Shae's union, not even the newlyweds themselves.

"Enjoy this time with Shae while you can, Regina. It is my gift to you." The Evil Queen muttered to herself, glaring furiously at the bedroom window from her spot between the trees. "Soon, her heart will be mine. Just as it always has been."

XX

The next morning, Regina woke with a start. A horrible, terrible ringing was blaring from somewhere in the bedroom. She groaned as her ears and head ached.

"Shae… Shae!" She mumbled.

She reached out her arm, and Shae jumped as her hand landed with a smack right on top of her face. Shae sat bolt upright, groaning herself as the sound of her alarm pounded in her ears. She reached into her pocket and pulled out her cellphone, swiftly silencing the noise.

"Why?" Regina cried as Shae fell back onto the bed. "Why did you set an alarm so damn early?"

"Because…" Shae murmured, running her hands over her face. "We have to go… We have to get packed."

Regina turned her head toward Shae, furrowing her brow. "Packed? For what?"

Shae turned her head as well, grinning into her new wife's eyes. "I got you a wedding present. But… It's a surprise. And we have to go get it."

Regina propped herself up on her elbow, and immediately regretted doing so as her head pounded. "Go?" She mumbled. "Go where?"

"Far." Shae replied with a small shrug, still grinning. "Like… Really far."

Regina's brow somehow furrowed even more. "You mean… Out of Storybrooke?" She asked. When Shae nodded, a grin of her own stretched across Regina's face. "Is this a… A honeymoon?"

Shae nodded again, and Regina breathed out a surprised, excited laugh. She then threw herself on top of Shae, placing a deep, passionate kiss on her lips. After a few moments, Regina suddenly broke away from their embrace, sitting upright in the bed.

"Right, um…" She muttered, her face suddenly very green. "I… May have to go throw up first."

Shae nodded once more in agreement. "Me too."

They then quickly separated, Regina to the bathroom down the hall, and Shae to the downstairs, guest bathroom. Once they were both feeling better, they met back up in the bedroom, where Shae instructed Regina to pack for a week's long trip. Regina attempted to prod an answer out of her wife as to where exactly they were going, but Shae adamantly refused. All she said was that their honeymoon was to be a surprise, and that Regina was going to love it.

Once Regina's car was packed and ready to go, Shae made a call to Emma, who answered in an irritated mumble. Shae told her that she and Regina would be leaving Storybrooke, and Emma quickly agreed to meet them at the town line. Before setting off on their trip, Shae left Regina with Emma at Granny's. She told her wife that she needed to make a quick stop at the cemetery.

Shae worked her way slowly through the rows of headstones, all the while thinking hard about what exactly she was going to say. As she arrived at the headstone she was looking for, she came up empty. She breathed out a heavy sigh, staring silently for a time at the headstone before her, the one that read, "Robin Hood."

"Hey, Robin." She muttered quietly, running a hand through her messy black hair. "I… I-I don't know where you are, or if you can even hear me, but… I just want to say, want to tell you that… I'm sorry."

She paused as tears began to well into her eyes, and she softly cleared her throat. "I spent so much time hating you…" She went on in a whisper. "And… That wasn't fair. You were a good man. And you didn't deserve to die like you did. I never got the chance to thank you for what you did to protect me and Regina from Van Helsing. Honestly, if it wasn't for you… I wouldn't have married her yesterday. I… I-I wouldn't have been able to marry the love of my life."

Shae squeezed her eyes shut, drawing in a deep, shaky breath. "Naida…" She whispered, turning her face up to the sky. "I don't know where you are, but… If you're with Robin, please, just… Take care of him. If you're together, then… Take care of each other. Ok?"

She then stepped forward, and placed the bouquet of flowers she had purchased in the dirt in front of Robin's head stone. The tears in her eyes slowly trickled down onto her cheeks as she rested her hand on the cold stone. After a few moments of solemn silence, she turned away, and headed back to Regina's car.

A cold breeze blew by as she opened the trunk, and stared down at the blanket that was lying in a heap. She glanced carefully over both of her shoulders, making sure there was noone around, noone watching. Then, she peeled the blanket open with trembling hands, and seized the hilt of the hammer that was lying within.

It wasn't just any ordinary hammer. It was a warhammer, with a short wooden hilt, meant to be wielded with only one hand. The head of the hammer itself was engraved with runes, ancient runes that Shae herself didn't even know how to translate.

With hammer in hand, Shae made her way past Robin's grave, and stopped at another. The headstone read, "Shae Cormace," her own grave. The dirt over it was already disturbed, her casket lying open and empty. She was grateful that nobody in Storybrooke had stumbled upon the alarming sight.

She glanced over her shoulder once again, then clambered down into her grave. She placed the hammer gently into her empty casket, and quickly shut it. She then climbed back out, and waved her hand in the air, using her magic to shift the dirt back into its place, on top of the casket. Now that her grave was back to its normal state, she breathed out a heavy sigh, running a shaky hand through her hair.

What are you doing? Asked the voice in her head.

Shae winced as her head pounded with pain. "Just… Hiding it away. For safekeeping." She muttered back. "I don't want anyone in this town stumbling upon it. Especially not Gold."

Aye, that is wise. The voice muttered back in agreement. Do you think it wise, though, to continue to keep such things from your new bride?

Shae sighed once again, slowly shaking her head. She hadn't been entirely honest with Regina about her escape from The Underworld. She had left part of the story out, a very important part. It was nagging at her heart and soul.

"No." She whispered softly. "It's not wise at all."

XXXXX

"Come with me… Let's get you home."

The woman who was supposedly the ancient demon named Lilith rose to her feet, and held out her hand. Shae merely stared up at her in silence for a few moments, unable to tear her gaze away from Lilith's piercing, icy blue eyes. Then, she quickly shook herself, and took Lilith's hand. Lilith smiled, another warm, welcoming smile, and paused for a moment to light a torch from the nearby campfire.

Shae followed Lilith in silence as she led her deeper into the cave, her hand in her's. The tunnel grew narrower and narrower as they went on, the only sounds to be heard the echoing of their footsteps along the rocky walls. Finally, the tunnel ended in a small opening, barely enough room between the rocks for a body to squeeze through. Lilith did not speak, did not explain. She simply held the torch out to Shae, and gestured for her to pass through.

With torch in hand, Shae obliged, grunting slightly as she shimmied her way through the narrow crevice in the rock. When she finally made it through, she stood with her brow furrowed in confusion, staring all around her. There was nothing but a small opening, nothing but more rock and dirt. Then, she saw it, a glint of silver out of the corner of her eye. She took a step forward, holding the torch out before her. What she saw made her gasp in shock.

It was a hammer, an ancient looking warhammer with a large silver head, the kind meant to be wielded with two hands. However, this warhammer had a short wooden hilt, unlike the others Shae had seen. She crouched down to examine it further, her eyes growing wide when she saw the ornate, ancient runes carved into the metal.

"Holy shit…" She whispered softly. "Is… I-Is this… What I think it is?"

"What exactly do you think it is?" Lilith asked from behind her.

Shae swallowed hard, gazing dumbfounded at the ancient hammer sitting upside down in the dirt before her. "Mjolnir…" She muttered. "Thor's hammer…"

When she was only met with silence, Shae glanced over her shoulder at Lilith, who simply smiled knowingly at her. "I… I-I don't understand." Shae stammered, rising shakily to her feet. "How is it here? How do you have it?"

Lilith chuckled quietly, slowly shaking her head. "That, my dear, is a very long story. One we simply do not have time for. The woman that you love is waiting anxiously for your return, after all."

Shae bit her lip, eyeing Lilith warily for a moment. Then, she cast her eyes back onto Mjolnir, the ancient hammer once wielded by the god of thunder himself. "So… Mjolnir is my ticket home?" She asked, to which Lilith nodded. "Don't I have to… Prove my worth to wield it, or something?"

Lilith laughed once again, a bright, tinkling laugh that, for some reason, gave Shae chills. "Oh, no, my darling." She replied, shaking her head some more. "You are already more than worthy to wield the weapons of the gods. You have been since your birth."

Shae's brow furrowed even more. "What?"

Lilith stepped forward, taking Shae's hand once again. "Ancient blood runs in your veins, Shae." She whispered, tracing her finger along the thin, blue vein running up her forearm. "Powerful blood. The blood of the old gods themselves."

"I… What?" Shae asked again.

Lilith breathed out a heavy frustrated sigh, and released Shae's arm. "We could stand here in this cave for hours while I explain everything to you." She replied, folding her arms across her chest. "Or, you can take up Thor's hammer, right now, and return to where you belong, where you want to be. You decide."

Shae heaved a frustrated sigh herself, running a hand through her messy black hair. She was terribly confused, and a bit frightened. But, she wanted nothing more than to be back by Regina's side again, to go home.

"Fine…" She growled. "What do I do?"

Lilith smiled once again, nodding her head in an approving sort of way. "Right… All you need do is take up Thor's hammer." She replied. She paused for a moment, her smile slowly fading into a frown. "There is, however… A small catch."

Shae breathed out a sour laugh, rolling her eyes. "Isn't there always?"

"All magic comes with a price." Lilith replied with a wink. "Even magic such as this."

Shae gesturned for Lilith to go on, which she did. "To return to the land of the living, you must return to your body." She explained. "Which is, unfortunately, rotting away underground as we speak. I can help you, though, but I will need to come with you. More accurately, I will need to… Be within you. I can heal your body from inside out, restore it to its former strength."

A moment of silence passed between them as Shae blinked at Lilith several times, processing what she had just said. "Wait a minute… So… You're saying that to bring me back to life, you'll have to… Be inside me?" She exclaimed, her eyes wide with alarm. "What the hell does that even mean?"

"It's not nearly as bad as you think, I assure you." Lilith replied with a reassuring smile. "I will simply be… A part of you. A part of your consciousness, quietly working away while you go about… Well, whatever it is you have to go about."

Shae eyed Lilith warily once again. "And what if I refuse?"

Lilith pursed her bright red lips, clasping her hands in front of her as she thought. "Well… I suppose you would be able to gain control of your body on your own." She replied with a small shrug. "But, considering the state that it's in, I doubt anyone, no matter how much they really do love you, would be able to stand the sight of you, or the smell."

More silence fell over the small opening in the cave as Shae thought. She pondered whether she should really trust this strange woman before her, who might just be a powerful, ancient demon, or something entirely different. In the end, she decided to go with her gut. She felt that she really could trust Lilith. And, more than anything, she simply just wanted to go home to the woman that she loved with all her heart, to Regina. She had made her a promise that she would find a way home, find a way back to her. Now, it seemed like she finally had, and she intended to do whatever it took to keep that promise.

"Fine… Fuck it." She muttered, throwing her arms up in the air. "I'll do it."

Shae turned around, and reached toward Mjolnir's hilt. She stopped when Lilith suddenly grabbed her arm. "Wait…" She whispered. "Before you take up Thor's hammer, know this… You are worthy of wielding it because The Elder Blood runs through your veins. However, if anyone who does not have that same blood tries to wield the weapons of the gods… They will meet with a very unfortunate end."

Shae's brow furrowed once again at the mention of Elder Blood. She remembered Hades saying something about it, but decided to leave her questions for another time. Lilith was right. Regina was waiting for her.

"I understand." She said with a nod.

Lilith nodded back, and released Shae's arm. Shae turned back to Mjolnir once again, staring down at the ancient weapon of myth and legend. Then, she took a deep, steadying breath, and reached for the hilt.

As soon as her fingers curled around the wood, she felt a strange tingling sensation shoot up her arm. She lifted Mjolnir from it's spot on the ground, and stared in wonder as it began to glow with a bright blue light.

Suddenly, the tingling in her arm turned into shooting, stabbing pain. She cried out, and was about to drop the hammer from her hand, when Lilith rushed forward. "Hold fast, Shae!" She exclaimed, clamping her own hand firmly around Shae's. "You must hold on! The pain will pass!"

Shae nodded in understanding, groaning and grimacing through the pain. She watched as the magical blue glow around Mjolnir turned into tiny sparks, shooting off of the metal left and right. Then, the sparks grew into tiny bolts that looked like electricity. But Shae knew better, knew the old legends well. Mjolnir was crackling with lightning, the kind that Thor himself used to wield in battle.

Another strangled cry echoed around the cave as the bolts of lightning shot up Shae's arm. She fell to her knees, as did Lilith, clasping both her hands around Shae's, holding it tight around the hilt of Thor's hammer. Shae grunted and groaned, her chest heaving, her ears pounding with a deafening ringing.

Finally, after a time, what Lilith had said held true. The pain slowly began to subside. The ringing in her hears faded away, and her breaths began to even out. She sat back on her knees, blinking furiously through foggy vision at the ancient hammer clenched in her fist.

"It's done." Lilith said with a smile.

"Fan-fucking-tastic…" Shae muttered through gritted teeth as Lilith helped her back up onto her feet. She took a moment to steady herself, her whole body trembling, covered in a cold sweat. "Now what?"

Lilith nodded, and held out her hand, gesturing for Shae to take it. She obliged, and Lilith produced a small knife. She drew it across Shae's open palm, which immediately started to bleed. Shae didn't even flinch. The pain of the small gash was nothing compared to what she had just gone through with picking up Mjolnir.

Shae watched in curious silence as Lilith cut open her own hand, and pressed her bloody palm into her's. "That is not sanitary." Shae muttered with a frown.

"Hush." Lilith replied with a dismissive wave of her other hand. "Now, then… You must picture clearly in your mind where you want to go. Then, all you need do is raise Mjolnir into the air. I will help with the rest."

Shae nodded herself, and drew in a deep, steadying breath as she closed her eyes. She pictured Storybrooke in her mind's eye, focused on the image of Regina's house. She couldn't help it as her mind wandered, and Regina's deep, gorgeous brown eyes flashed before her own. She quickly shook her head, and focused her thoughts on Regina's house once again.

As she slowly raised Mjolnir into the air, Lilith began to mutter quietly in an ancient tongue that Shae could not understand. For a moment, the only sound to be heard was Lilith's quiet chanting echoing off the rocky walls. Shae focused her mind even harder, squeezing her eyes shut tight. Suddenly, she heard a strange noise, and her eyes sprang open.

She drew in a startled gasp, staring with her jaw dangling open at the swirling, glowing blue portal that had opened up above her on the ceiling of the cave. "That's it, Shae!" Lilith exclaimed. "You've done it!"

Shae breathed out a surprised laugh, but it quickly caught in her throat. Her eyes grew wide when Mjolnir started to glow, and more blue sparks began to spring off of it left and right. The ground started to tremble violently, and she felt the same tingling in her arm, then the same stinging pain. She clenched her jaw, snarling through the pain as she held tight to Mjolnir's hilt.

"Here we go!" Cried Lilith. "Hold on tight!"

Glowing blue bolts of lightning suddenly burst forth from the hammer of Thor. Shae didn't have time to gasp. She didn't even have time to scream before she was sucked up into the portal.

XXXXX

Shae… Shae…. SHAE!

Shae's eyes suddenly sprang open, and she drew in a deep, shuddering gasp. She sat bolt upright from the spot where she had been lying. She sat with her chest heaving, her heart racing. As she stared wide eyed all around her, she realized that she was lying in grass. All around her were rows upon rows of headstones, very familiar looking headstones.

"The… C-Cemetery…" She stammered in a whisper. She then breathed out a bemused laugh. "Holy shit… It worked!"

Of course it did!

The same voice that had woken her by calling her name suddenly spoke again. She glanced all around her, frowning when she failed to see anyone around. "Lilith?" She asked. "Is… I-Is that you?"

Yes, of course!

Shae grimaced as her head pounded with pain. The voice, Lilith's voice, sounded close, very close, as if it were coming from all around her. "Where… W-Where are you?"

I'm inside you, darling. Lilith replied. Just as I said I would be.

Shae frowned some more, then nodded in understanding. She drew in a deep, shaky breath, taking a moment to steady herself. Her eyes then grew wide with alarm when she noticed the open grave that she was sitting next to. The headstone read, "Shae Cormac."

"Holy shit!" She exclaimed. "Did… D-Did I just… Crawl out of my own grave?"

Well… Yes. I told you that you would be returning to your body. Lilith replied from inside her head. Which you might want to take a moment to examine. There have been some… Changes.

Shae furrowed her brow as she stared down at her own two hands, which seemed to be exactly the same as before. She didn't see anything immediately amiss, until, that is, she felt along her torso. Her brow furrowed even more when she didn't feel any of the raised flesh that were her dozens and dozens of scars. She then lifted up her shirt, and gasped in alarm at what she saw.

Her scars were completely gone. The gnarled indent over her heart was now flat and smooth, as was the rest of her chest. In place of her scars, were now hundreds of tiny black runes etched into her flesh. She recognized some of them as the runes of the prophecy she had translated back in The Underworld.

"What the hell did you do to me?" She whispered softly.

All I did was heal your body, and do away with all those ugly scars. You're welcome, by the way. Lilith answered haughtily. The runes, however… Those are the result of you wielding a weapon of the gods.

Shae continued to stare down at her torso in silence for a few moments. "What does it mean?" She asked Lilith, who was now the voice in her head. "What do they mean?"

Lilith breathed out a heavy sigh before answering. Once again, my dear, you ask questions whose answers are far too involved for the time being.

Shae frowned in confusion, in concern, but decided to leave her more complicated questions for another time. Instead, she chose a simpler one. "You couldn't have given me my boobs back?"

Shae could feel Lilith's surprise. Would you… Like them back?

Shae pursed her lips as she thought for a moment. "Nah… I guess I'm alright." She replied with a shrug. "They were so huge they were always getting in the way."

Once again, Shae felt Lilith's surprise and confusion from within her own mind. Really?

Shae snorted loudly as she finally rose to her feet. "No. I was basically the owner, president, and CEO of the, 'Itty Bitty Titty Committee.'"

She took a moment to brush herself off, and adjust her black leather jacket, before setting off toward Regina's house. Where are you going? Asked Lilith.

"To find Regina." Replied Shae. "Duh."

She's not here.

Shae immediately stopped in her tracks. "What?" She exclaimed. "Where is she?"

In a place that I believe you call… New York City. As are the rest of your friends.

"What the hell is she doing there?" Cried Shae.

I haven't a clue. Lilith replied nonchalantly. All I know is that she's there, and that she's wishing for you right this very moment. As is your brother.

"Dammit!" Shae snarled, running a hand through her messy black hair. "It'd take way too long to drive there, and I can't teleport…" She paused as an idea popped into her head. "Can I… Use Mjolnir again?"

You can do whatever you like, darling. You are a grown woman, last time I checked.

Shae nodded, and turned back toward her grave. She rushed over to it, and found Thor's hammer lying in her open casket. She scrambled down into the grave, and quickly scooped it up. Her arm tingled briefly as her fingers closed around the wooden hilt.

"Can you help me?" She asked of Lilith.

Yes, of course. Lilith replied. But, one day, you will need to learn to wield Mjolnir without my aid.

Shae breathed out a frustrated sigh. "Fine. Whatever. Just do it."

Alright. Lilith said in agreement. Simply do as you did before, but this time picture in your mind the woman that you love. I will help to take you to her.

Shae nodded, and quickly squeezed her eyes shut. Picturing Regina's face in her mind came as easy as breathing to her. She raised Mjolnir into the air, focusing hard on those gorgeous brown eyes she loved so much. The ground began to tremble once again, and she felt the pain shooting up her arm. This time, however, she was ready. She ignored the pain as she turned her face up toward the swirling blue portal that had opened up above her.

"Hold on, Regina." She whispered as Mjolnir began to crackle with lightning. "I'm coming."

XX

"No… It's not wise at all…"

Lilith remained silent as Shae continued to stare down at her own grave. "I don't suppose you're done healing me." Shae muttered quietly. "I'd kind of like to go on my honeymoon, you know… Alone."

Sorry, darling. I'm afraid my work is not quite done. Lilith replied. If I were to leave you now, your internal organs would shut down. Especially your liver. You gave it quite a thrashing last night.

Shae chuckled quietly, rubbing her aching forehead. "Yeah, I know. I am definitely regretting it now."

Is there anything else you're regretting? Lilith pried as Shae started back toward the car. Perhaps, oh, I don't know… Lying to your new wife?

Shae breathed out a heavy sigh as she climbed into the driver's seat. "Yeah, of course I'm regretting it." She mumbled softly. "I just… It's all so complicated, you know? I'll tell her when the time is right."

And when exactly will that be, hm?

"Look, I don't know, ok?" Shae cried, throwing her arms up in the air. "Didn't you promise to work quietly while I go about my business?"

Fine, fine… I'll be quiet. Go enjoy your honeymoon. You won't even know I'm here.

Shae nodded in a satisfied way. "Good." She grumbled.

Not long after leaving the cemetery, Shae arrived back at Granny's, where Regina was waiting for her. They both said a quick goodbye to Henry, Remus, Emma, and the rest of their friends, who all wished them well on their honeymoon. Storybrooke disappeared from their sight the moment the car crossed the town line. They were finally alone together, for the first time in a very long time. They both couldn't be happier.

Shae drove them to the nearest airport, where a plane was already ready and waiting for them. It wasn't just any ordinary plane, though. It was a private jet, just for the two of them. The only other person within was the pilot, who did not bother the newlyweds as he remained in the cockpit, quietly going about his job.

Regina and Shae both spent most of the trip sleeping off their hangovers, wrapped up in each other's arms upon the elegant silk couch. As the flight went on and on, Regina attempted to pry an answer out of her wife as to where exactly they were going. Shae adamantly refused, which left Regina completely in the dark. That is, until they finally stepped out of the plane. Regina's jaw dropped open in complete and utter shock as she stared at The Eiffel Tower, sitting off in the distance.

"Welcome to Paris." Shae said with a smile.

Regina placed a trembling hand on Shae's arm, her mouth opening and closing several times. "Oh my god…" She breathed in wonder. "I… Shae, I… I-I don't… I can't… I just…" She then stopped her stammering, placing her hand over her mouth and breathing out a bemused laugh. "Shae, I'm just… Speechless!"

Shae laughed as she took both of Regina's hands in her own. "Good." She replied, her smile growing even wider. "You don't need to speak to kiss me."

Regina laughed too, tears of pure joy welling into her eyes. Shae then gently drew her into her arms, and Regina practically melted into them. Her joyous, overwhelmed tears leaked onto her cheeks as she kissed the woman that she loved, her wife, her partner.

"Oh, Shae…" Regina whispered, pressing her forehead against Shae's. "Oh, I love you…"

Shae's own eyes were swimming with tears too as she pressed another gentle kiss onto her wife's lips. "I love you too, Regina." She whispered softly, holding the woman that she loved with all her heart tight in her arms. "I love you so much."

XX

The song in this chapter is All of Me by John Legend. Decided to put these down here now. Hope you don't mind! :)