Author's Note: Hi everyone! It's me, ya boi, coming at you to apologize once again for how long it took for this chapter to come out. I started a new job as a truck driver, so free time isn't something I have a lot of these days. But I'm still writing, I promise, slowly but surely. I just want to say thank you to my readers that have patiently stuck with me this whole time. And to any new readers, again, I'm still writing, I promise.

CHAPTER 30

It was the morning of day seven of Shae and Regina's week-long honeymoon in Paris. In a few short hours, the private jet that had brought them to The City of Love would be ready and waiting to take them back home. It was a bittersweet feeling for them both. Their time in Paris would be something they would cherish for the rest of their lives together.

Shae woke slowly, blinking dazedly in the bright morning sunlight shining throughout the hotel room. She threw out her arm, frowning when her hand made contact with nothing but more of the bed. She groaned as she sat forward, and glanced quickly around the room. When she finally spotted her wife, she couldn't help but smile in wonder.

Regina was out on the balcony, leaning forward with her elbows resting on the railing, gazing out at the city. She was wearing the elegant, red silk robe that Shae had bought for her, which barely covered her nether regions. The morning sun cast such a radiant glow upon her that it left Shae breathless.

Shae quickly climbed out of bed and donned her own robe, which was also made of red silk, to match Regina's. She then crept up behind her wife, and placed her hands gently on her hips. Regina didn't even flinch. She knew Shae's touch much too well.

"Good morning." Regina said with a smile as Shae wrapped her arms around her.

"Good morning." Replied Shae.

She gently brushed Regina's hair back away from her neck, and began to place tender kisses up and down it. Regina breathed out a contented sigh, leaning back into the woman that she loved, who was now her wife. She tilted her head back, placing her hand on the back of Shae's head, pulling her in for a kiss.

"I'll never get tired of waking up to your lips." Shae whispered softly.

Regina turned herself around, and draped her arms around Shae's neck. "Then I make a solemn vow to make sure you always wake up to a kiss from your wife." She whispered back.

Shae hummed happily against her lips. "I'll hold you to that…"

Regina smiled as Shae kissed her again, and she breathed out another, deep, contented sigh. They stood there for a long while, basking in the warmth of the morning sun, in the warmth of each other's loving embrace. Their lips parted slowly, gently, and, eventually, Shae's hands began to wander. Regina gasped as her wife's hand slipped between her legs.

Suddenly, Shae removed her hand, causing Regina to frown. "Why'd you stop?" She asked, pouting her lips as Shae stepped back.

"Because, we have to get going. I have one last thing planned before we leave." Shae replied with a grin. "Come on. We can pick up where we left off in the shower."

The grin on Regina's face matched Shae's. She nodded silently as she took her outstretched hand. They then got into the shower together, and made love one last time in Paris before they were to leave the beautiful city behind.

Regina attempted to pry an answer out of Shae as to what exactly their last stop would be as they waited for their driver. But, just as she had been doing all week, Shae refused to say a word. She had surprised her new bride with many different activities all around the city, and Regina had absolutely loved every single one. She was certain that she would love the next one too, so she quickly dropped the subject.

Their driver, Gaspard, arrived in his town car after only a short wait. They then loaded their luggage into the trunk, and were soon on their way into the city one last time. Regina couldn't help but attempt one more time to question the woman that she loved. Once again, Shae remained silent. Once they arrived, Regina was glad that she did. Shae's last surprise for her was one that Regina would never forget.

They arrived at a bridge, one that Regina had read about in the past, and recognized immediately. It was the Pont des Arts, also known as The Lock Bridge. Lovers from all over the world would travel to this bridge, and place a padlock on it, professing their unyielding for each other. The wonder filled smile on Regina's face grew even wider when Shae produced a lock from her own pocket.

Regina was speechless as Shae handed her the lock. Her eyes swam with tears as she read the inscription engraved in the metal. "Regina and Shae, Forever and Always."

The two of them found a spot amongst the hundreds and hundreds of other locks, and, together, placed their own amongst them. They then tossed the key into the river below, as was the custom. Regina took Shae's hands in her own, more joyous tears streaming down her face. She simply stared into her wife's gorgeous, smiling eyes for a moment, unable to speak, barely able to breathe.

"I love you, Shae." She whispered, placing a tender, grateful kiss on Shae's lips. "Forever and always."

"I love you too, Regina." Shae whispered back. Her own eyes were swimming with tears as she gently caressed her wife's cheek. "Forever and always."

XX

After a long flight, Regina and Shae finally arrived back in Storybrooke. They made a quick call to Emma, who said that she would meet them at the town line with Ingrid's scroll. After using the scroll to cross through the magical barrier, they found not only Emma, but an entire welcome party of their family and friends waiting to greet them.

Emma, her parents, Henry, Remus, and Hook were all gathered around with smiles on their faces, and they exchanged joyous embraces with the two newlyweds. Zelena was also present, to whom Shae only gave a curt nod. Regina knew it would take a bit of time before Shae was able to trust her sister, and she couldn't really blame her.

"So, how was Paris?" Henry asked of his mother.

"C'était magnifique!" Regina replied with the one phrase in French she had learned.

"You guys look great." Snow said with a smile. "Especially you, Shae. You look… Well, a lot different. Did you get a haircut?"

Shae's usual wild and messy hair was now shorter around the sides and back, while the top she had kept longer, and neatly combed to the side. "Sure did." Shae replied with a grin. "My new wife suggested it, so it would look like she was married to an actual adult, and not, as she so lovingly put it… A homeless sixteen-year-old."

Regina merely gave a small shrug, to which the others all chuckled. "I'm loving the new clothes." Said Emma, looking Shae up and down. "You're definitely bringing 'Butch Chic' to a whole new level."

While in Paris, Shae had decided on a wardrobe change as well. She was now garbed in a pair of tight fitting black dress pants, polished black leather wing tips, and a silk, light blue button up, which brilliantly matched her eyes. In place of her black leather jacket, she was wearing a black leather vest instead, along with an elegant black peacoat to stave off the New England chill.

"What happened to the leather jacket?" Asked David.

"Oh, I'm super into vests now." Shae replied with a shrug. "I look damn good in them."

"Yeah, you do." Regina agreed with a grin.

Shae grinned back at her wife as Regina placed a quick kiss on her lips. "Besides," She went on. "The pirate totally stole my look."

Hook scoffed, folding his arms across his chest. "You can't own a look, mate."

"Oh, can't I?" Shae asked, raising an eyebrow at Hook. "Because I'm most definitely owning this one."

"Yeah, you are!" Regina agreed once again.

They all laughed as Regina placed another kiss on her wife's lips. "Oh, great." Emma muttered, rolling her eyes at them. "You guys are gonna be super gross now, huh?"

"Of course." Regina replied with a grin.

"Absolutely." Agreed Shae.

The others all laughed once again. "Why don't we all meet up at Granny's?" Snow suggested. "Are you guys hungry?"

Regina and Shae both nodded, and they all dispersed into their cars, and headed to Storybrooke's most popular and most loved diner. "I'm so happy you're both back." Remus was saying to Shae and Regina as they walked down the sidewalk. "Please don't leave me alone with these people again any time soon."

"We can hear you, Remus." Snow said from just ahead of them, rolling her eyes.

Remus stuck his tongue out at the back of Snow White's head, and Regina and Shae both had to stifle a laugh. As they approached Granny's Diner, they ran into Tinkerbell. The fairy, who was now Fairy Godmother to both Shae and Regina, embraced them both.

"You're back! It's so good to see you!" She exclaimed with an excited grin. "I've been practicing with my new wand while you were on your honeymoon. Watch!"

They all stopped and watched as Tink removed her wand, and swiftly waved it in the air. A small, bright orange pumpkin appeared on the sidewalk before her with a flash of green light. Tink then waved her wand over the pumpkin, and there was another flash of light. They all cried out in alarm, and were forced to jump back. The pumpkin was now at least ten feet tall, and about just as wide.

"Wow, Tink, that's um… Great?" Shae said, exchanging a quick, confused glance with her wife.

"No! No, no, no!" Cried Tink. She emitted a frustrated groan, pinching the bridge of her nose. "Oh… Dammit! It was supposed to turn into a carriage! I was going to have it take you both back to your house and everything!"

Suddenly, Leroy turned the corner in his truck, and was forced to stop in front of the giant pumpkin that was now blocking the street. "Hey! Get that thing outta here!" He shouted angrily out of his window. "Some of us have places to be!"

"Sorry! I-I'm sorry!" Tink frantically exclaimed. She then groaned once again, and turned to Shae and Regina. "I'm so sorry. I was sure it was going to work!"

Regina and Shae both laughed, and embraced their Fairy Godmother one more time. "It's alright, Tink." Regina said with a smile, holding Tink out at arm's length. "You'll figure it out. We know you will."

Tink nodded, though still looked glum. They then all headed inside the diner, to the sounds of horns blaring from other people of Storybrooke whose commute was now blocked by the massive pumpkin. The door swung shut behind them as Leroy continued to shout profanities from his truck.

They all sat down to eat, and questioned the newlyweds about their honeymoon. Regina told them all about the various and numerous activities Shae had surprised her with, some of which included a private show at the famous Paris Opera House, and a private tour of the Louvre. They were all positively astounded. It seemed like Shae had pulled out all the stops for her and her new wife's honeymoon.

"Hey! Watch it!" Shae scolded Emma, who was fiddling with her new vest. "Careful with the manhandling. This is Prada!"

Emma's eyes grew wide with shock. "Seriously?"

"Oh, yes. So is all this." Regina replied with a grin, gesturing to her own outfit. "That was another thing my wonderful wife surprised me with. A shopping spree!"

Everyone else's jaws dropped open in shock. "How much money did you spend on this honeymoon, exactly?" Asked Snow White, eyes wide.

"How much money do you even have?" Asked David, his own eyes just as wide as his wife's.

Shae bit her lip, exchanging an anxious glance with Regina before responding. "I'm not going to answer either of those questions." She replied with a frown. "You'll just be really mad."

Snow and David exchanged their own glance, and were about to question Shae more about her apparent, bottomless wealth. They stopped when Henry spoke up. "Um… M-Mom?" He muttered.

He was staring down at Shae's phone, his own eyes wide with shock. He had requested to see all the pictures Shae and Regina had taken in Paris, and, apparently one of them had left him quite disturbed. Regina leaned over his shoulder, and suddenly gasped in alarm.

"Oh my god!" She exclaimed, snatching Shae's phone out of her son's hands. "Henry, I… I-I'm so sorry!"

Henry blinked several times, his face suddenly quite pale. "It's, um… I-It's ok." He mumbled, slowly shaking his head. "I think I'm just gonna go, you know… Wash my eyeballs out."

The others all exchanged confused glances as Henry got up from the table. As soon as he was gone, Regina turned to her wife, wacking her in the shoulder with the back of her hand. "Shae!" She cried, her face as red as a ripe tomato. "Why the hell did you save that?"

She showed Shae the picture that was still queued up on her phone. Shae bit her lip once again, a wide grin stretching across her face. "I mean… How could I not?" She asked, trying her hardest not to laugh. "Your ass looks amazing!"

Regina wacked Shae in the shoulder again, to which Shae finally burst out laughing. The others all laughed as well. Regina stated that she would have to carefully inspect the rest of the pictures on her wife's phone before they could see any more. So, they all returned to their meals, and talked more with the two newlyweds about their trip.

Once they were finished, they gave their thanks to Granny, and headed outside. They ran into their new friend Doctor Jekyll out on the sidewalk. He had been attempting to help a desperate Tinkerbell, who was still trying to get rid of the towering pumpkin she had accidentally created. The good doctor gave his congratulations to the two newlyweds.

"You two look wonderful." He said with a warm smile. "Why, you're positively glowing!"

Regina chuckled as Shae wrapped her arm around her shoulders. "Well, thank you, Doctor." She said, smiling back at him. "You're very kind."

"As are you, my lady." Jekyll replied with a small bow. "As Mayor, you have my utmost gratitude for allowing me to take up residence in your lovely town."

Regina nodded, and opened her mouth to speak more. She stopped as the ground beneath their feet suddenly began to tremble. They all fell silent, staring wide eyed around at each other.

"What the hell was that?" Cried Tink.

The rumbling beneath the earth grew and grew. Regina held on tight to Shae's arm as the quaking ground caused her to stumble. There was a strange sort of mechanical sound that seemed to be coming from all around them, growing louder and louder as time went by.

"Better question, love." Hook shouted over the din, pointing with his good hand up at the sky. "What the bloody hell is that?"

They all followed Hook's pointed finger, and gasped at what they saw. Some sort of giant blimp was sailing over Storybrooke. It cast a dark shadow across Main Street, causing cars and passersby to stop in their tracks as they stared up at the sky.

"It's… I-It's a dirigible, from The Land of Untold Stories." Jekyll muttered as he stared wide eyed up at the blimp like all the rest. "But… W-What's it doing here?"

"Hyde." Zelena was the one to answer, her tone dark and grave. "It has to be him."

The others all nodded in agreement as they watched the dirigible continue on its course. As soon as it was lost from sight, they all exchanged wide eyed, worried glances, especially Shae and Regina. Just like that, their blissful honeymoon bubble had suddenly been popped. They exchanged their own grim glance, and Shae breathed out a sour chuckle, running a hand through her hair.

"Here we go again…"

XX

The heroes of Storybrooke immediately armed themselves, and rushed off in pursuit of the airship from The Land of Untold Stories. Tinkerbell left her giant pumpkin behind to join them, as did Leroy, his brothers, and Granny, armed with her crossbow. They had no idea what to expect, but they were prepared for the worst. It seemed that Storybrooke was under attack once again.

The dirigible had crash landed somewhere deep in the Storybrooke woods. They all wound their way as quickly as they could through the trees. Dozens of pairs of eyes darted left and right, searching for any sign of danger, any sign of Mr. Hyde.

Shae… It's time.

A voice that she hadn't heard since the first day of her honeymoon suddenly rang in Shae's ears. She carefully slowed her pace, watching as the others began to advance forward around her. When one of the dwarves questioned her, she mumbled something about needing to tie her shoe. She knelt down to do so, watching as the entire group rushed farther and farther into the woods.

Once they were lost from sight, once she was sure that she had managed to slip away unnoticed, she took a sharp turn into the trees. She jogged on for a time, stopping when she reached a small clearing. Then she drew in a deep, steadying breath, closing her eyes.

"Lilith…" She whispered. "What do I need to do?"

The ancient demon that had brought her back to life, that had been living inside her ever since, responded with careful instructions. Shae obeyed, and produced a small pocket knife, which she used to cut her hand. She then repeated after the voice in her head, speaking out loud in an ancient language that she wasn't even able to understand. She struggled with the pronunciation of the words, but, in the end, she managed to muddle through it.

Shae watched in part wonder, part horror, as the tiny pool of blood at her feet began to grow in size. She stumbled backward in alarm as it grew taller and taller, slowly forming into the shape of a person, a woman. A deep chill ran up her spine as she stared wide eyed at the figure standing before her, the figure that was churning and dripping with blood.

Features slowly began to form into a face, and Shae clamped her hands over her ears as a terrible, horrible screech bellowed out from the gaping mouth. Suddenly, a massive pulsewave of magic knocked her off of her feet. She hit the ground hard, and lay flat on her back for a few moments, coughing and sputtering, gasping for breath. She then propped herself up on her elbows, and drew in a sharp gasp.

"Lilith?" She whispered.

The stunningly beautiful woman that she had met in a dark, dank cave was now standing before her. She was wearing the same black dress and maroon shawl that she had been before. In the light of day, Shae was able to see that her clothes were dirty, tattered, and torn, her feet bare and caked with dirt and grime. Still, though, it did nothing to take away from her striking beauty.

Lilith stood in silence for a few moments, staring down at her own two hands, turning them over, opening and closing them several times. Then, she turned her face up to the sky. She shielded her eyes from the bright morning sun. A smile slowly crept across her face, and she started to laugh.

Shae watched in curious and confused silence as Lilith continued laughing, louder and louder as she spread her arms wide, basking in the warmth of the sun. She spun in a circle a few times, giggling like a school girl. Then, she knelt down in the grass, still laughing as she ran her fingers through it. There was a small patch of bare soil next to her, and she dug both of her hands deep into it. Shae chuckled quietly as she held the handful of dirt close to her face, and drew in a deep breath through her nose.

"Are you… Sniffing the dirt?" Shae asked, eyebrow raised.

"Oh, yes." Lilith finally spoke softly. "And it's… Wonderful!"

Shae breathed another confused sort of laugh as Lilith brushed the dirt from her hands, and rose to her feet. "Now… Let me look at you." She said with a smile. She looked Shae up and down for a moment, grinning from ear to ear. "Oh, Shae… My hero, my champion, my knight in shining armor! Thank you! Thank you, thank you, thank you…"

Before Shae could do anything at all to react, Lilith rushed up to her, took her face in her hands, and placed a firm kiss on her lips. Shae stood rigid in shock as Lilith held her lips against her own, her eyes gaping wide. She blinked several times when Lilith released her, staring bewilderedly into her smiling face.

"Ok… That was, um… Nice, I guess." Shae muttered slowly. "But I am, you know… Married."

Lilith scoffed as she rolled her shining blue eyes. "Oh, please… I was simply trying to thank you, is all."

"Thank me?" Asked Shae, brow furrowed. "For what? You're the one who helped me."

Lilith laughed once again, a bright, tinkling laugh that made Shae feel like laughing too. "Indeed, I did." She replied with a grin. "But, in truth, you helped me just as much as I helped you. You have no idea how long I was trapped in that cursed place of ice, sleet, and snow. That dank, dirty cave my only source of shelter. Decades, centuries, eons, maybe!"

Shae stared at Lilith in indignant silence for a moment. "Hold on, so… You used me to escape? Used my body?" When Lilith simply shrugged, Shae folded her arms across her chest, narrowing her eyes at the ancient demon. "You lied to me."

Lilith scoffed once again. "Lied? Me? No, no, no… I merely… Omitted the complete truth."

"Which is the same as lying." Shae replied sternly.

A loud, mocking guffaw burst from Lilith's lips. "Oh, my darling girl." She muttered, slowly shaking her head. "I believe the proper saying here is… 'The pot calling the kettle black.' Aren't you the one who continues to hide the truth yourself from the woman that you love, your wife?"

Shae's face fell into a fierce scowl, and she folded her arms across her chest. "This isn't about me." She growled. "This is about you. Which brings me to my next point. You need to tell me who you really are. Now."

A moment of tense silence passed between them as Lilith simply stared into Shae's accusing gaze. She then breathed out a heavy sigh, and turned her back on Shae. She took a few steps forward, closing her eyes as she turned her face up to the sun again.

"Yes, I suppose there's no point in hiding anymore, is there?" She whispered, more to herself than to Shae. "The time was going to come eventually… So why not now, hm?"

Shae waited in silence for Lilith to respond. When she did, her voice was soft, low, and careful. "I have gone by many names over my many, many years." She replied. "But, the one you know me by is… Loki."

Shae's heart nearly dropped straight out of her chest. Her arms slowly fell away from where they were folded across her chest. A dull ringing began to fill her ears, and her throat suddenly became immensely dry.

"Loki…" She whispered, her heart pounding in her chest, barely able to breathe. "You… Y-You're… Loki? God of Mischief?"

Lilith, who was apparently the god Loki, laughed lightly, and turned back around to face Shae. "That is what some call me, yes." She replied with a nod. "And I suppose it isn't too far from the truth. However, I prefer to think of myself as the god of… Chaos."

Shae opened and closed her mouth several times, slowly shaking her head. "I… I-I don't… I…" She stammered clumsily, her voice barely above a whisper. "A-Aren't you supposed to be… A man?"

Another loud guffaw burst forth from Loki. "Oh, please. Gender as you mortals perceive it has absolutely no bearing on someone like me. I simply chose a form that you, my dear, would be most comfortable with."

Shae slowly nodded her head, swallowing the hard, dry lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. "R-Right… You're a… A-A shapeshifter."

"Indeed." Loki replied with a smile. "And so much more. But you know that, don't you? You grew up with stories the elves used to tell of me and my fellow gods. They always warned you against me, to fear me. But you never did. You always felt a certain… Kinship, toward me, didn't you? And you never knew why, did you?"

When Shae remained in stunned and confused silence, Loki laughed once more, and stepped toward her. "I told you that the blood of the old gods flows through your veins, Shae, The Elder Blood." Loki whispered, gently taking Shae by the hand. "Specifically… My blood. Where do you think your powers come from, hm? They are quite unique, are they not?"

Shae shook her head some more, jerking her hand out of Loki's. "No… N-No, my powers are… A-Are just… Elemental."

Loki nodded slowly as she took a step back. "Indeed." She said once again. "But, consider the elements, if you will. Consider a… Hurricane, or a… Tidal wave, an earthquake, a wildfire. What are the elements in their most powerful forms, if not-"

"Chaos." Shae whispered.

"Indeed." Loki replied once more. "You come from a long, long line of powerful witches. Your mother, in fact, was an exceptionally talented sorceress. I watched her with great interest, as I have you, my dear."

"You… Knew my mother?" Shae asked quietly.

"Well… Not personally, no." Loki answered with a small shrug. "She was a part of a secret order that had been solely devoted to me for… Many, many centuries."

Shae opened and closed her mouth several times, then quickly shook her head. "No… N-No, that… That doesn't make any sense. I was… An orphan, a slave! I was… Nobody. My mother was-"

Loki cut her off with another loud, slightly mocking, laugh. "Oh, trust me, darling, your mother was not nobody, and neither are you. Your whole life you thought your birth was a mistake, merely an unwanted accident." She paused for a moment to stare very seriously into Shae's eyes. "Know this… Your birth was no accident, Shae. And neither was your death. It was all written in the stars, even before you were born. And now, through Mjolnir, it is written in your very flesh."

Another moment of silence passed as Shae's mind swam with everything Loki, God of Mischief, God of Chaos, was telling her. "I… I-I don't…" She stammered quietly. Her throat was bone dry all over again. "I don't know what to say."

Loki gave Shae a kind, warm smile, and placed her hand gently on her cheek. "You don't need to say anything, my dear." She whispered softly. "In fact, I think, for now, it is best if we part ways."

"P-Part… Part ways?" Shae stammered in alarm. "But, I… I-I have so many questions!"

Loki gently caressed Shae's cheek with her thumb before dropping her hand back to her side. "I know, darling, I know." She whispered. "I have felt them spinning round and round in your mind." She paused for a moment, tapping a finger against her chin. "I will answer one of your questions, for now, before I depart. But you must choose."

There was a long moment of silence as Shae pondered what one question she wanted answered most by the god Loki. "Hades told me that all the old gods were dead, all my gods." She responded after a time. "Is… I-Is that really true?"

Suddenly, the smile fell from Loki's face. "Yes." She whispered quietly, her shining blue eyes filled with a deep, immense sorrow. "I was the only one to survive."

"What happened?" Asked Shae.

Loki breathed out a deep, heavy sigh, turning away from Shae, turning her face back up toward the sun. "The end." She replied in the same heavy whisper. "The end of all things as we knew it. Ragnarok."

Shae waited in more silence for Loki to go on. When she did, her voice was heavy, quiet, and laden with sorrow. "We Aesir and Vanir went to war against The Olympians, Hades, Zeus, and their ilk." Loki said. "They began their assault on our nine worlds in Jotunheim, where they felled the giants that lived there. Then, they moved on to Alfheim, and the elves fled, abandoning the fight and their realm like the cowards that they are. Soon, the rest of the realms were burning. Yggdrasil, our world tree itself, was burning. Then, The Olympians assaulted Asgard."

Loki paused for a moment, drawing in a deep, shaky breath before continuing her story. "Thor, Freyr, Freya, Tyr… I watched all of them fall, one by one. I watched all of their children fall, one by one. I watched as they slaughtered my son, my beautiful boy, my Fenrir. It was then, I knew, that the battle was lost."

Shae's heart ached as Loki slowly turned around to face her, her eyes swimming with painful tears. "As Odin and Frigga stood alone against Zeus, I sent what children that remained in Midgard to another realm, far, far away from the burning flames of the once mighty Yggdrasil. Zeus found me not long after, weak, broken, and alone. He decided to spare my life, and sent me to Niflheim, the one place in the nine worlds that he and his brethren found unworthy of their time. It was there I remained, weak, broken, and alone, until… You, Shae. Until you, my child, my blood."

Another moment of silence fell across the clearing in the woods as Shae slowly nodded her head, processing everything Loki had just told her. "You called the people of Midgard, "children."' She muttered quietly. "What exactly does that mean?"

Loki chuckled softly, wiping a few stray tears away from her face. "There are only a few children begotten of the gods that you know by name." She explained. "But there were others, many, many others, who populated Midgard, and had children of their own. Most were lost in the battle against The Olympians. The ones I was able to save went on to have more children, and those children had children, and so on and so forth."

"I see." Shae muttered, slowly nodding her head. "I'm… Sorry."

Loki nodded in return. "As am I." She sighed. "It is no secret that my fellow gods and I did not always… Get along. But I never wished upon them such a gruesome end, nor for their children, or… My children."

Another solemn silence fell between for a moment. Then, Loki wiped more tears from her face, and clapped her hands together. "Well… That is all in the past. And I have a new life to live, thanks to you." She said with a smile. "I know you have more questions, but you also have a loving wife that needs you. You have friends, family, an entire town that needs you. For now, you must trust me. All else will become clear, in time."

Shae swallowed the hard, dry lump in her throat, and slowly nodded her head. "So… Where… W-Where will you go? You're not going to, you know… Try and take over the world, or something… Right?"

Loki laughed loudly. "Oh, please! What use would I have for a world such as this? The people here are already under the harsh rule of a god of their own creation. I believe they call it… Capitalism."

This time, it was Shae's turn to bark out a laugh. "No… All I wish is… To live. To experience life once again." Loki went on, smiling up at the sun. "I think I'll go somewhere warm, to a beach, perhaps. I wish to feel the fullness of the sun on my skin, to feel the sand between my toes, to listen to the waves crashing against the shore."

Shae slowly nodded her head. "I would check out Los Angeles, if I were you." She replied with a small smile of her own. "I think you'll find everything you want there, plus more."

Loki nodded back at her. "I think I just might do that." She replied. "If you ever have need of me, just call out my name, and I will come. You are my champion, after all."

Shae narrowed her eyes suspiciously at Loki. "What exactly does that mean?"

Loki chuckled quietly before answering. "Our destinies are intertwined, Shae." She whispered softly as she gazed up at the sky. "There will come a time where I will need your help much more than you have ever needed mine."

Shae slowly folded her arms across her chest. "And what if I don't want to help you?" She muttered, matching Loki's own soft, whispered tone. "Not only do I have enough problems to deal with now, I finally have friends that care about me, a wife that I love, and loves me. I'm just trying to live my life."

"I understand that, my dear." Loki replied with a solemn nod. "But you wouldn't have any of those things right now without me, without my help. I have plucked you from the clutches of The Olympians twice now."

"Twice?" Asked Shae. Then, slowly, a startling realization swept over her. "That time with Dracula, with me and Remus… That was you, wasn't it?"

"Of course!" Said Loki, as if the fact should be obvious. "Do you really think Zeus has any care for anyone other than himself? All that bastard does is destroy, and cheat on his lovely wife."

"I thought you said that you were trapped in that cave." She mumbled, narrowing her eyes suspiciously once again. "Weak and alone."

"Indeed, I was. But that doesn't mean I was powerless. I am a god, after all." Loki replied with a wink. "I was always able to leave that place, but only for a few moments, and never permanently. A fact that I was able to keep hidden from the damn Olympians for who knows how long. Hades' jaunt into your memories almost spoiled my little secret. Thankfully he was too preoccupied with your now sister-in-law, and Zeus was much too self involved to even care."

For a moment, Shae stared in dumbfounded silence into Loki's piercing, ice blue eyes. "Wait, so… Why did you pretend to be Zeus if you hate the guy so much?"

"Simple." Loki said with a shrug. "Neither you nor Remus would have trusted me if I had told you who I really was. Am I not wrong?"

Shae chewed on her bottom lip for a moment, then breathed out a heavy sigh. "No… You're not wrong." She admitted, though a bit begrudgingly.

"Exactly." Agreed Loki. "I sincerely doubt your pirate friend would have trusted me either, even though he has little knowledge of the old gods."

Shae's jaw dropped open in shock. "Wait a minute… Hook said that it was Zeus that sent him back. But it was… You?"

"Of course!" Loki cried, throwing her arms up in the air. "I couldn't very well just sit by and let him rot in Hades' Underworld! He's much too strong and handsome for such a fate."

Shae breathed out a small chuckle, slowly shaking her head. "Well, um… Thanks, I guess." She replied with a small shrug. "Hook is… A good man. A good friend."

"Oh, more than you know, darling." Loki said with a wink. "He's kept your secret this entire time. He hasn't uttered a word to anyone about how he saw you cast yourself into The Flames of Judgement. You really should thank him, you know."

"Yeah…" Shae mumbled with a slight frown. "Yeah, I… I-I guess I should."

"Agreed." Said Loki. She then clapped her hands together, and placed her hands on Shae's shoulders for a brief moment. "Now, then. I must be off. The world awaits!"

Shae nodded silently, her head still spinning with everything she had learned. She watched as Loki took several steps forward, and her brow furrowed when she suddenly stopped in her tracks. She seemed to be staring at the tree that stood directly in front of her across the clearing, head tilted to one side.

"Before I go, a word of warning…" She muttered, never taking her eyes off of the tree. "There are greater things afoot than this Mr. Hyde that you all seem to fear." She paused to turn her head back toward Shae, the look in her eyes sending chills up her spine. "Good cannot exist without evil, Shae. If there was no darkness, then there would be no light. The reverse is also true. You would do well to remember that. You all would…"

Shae opened her mouth to question Loki more, but stopped as she disappeared in a rush of swirling wind. A deafening silence engulfed Shae's world, not even the birds chirped in the trees. She stood rooted in her spot for a long while, turning over everything Loki had told her in her mind. It proved to be too much to handle, and she quickly shook herself, forcing her legs to move.

"Regina…" She whispered, sprinting off into the trees.

As Shae rushed off in pursuit of her wife, she, once again, had no idea she was being watched. The Evil Queen slowly stepped out from behind one of the trees. When she heard Shae whisper Regina's name, she balled her hands into fists, her lips curling into an angry, fearsome snarl.

"Shae…" The Evil Queen whispered, her deep brown eyes swimming with tears. "You will be mine, my love. You are mine, just as you always have been."

XX

It didn't take Shae long to track down the group from Storybrooke that had ventured into the forest in search for Hyde. She simply followed their many footsteps, and eventually came across another large clearing. Regina, Emma, and all the others had their backs to her, shouting angrily at a man on the other side of the clearing. Shae gritted her teeth, took a few steps back, and hung a left around the large, circular clearing.

She crept through the trees, her knees bent, crouched low as she slowly made her way forward. Her eyes were narrowed at the man before her, who was now standing with his back to her. He had short brown hair, and was wearing a fine black suit with a tailed coat that stretched down to the back of his knees. She had never met Mr. Hyde, but she knew that this was him.

In one swift movement, Shae burst through the trees, wrapping one arm around Hyde's neck. "Surprise, motherfucker!" She snarled in his ear.

Hyde coughed and sputtered, clawing feebly at Shae's arm wrapped around his neck. Shae grinned at Regina, but it quickly faded. All she saw on her wife's face was a look of fear.

Suddenly, Hyde's coughs and gasps turned into laughter. Before Shae could do anything to react, Hyde seized her arm with both of his hands, and twisted it behind her back. Shae howled with pain as she felt the bones in her arm crack. Before she even knew it, the tables had been turned. Hyde now had one arm tightly around her neck, the other holding her arm behind her back, her shoulder popped completely out of place.

"Clever, Regina, sending your lap dog skulking through the forest after me." Hyde snarled. "But not clever enough."

"Let her go, Hyde!" Regina snarled back, taking a furious step forward.

Hyde laughed some more. "If you insist."

He then released Shae, who reacted quickly, spinning around and raising her fist to strike him. Hyde reacted even quicker, blocking her blow with his forearm. He then used his free hand to punch Shae straight in the chest.

Time seemed to slow to a crawl as they all watched Shae's body fly through the air, careening backwards like a ragdoll. She hit the ground hard, rolling and tumbling across the forest floor, finally coming to a stop at Regina's feet. She gasped and sputtered as she attempted to breathe, all of the wind knocked completely out of her.

"A word of advice…" Hyde called out, grinning deviously from ear to ear. "Do be careful. There's nothing more dangerous than an untold story… And the people who don't want them told."

With that, Hyde stepped backward, melting into the trees, and was gone. Regina immediately dropped to her knees beside her wife. Shae was writhing and groaning in pain, gasping desperately for air.

"Shae!" Regina cried. "Shae, are you alright?"

"FUCK!" Shae howled in reply. "Fucking… SHIT! I… I-I think the bastard broke my arm! And… A-And a few ribs."

"You'll be alright, Shae." Emma said as she knelt down on her other side. "Just… Hold still."

Emma held her hands out over Shae's body, as Shae continued to gasp for air, every breath sending shooting pains through her chest. Emma's hands began to glow with a warm white light, and, a moment later, so did Shae's whole body. She breathed out a relieved sigh as the pain in her ribs dissipated.

"Man…" Shae muttered, stretching out her now mended arm. "Never thought I'd actually miss being a vampire…"

Regina let out a relieved sigh herself, and pulled her wife gratefully into her arms for a moment. "Shae, just… What the hell were you thinking?" She asked as she released her.

"Well, you know, I was thinking that I could get the drop on the bastard and put a quick end to all this." Shae replied with a shrug. "I didn't expect him to be so damn strong."

"Strong, and immune to magic, it looks like." Said Emma, as she and Regina both helped Shae up onto her feet. "Me and Regina both tried, but… Nothing."

"Aye." Hook agreed with a grim nod. "Even with their powers combined, it didn't seem to even phase the man."

"Fantastic." Shae muttered in the same grim tone. "So… What do we do now?"

There was a moment of silence as they all glanced around at each other helplessly. "All may not be lost." Dr. Jekyll suddenly piped up. "If we can find the dirigible, I might be able to salvage parts to make a weapon that will work on Hyde. Similar to the batons that the orderlies used back in my realm."

The others all nodded in agreement with Jekyll's plan. They sent Tinkerbell, Granny, the dwarves, and the rest back to town, while The Heroes of Storybrooke all headed deeper into the forest. It didn't take them long to find the crashed dirigible, and when they did, they found it empty. What they did find, were dozens and dozens of footprints running scattered into the woods. It seemed that the people that Hyde brought with him had fled, and were now somewhere deep in Storybrooke's dense forest. None of them knew what exactly it was that Hyde wanted with them, not even Jekyll. All he did know was that all their untold stories suddenly playing themselves out, could create utter chaos.

"Well… What else is new?" Shae replied with a shrug, to which the others all laughed. She then clapped Jekyll on the back with a grin. "Welcome to Storybrooke, Dr. Jekyll! Here we have a healthy helping of chaos on the side with breakfast every morning."

The others all laughed again, then spread out to scavenge the wreckage of the dirigible from The Land of Untold stories. Shae tossed a few mostly solid looking parts into the pile they were creating in the center for Dr. Jekyll, watching Hook from the corner of her eye. As soon as she noticed that he was out of earshot from the others, she quickly rushed over to him.

"Hey, Hook." She said to him in a quiet voice. "I just, uh… Wanted to thank you. It looks like you haven't told anybody about, you know… What happened back in The Underworld."

"Oh, about how I watched you throw yourself into a sea of flames?" Hook replied in the same low tone, raising an eyebrow at her. "No, I certainly haven't."

"Er… Yeah… That." Shae mumbled awkwardly. "I'm grateful and everything but… Why? Why didn't you tell anyone?"

Hook cast a quick glance over at Regina, who was bent over a pile of wreckage. "How exactly was I supposed to tell your grieving wife that I just stood and watched you be swallowed up by flames? What exactly was I supposed to say to Emma, to Henry, or to Remus, eh?"

Shae slowly and solemnly nodded her head. "Right… I get it."

Hook nodded back at her. "So… What exactly happened to you after that? How did you make it back?"

Shae pursed her lips into a thin line. "Um… That's a… Long story." Was all she said.

"I see." Replied Hook, nodding some more. "And does your new wife at least know the whole story?"

When Shae remained silent, aimlessly picking through the pile of junk at their feet, Hook emitted an exasperated groan. "Bloody hell, mate! Keeping secrets like that is no way to start a marriage!"

"I know, I know, ok?" Shae whispered harshly. "I'm just, you know… Waiting for the right moment."

"And when exactly is the right moment going to come?" Asked Hook, raising an eyebrow at her.

"I… I-I don't-"

Shae stopped short at a sudden cry from Snow White. "Emma! You ok?"

Hook and Shae both turned around, and found Snow staring quizzically at her daughter. At first glance, nothing seemed amiss. But then, they both saw that Emma's hands were trembling, her face suddenly quite pale. Hook immediately rushed over to her, and Shae breathed out a relieved sigh. She watched curiously as Hook and Snow both spoke in quiet, worried tones, as Emma's hands continued to tremble. Whatever was going on with Emma, Shae knew she was in good care. She decided to check in on her wife instead.

"How's it going over here?" She asked of Regina.

Regina straightened up, breathing out a heavy sigh. "Oh, fine." She muttered, brushing the dirt from her hands. "I'm just… Already starting to miss Paris. It was such a lovely city, so… Peaceful."

"Right, yeah… And here in Storybrooke we're in crisis number, I dunno… A thousand?" Shae replied with a laugh.

Regina laughed too, but Shae noticed a certain hollowness to it. She sighed, and stepped up behind Regina, wrapping her arms around her waist. "Remember the boat tour we took on our first day, where they served us all kinds of fancy wine and cheeses?" She whispered softly. "Remember when we got to see the Mona Lisa up close?"

"Mmm… Yes." Regina muttered, leaning back into Shae. She breathed out a wistful sigh. "Tell me more nice things about Paris."

Shae chuckled quietly, placing a quick kiss on her wife's cheek. "Remember when we spent too much money on macaroons, only to realize that they're super gross?"

"They're so dry!" Cried Regina. "Why? Why are they so dry?"

Shae laughed, holding the woman that she loved even tighter. "Remember the Opera House? Remember the private show, just the two of us?" She asked. She then leaned in closer, whispering softly in her wife's ear. "Remember when I was fingering you, and I made you cum right at the crescendo of the big aria?"

Regina nodded, leaning her head back against Shae's shoulder, her eyes closed as she smiled. "Mmm… Yes, I definitely remember that. I still don't know how you got the timing down just right."

Shae chuckled once again. "I'm just that good."

Regina chuckled too, and turned herself around. "Yes. Yes, you are." She whispered, draping her arms around Shae's neck.

Shae smiled against Regina's lips as she kissed her. The two of them stood there for a quiet moment, both of their heads swimming with memories of their honeymoon in The City of Love. Then, they were abruptly brought back to reality by a sharp, shouting voice.

"Hey! Stop being gross, you two, and get back to work!"

It was Emma, who seemed to be perfectly fine now. Regina and Shae both rolled their eyes as they broke apart, and both raised their middle fingers at The Savior. Emma rolled her own eyes right back at them, and started sorting through more of the dirigible's wreckage. Regina and Shae, though a bit reluctantly, followed suit.

After a while, Dr. Jekyll announced that he had enough salvage to create a weapon that could actually bring Mr. Hyde down. The others left him to his work, and parted ways. Snow and David told them all that they were going to venture deeper into the woods, to search for the people from The Land of Untold stories.

Regina and Shae, on the other hand, were going home, to finally take a moment to unpack from their honeymoon in Paris. They took Henry with them, to keep a watchful and protective eye on him with Hyde and his people running about. Emma and Hook went home as well, and they were all to wait for Jekyll to be ready with his weapons. Then, hopefully, they could actually subdue and capture Mr. Hyde.

Shae and Regina had finally unloaded the car, with Henry's help, and dragged their luggage into the living room. Once they were done, Henry went back out to collect the mail from the mail box. He suddenly came rushing back in, a strange sort of grin on his face as he handed Shae a single envelope.

"I, um… Think this is for you, Shae." He said.

Shae grinned back at him as she took it from his hand. Regina watched her curiously as she opened it. After examining it for a moment, Shae handed it to Regina, still grinning. Regina's jaw immediately dropped open as she read the letter. It was a form announcing Shae's official and legal name change.

"'Shae Mills.'" Regina read out loud, her tone quiet, breathless. She glanced up at her wife with tears in her eyes. "Shae… I… I-I had no idea you were changing your name!"

"I, uh… Wanted it to be a surprise." Shae replied with a small shrug. "So… What do you think? Has a nice ring to it, doesn't it?"

Regina nodded as she set the letter aside. "It most certainly does." She said with a smile.

She then threw her arms around the woman that she loved, now her wife, placing a deep, passionate kiss on her lips. Henry mumbled something about going to his room, and made a quick and quiet exit. Regina and Shae Mills stood wrapped up in each other's arms for a few quiet moments, slowly and gently enjoying each other's lips.

"I know our situation at the moment isn't exactly… Great." Regina began, smiling into Shae's piercing blue eyes. "But I'm glad to have you with me while we face this next crisis. I'm so glad that we're… Finally and fully together again, after all this time."

Shae nodded in agreement. "Me too." She replied, smiling back at Regina.

Regina nodded back, placing another tender kiss on her wife's lips. "Actually, there's… Something I've been wanting to talk to you about." She said, smiling some more. "Come. Sit."

She took Shae by the hand, and led her over to the couch, where they both sat down. Regina didn't speak right away. Shae simply waited in silence, watching her curiously. She had a strange sort of nervous smile on her face.

"So… I was thinking… Now that we're married," Regina slowly and carefully began. "I was, um… Wondering how you would feel about… A-About… Maybe… Adopting a baby?"

Regina spoke the last three words in a bit of a rush, and Shae had to take a moment to process what she had just said. Slowly, her draw dropped open in shock. "W-Wha… What?" She whispered.

"Look, I know it's sudden, and the timing isn't exactly the best right now." Regina quickly went on. "But, I just… I know you'd make an amazing parent, and I… I-I'd really love to raise a child with you. Not right now, of course, but… Someday, you know, when things… Calm down."

Shae continued to stare at Regina, her jaw dangling open. "So… What do you think?" She asked, searching Shae's eyes carefully.

"I… I-I… I think… I-"

Shae had started to speak in an anxious stammer, but quickly stopped. Suddenly, tears began streaming from her eyes, and she buried her face in her hands. Regina gasped, clamping her hands over her mouth.

"Shae! Oh, no… Oh, I'm so sorry!" She cried in alarm, tightly gripping her wife's shoulders. "I… I-I shouldn't have said anything, shouldn't have brought it up. It's way too soon, I-"

"No! No, no, no…" Shae quickly cut in, vigorously shaking her head. She hastily took both of Regina's hands in her own, smiling at her through her tears. "It's ok! Really! I just… I… I-I never… I never thought I'd have this."

She paused for a moment to wipe the tears from her face. "After Nadia, and Elsa, and… A-And everything we've been through, I just… Never thought that I would have a beautiful, loving, amazing wife who… W-Who wants to start a family… With me!"

Regina laughed, wiping at tears of her own. "I know, I know… I didn't think I'd ever have this either. But… Here we are. So… What do you say?"

Shae laughed too, and leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on her wife's forehead. "I would absolutely love to raise a child with you, Regina." She whispered, smiling through more joyful tears. "I don't exactly have a lot of experience, but… B-But you know that I love Henry so, so much… So… All I can really promise is that I would love our child just as much, and make sure that they grow up strong and healthy and loved and… A-And cared for and… All of that."

All Regina was able to do was nod her head, as more joyous tears of her own spilled down her cheeks. She pulled Shae into her arms, placing a deep, passionate kiss on her lips. For a moment, all of their worries about Mr. Hyde and his companions from The Land of Untold Stories completely melted away.

"You know…" Shae muttered against her wife's lips. "If it were possible, I'd put a baby in you right now."

Regina chuckled as Shae moved her lips down to her neck. "If it were possible, I think we'd have an entire army of children by now."

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to give it one more try." Shae whispered in her ear. "Or two… Or three."

Regina laughed as Shae laid back on the couch, quickly pulling her on top of her. Regina attacked her wife's lips with her own, running her fingers through her now neatly combed black hair. She moaned softly as Shae's hands slid gently up her thighs, over the curve of her backside, and slipped underneath her blouse.

"Goddamnit…" Shae muttered as, suddenly, her cell phone began to ring.

Regina fished it out of Shae's pocket, rolling her eyes as she sat back. "Impeccable timing as always, Swan." She grumbled.

She briefly spoke to Emma, who told her that Jekyll was already ready with a stun gun he had forged from the wreckage from the dirigible, as well as a set of shackles. He was certain that both would work to subdue Hyde, who seemed otherwise invincible. Shae and Regina both reluctantly got up off the couch, and quickly readjusted themselves.

"HENRYYY!" Shae shouted up the stairs, as she and her wife were grabbing their coats. "Your mom and I have to go kick some Mr. Hyde ass! Call us if you need anything, alright?"

"Ok!" Henry replied from his room.

Shae and Regina both started toward the door, but stopped as Henry called down to them. "By the way…" He said, grinning at them as he leaned over the banister. "I know you guys will be great parents. And I'm excited to one day have a little brother or sister."

Regina's face flushed a deep shade of red, to which Shae laughed. "Love you, buddy." Shae said, winking at Henry.

"Love you too, Shae." Henry replied, winking back.

As Regina stepped out the door with Shae at her side, she suddenly remembered a dream she once had, on her way to The Underworld to rescue both Shae and Hook from Hades' clutches. In her dream, she had been eating breakfast with her wife, her son, and two little girls with olive toned skin and black hair. As she remembered those girls, she silently wondered… Was it actually possible? She had no answers. All she knew was that she was determined to put a stop to whatever Hyde had planned. That way, one day soon, she could start the family that she wanted with the woman that she loved with all her heart.

XX

A little while later, Shae and Regina met up with Emma, her parents, Hook, and Dr. Jekyll. They all convened just outside the building off of Main Street that Hyde had been holed up in. They quickly devised a plan, which was to use Jekyll as bait to lure Hyde out. Then, Emma would use the stun gun on him, and Jekyll himself would rush in and use the shackles he had specially forged just for Hyde. Then, they would be able to lock Hyde up, where they could safely question him, and finally figure out just exactly what he had planned for Storybrooke.

Once they were all agreed on the plan, Shae, Regina, and Jekyll all stepped out of their hiding spot. Shae dragged Jekyll along roughly by the arm, and the good doctor played the role of frightened prisoner quite well. Regina strode confidently just ahead of them, leaving Emma, her parents, and Hook lurking just out of sight behind them.

"Mr. Hyde!" Regina called out as they reached the building where Hyde was hiding. "Why don't you come out here and take what you really want? Or should I deprive you of the pleasure you seek and kill The Doctor myself?"

There was a moment of tense silence as they all waited for a response from Hyde. Suddenly, the door to the building burst open, and Hyde himself stepped out. "Regina!" He said with a grin. "And I see you've brought your lap dog with you once again!"

"Call me a dog one more time and see what happens!" Shae snarled through gritted teeth.

Hyde emitted a loud, mocking laugh. "Oh, I think we've already seen exactly what will happen." He replied, his grin growing even wider. "I have to say I'm… Disappointed in you, Shae. All the stories I've heard of you tell of your ferocity, and your prowess in battle. Yet, you've failed to merely subdue one single man. How embarrassing for you."

Shae opened her mouth to furiously retort, but Regina quickly stepped in. "Enough!" She growled. "Here's what's going to happen… Leave this town, and Jekyll is all yours."

Hyde cocked his head to one side, considering Regina for a moment. "Well, the problem is, my work is here. And it's only just beginning." He replied, folding his arms across his chest. "So… How about I alter the deal?"

He took a step forward, to which Regina drew back, as did Shae, shoving Jekyll behind her. "I take Jekyll, and keep Storybrooke." Hyde went on. He took another step forward, glancing between both Regina and Shae. "And you avoid embarrassing yourselves even further. While everyone was afraid of The Evil Queen and her fearsome Protector… You two, not quite so much."

Regina snarled in fury. "No deal…"

She then summoned a fireball into her hand, and swiftly cast it right into Hyde's chest. Hyde stumbled backward, groaning as he clutched at the spot where the fireball had hit him. Regina and Shae both watched in stunned horror as he immediately straightened himself up, his body glowing red for a moment as he seemed to merely absorb the fireball.

Shae emitted and furious snarl herself, and summoned her own fireball. Once again, Hyde simply stumbled back a step, seemingly absorbing her magic as well. Shae tried again, then again, to which Hyde simply laughed.

"Emma, now!" Shae shouted, looking to The Savior, who was crouched behind a parked car. When she saw Emma with her hands trembling around the stun gun, her face white as snow, she snarled with rage. "Damnit! Fuck this…"

She charged at Hyde, drew back her fist, and punched him square in the jaw. To her horror, Hyde's head merely jerked to the side. He immediately turned it back toward her, his mocking grin stretching even wider across his face.

Quick as a flash, Hyde reacted with his own cocked fist, and struck Shae in the face. She didn't even have time to cry out in pain before he sunk his other fist straight into her chest. The force of the blow sent Shae flying backward just like before, and she landed in a crumpled heap, groaning and writhing on the pavement.

Hyde next turned his attention onto Regina, and reached out with both of his hands, wrapping them tightly around her throat. "Emma!" Regina cried as she began to gasp for air. "EMMA!"

Finally, The Savior seemed to snap out of her stupor, and she slammed her thumb on the button of the stun gun. Two bolts of what looked like pure lightning burst out from it, and hit Hyde right in the chest. Regina was released from his crushing grasp as he was sent hurtling backward, crashing into the windshield of a parked car.

It was then that Jekyll sprang into action, just as planned. He sprinted forward, and clapped his specially made shackles around Hyde's wrists. Dazed and confused, it took a moment for Hyde to realize what had just happened. When he did, he turned his wide eyes up from his wrists, and onto Jekyll.

"Specially made, just for you." Jekyll said with a grin. "You won't be breaking out of those."

Hyde remained in shocked silence as David seized him by his shoulders, and dragged him off of the hood of the car. "Are you ok?" Regina asked of Emma as she rubbed her aching neck. "Why did you hesitate?"

"It's nothing." Emma replied sharply. "I'm fine."

"Are you really, Savior?" Hyde sneered meekly.

"Shut up!" David growled at Hyde as he dragged him toward his squad car. "Ignore him, Emma. He's our prisoner now."

"Yes, yes, ignore me. Just like your tremors…"

This seemed to catch Emma's attention, and she rushed forward, her eyes wide. "Wait… W-Wait!" She shouted in a strangely desperate tone. "W-What… What do you know?"

"More than you!" Hyde called out, as David shoved him into the back of his car.

Emma stood in wide eyed silence as her father climbed into the squad car. Her hands shook as he drove Hyde away. Regina, Snow, and Hook all exchanged a curious and worried glance with one another.

"It's ok!" Shae suddenly called out from her spot on the ground. "Don't worry about me! Just a few more broken ribs. No… Agh! N-No big deal!"

Regina gasped in alarm, and quickly rushed over to her wife. "It's ok, it's alright." She muttered quietly as she knelt down beside Shae. "I can handle a few broken ribs. Hold still."

Shae squeezed her eyes shut, holding her breath, since every one caused her pain anyway. Her body glowed momentarily with a soft purple light. She, once again, breathed out a sigh of relief, as her broken bones were magically mended.

"Shae… You need to be more careful." Regina said with a sigh, placing her hand gently on Shae's shoulder. "You're not indestructible anymore. You're a lot more… Well-"

"Squishy." Shae grumbled as she sat forward. "Yeah… I know."

Regina nodded, and quickly helped Shae back onto her feet. Snow White then turned to her daughter, only to find her gone. "Emma?" She called out.

They all turned around, and found that Emma was nowhere to be seen. "What the hell's going on with her?" Regina asked of both Snow and Hook.

Snow White emitted a sad, heavy sigh, and slowly shook her head. "I… Don't know."

XX

Mr. Hyde was now safely locked away, so Snow, David, Hook, and Emma all ventured back out into the woods to continue their search for survivors from The Land of Untold Stories. They all told Shae and Regina to go back home, but, before doing so, Regina told Shae that she needed to stop at the Town Hall, specifically, her office. She asked her wife to join her, said that she needed her by her side, needed her strength and support. Shae was a bit confused, but immediately agreed.

Regina was silent for a time as they stepped through the door to her office. Shae could sense that something was wrong, so she waited in patient silence for her wife to speak. When she finally did, her tone was quiet, and heavy with sorrow.

"This is where Robin died." She whispered, pointing over at her desk. "It happened right there, right before my eyes. One second, he was there, the next just… Gone."

Shae breathed out a sad, heavy sigh, placing her hand gently on Regina's shoulder. "I see." She muttered. "I'm… So sorry, Regina."

Regina nodded, placing her hand on top of Shae's. "Obliterated." She whispered quietly. "That's what Hades said. His soul… Obliterated, wiped from existence, by the Olympian Crystal."

Shae hesitated in silence, unsure of what to do, what to say. "And the worst part is…" Regina went on, her tone suddenly turning bitter. "I blame Zelena. I was trying so hard to trust her, to accept her, to welcome her as my sister. And then… Then…"

Regina's voice broke with emotion, and Shae's heart ached for her. Slowly, Regina turned around to face her. Shae's heart ached even more at the sight of the tears streaming down her face.

"Henry says that Hades was lying, or that he was just… Wrong. He thinks that Robin's soul is at rest. He's been right about a lot of things, and I sure hope he's right this time too." Regina muttered, wiping at her tears. "Do you… Do you think that Robin might be in your Valhalla?"

Shae bit her lip, thinking back about what Loki told her about The Old Gods, about their nine realms set aflame by Hades and his kin. She didn't have the heart to tell her wife that Valhalla was likely nothing but ash now. However, she didn't want to lie to her either. She didn't have it in her to add another lie onto the pile she had already built.

"I… No. I don't think so." She answered. At the disheartened look on Regina's face, she quickly went on. "What I mean is, uh… Valhalla is a place for warriors to forever feast and fight, a place for… Unending battle. Robin was a great warrior, for sure, but… I think he's somewhere better. Somewhere where he doesn't have to fight anymore. Somewhere peaceful, where he can just… Rest."

Regina nodded slowly, and stepped forward into her wife's arms. Shae held her tight, and they stood there in silence for a while. Shae pressed her lips into the top of Regina's head, her heart heavy as she thought about Robin, about the sacrifice he had made to save Regina's life. In that moment, as she thought about the noble thief, she made a silent decision. She didn't want to continue lying to the woman that she loved. It was time to tell her the truth.

"Regina…" Shae muttered as she stepped back out of their embrace. She took a quick, steadying breath, holding her wife out at arm's length. "There's, um… There's something I-"

"Here you are!"

Shae and Regina both jumped at the sudden voice, and whirled around. Shae gritted her teeth, but tried to keep her expression neutral. It was Zelena, striding into The Mayor's office with a smile on her face.

"I've been looking for you! I heard we got Hyde!" Zelena went on with a grin. "I thought it would take weeks and weeks of battles and twists and turns, but… Here you go doing it all in one day! Kudos to you, sis. To both of you."

Zelena gave Shae a polite nod and a warm smile. "Er… Yeah." Shae mumbled. She glanced nervously at her wife, who had turned her back on her sister, hastily wiping away more tears. "We, um… W-We got him."

Zelena's brow furrowed as she gazed between Shae and her sister. "Is something wrong?" She asked.

"It's… I-It's nothing." Regina muttered, back still turned. "It's just… The first time I've been back here since… Since Robin."

The smile slowly faded from Zelena's face. "I see." She replied with a solemn nod. "It's hard, I know. I lost someone here too."

Shae heard her wife's knuckles crack as she balled her hands into fists, and watched as her lips slowly curled into a furious snarl. "Zelena, look, now's not really the best time." She said in a rush. "I, um… I-I think you should go."

Zelena scoffed, folding her arms across her chest. "Not a chance." She growled, narrowing her eyes at Shae. "My sister and I should be helping each other through both of our losses. Right, Regina?"

"NO!"

Zelena drew back a step at Regina's sudden shout. "What?" She exclaimed. "Why not?"

Shae watched in anxious and uncertain silence as Regina slowly turned around to face her sister. "Because… I blame you." She whispered, her whole body trembling with rage, with pain. "Every time I look at you, I see Robin falling dead on the floor in front of me. Every time I look at you, I… I blame you!"

Zelena scoffed once again. "Well what about this one?" She said in retort, gesturing to Shae. "She's the one that got herself infected with The Hollow in the first place!"

"Don't you dare blame Shae! You leave her out of this!" Regina snarled, taking a furious step forward. "I trusted you! And because of that, Robin's soul was obliterated!"

Zelena barked out a loud, mocking laugh. "Oh, you want to talk about trust, do you?" She sneered, pointing a furious finger at her sister. "You made the biggest decision of your life, ripping out the evil part of you! And you told everyone else about it, except me, your own flesh and blood!"

"Why the hell do you even care?" Regina shouted, throwing her arms up in the air.

"Because you destroyed the part of yourself that was most like me!"

A sudden silence fell over The Mayor's Office. Shae stood rooted in her spot, glancing nervously between Regina and Zelena, not at all sure of what to do. Regina looked shocked and stunned, blinking slowly at her sister with her mouth hanging open.

"I… I-I don't know what you want me to say." Regina finally and quietly replied.

Zelena breathed out a bitter laugh. "You don't need to say anything." She spat furiously. "You don't need to worry about me, or the baby. We'll be just fine without you."

With that, Zelena disappeared in a whirl of bright green smoke. Regina didn't move, didn't speak. Slowly, carefully, Shae reached out her hand, and placed it on her wife's shoulder. Regina drew in a deep, shuddering breath, and once again began to cry. Shae drew her into her arms, and held her tight. It was all she could think of to do that might help.

Later that night, long after they had finally gone home, Shae laid awake in bed, her wife sleeping soundly beside her. She couldn't sleep, Zelena's words spinning round and round inside her head. "You destroyed the part of yourself that was most like me." Those words brought to mind something else, something that had been gnawing at Shae since before her wedding.

"What will she be to you without me?" The Evil Queen had asked her. "She won't know you like I do! She won't love you like I do!"

When Shae closed her eyes, she could still see The Evil Queen's. The pain in them as she watched Regina crush her heart, the fear in them. She snapped her eyes open again, and rolled over, wrapping her arms around the woman that she loved, drawing her in closer. She clung tightly to her, trying her best to remember that the part that The Evil Queen had played in her life was over now. Everything was new now, everything was different, she was different.

Despite Shae's resolute thoughts, her dreams that night were filled with visions of the past, memories of when she had been The Evil Queen's ruthless right hand. Then, the dreams began to shift. She stood at the edge of a cliff, The Evil Queen herself standing beside her. They both smiled, watching as the town of Storybrooke burned beneath them.

XX

The next morning, Shae was guzzling coffee after her fitful, sleepless night. She and Regina received a call bright and early from Snow White, who told them that they had found the people from The Land of Untold Stories. They had started late last night handing out food and clothes to the refugees, who were all confused and frightened, grateful for the aid from the people of Storybrooke.

Snow suggested that, as Mayor, Regina should give a speech to the new arrivals to her town. So, she, Shae, and Henry made their way over to Granny's Diner, which was now functioning as a sort of welcome center for the people from The Land of Untold Stories. Regina paused on the sidewalk, wringing her hands anxiously.

"Mom? You ok?" Henry asked in concern.

Regina took a deep breath in attempt to steady herself. "Yes. I'm fine. I'm ready." She said as she nodded. She then turned to her wife and son. "It's just… Before, everyone listened to me because, you know… I was The Evil Queen. I just need to show them that… That I'm just as strong without her."

"Not just as strong." Shae replied with a wink. "You're stronger."

"Exactly!" Henry agreed. "You remember what we're calling it, right? Operation Cobra: Part Two."

Regina raised an eyebrow at her son. "Part two?"

"Yeah." Henry said with a smile. "This time, you're the hero. You both are."

Regina smiled back, giving her son's shoulder a squeeze. She then took another quick, steadying breath, and started toward the door. Shae grinned at Henry, wrapping an arm around his neck and ruffling his hair affectionately as they followed.

Inside the diner was utter chaos. The people of The Land of Untold Stories were packed in like sardines. Granny and her employees were bustling about amongst them, handing out bundles of food. They spotted Snow, David, Emma, and Hook amongst the crowd too, who were all handing out room keys and clothes to the refugees.

"Your Majesty! It's about time." Hook called out over the din of chatter as he approached them. "The rabble are growing a bit restless."

Regina nodded, and turned to Henry, who handed her his storybook. "You've got this, Mom." He said with a grin.

Regina nodded once more, then turned to Shae. "Ready?"

Shae nodded back at her, and took her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze. The two of them then made their way through the crowd, stopping in front of the counter. Regina then called out to the people gathered inside the diner. A few turned their heads toward her, but the rest didn't seem to be paying any attention, to which Regina frowned.

Frowning herself, Shae turned around, and leaned over the counter. She spotted an empty skillet and a large metal ladle, and promptly scooped them both up. She then proceeded to bang the ladle against the skillet, loudly. The clamouring certainly got everyone's attention, and the crowd quickly fell silent.

"Hey! What the hell do you think you're doing?" Cried Granny, wrenching both skillet and ladle out of Shae's hands. "You damn barbarian! This is my good skillet! Stainless steel, this is!"

"Sorry, sorry…" Shae mumbled. She then cleared her throat, and gestured for Regina to begin her speech.

Regina stifled a laugh, then cleared her own throat before addressing the people from The Land of Untold Stories. "Hello, everyone! My name is Regina Mills, Mayor of Storybrooke." She began with a warm, though slightly anxious smile. "Beside me is Vice-Mayor, Shae Mills, my wife. We're here today to officially welcome you all to Storybrooke."

There were some hushed mutterings around the room as Regina made a brief pause. It seemed that, even in The Land of Untold Stories, same-sex marriage was likely not a common occurance. One man even got up and left. Shae did a sudden double take, watching him scurry out the door. He seemed to be a sailor of some sort, maybe even a pirate. Something seemed strangely familiar about him, but she quickly shrugged it off as Regina went on.

"You all fled to the Land of Untold Stories because you were afraid that whatever was in this book is going to play out." She said, holding up Henry's storybook. "And, now that you're here, I'm sure you're scared it will. But… There's something you don't realize."

Regina paused once again, and took her wife's hand, giving her a small smile. "I'm just like you. We're just like you." She went on, turning her head back toward the crowd. "My wife and I are both getting a fresh start. We don't know what the future holds either. However, there is one thing that is for certain."

She then drew herself up to her full height, and said in a clear, ringing voice. "We don't have to be afraid. Because, whatever comes next, we'll face it… Together!"

There was a round of hearty applause as Regina finished her speech. Then, the refugees began to chatter amongst themselves again, and some began to disperse. Regina breathed out a sigh of relief, and turned to her wife.

"Was that… Ok?" She asked.

Shae laughed loudly, taking both of Regina's hands in her own. "Are you kidding me? That was amazing!" She exclaimed. "You're amazing!"

Regina smiled, and placed a quick kiss on Shae's lips. She then returned the storybook to her son. Henry promptly began flipping through it, searching for each refugee's story, in hopes to find out who exactly they were, and get a jump on their untold story.

Not long after the heroes of Storybrooke finally sat down to eat breakfast, they were met with another new arrival. It was Belle, who had finally been awoken from her sleeping curse by Gold. She had come to Granny's in hopes of getting a room, telling the others that she and her husband were no longer together, which surprised really no one.

Since Granny's was full with refugees, Hook offered to let her stay on his ship with him. He and Belle both left to get Belle's things, as did Emma, who said that she had an appointment with Archie. She told the others that her tremors, as Hyde called them, were just stress, but she was working through it with Archie. Shae knew Emma well, and she had a sneaking suspicion that it really wasn't just stress. Still, though, she remained silent about it. Emma was her own woman, and she figured she had more important things to worry about, anyway. She had no idea how right she was.

Just as everyone else was about to leave, the door to Granny's suddenly burst open. It was the man that had left during Regina's speech. Upon closer inspection, Shae guessed that he was likely a pirate. He was much too rough looking to be just a regular sailor.

"In here, Captain!" He called over his shoulder. "It's her! I swear on me mother's grave, it's her!"

Another man stepped in behind him, another pirate. He was dressed in a long, brown, tattered coat, and a tricorn hat. His hair was a dark shade of brown, done up in thick dreadlocks that fell past his shoulders. He had a forked beard which was adorned with beads, along with his hair. Everyone leapt to their feet in alarm as he raised the cutlass clenched in his fist.

"No way!" Henry exclaimed from his seat at the bar, his eyes gaping wide. "Jack Sparrow?"

The pirate's eyes snapped over to Henry. "That's Captain Jake Sparrow to you, lad!" He spat. Then, he turned his gaze back onto Regina, pointing the tip of his cutlass at her. "You… I've waited a long, long time to clap eyes on you again."

"What? Me?" She asked, pointing at herself, looking confused. "This is obviously some sort of misunderstanding, er… Captain. I don't even know who you are! I've never seen you before in my life!"

Captain Jack Sparrow rolled his eyes. "Not you! The snivelling wench cowering behind your back!"

There was a moment of silence as everyone's eyes turned onto Shae, who was, indeed, hiding behind her wife. Her head then popped up over Regina's shoulder. She was chewing on her fingernail, looking extremely nervous.

"Jack!" She exclaimed, spreading her arms wide as she stepped out from behind Regina. "Captain Jack Sparrow! And Mr. Gibbs! Man, it has been a long, long time. How've you guys been?"

"Oh, you mean, since you sunk my ship and made off with my compass?" Spat Captain Jack.

"You sent half of our crew down to Davy Jones' locker that day!" Snarled Mr. Gibbs.

Shae glanced nervously around the room. Many of the refugees still remained, who moments ago were enjoying a nice, quiet meal. Now, they were cowering at their booths and tables, staring at Shae and the pirates with fear in their eyes.

"Listen, Jack… I-I'm sure there's a way we can settle this without bloodshed." Shae said in a rush.

Jack Sparrow considered her for a moment, then turned to his first mate. "Mr. Gibbs?" He asked.

Gibbs responded by drawing his own cutlass. Then, the two pirates charged at Shae, bellowing out fearsome war cries. Shae quickly shoved her wife to the side, then kicked out a foot, sending her chair hurtling toward the pirates. She used that brief moment of distraction to turn on her heel, and flee.

Shae sped out the back door, the furious cries of Captain Jack Sparrow and his first mate ringing in her ears. She barely made it out the back door before she was clotheslined by a beefy, dark skinned arm. She hit the ground hard, gasping and sputtering for breath, her vision reeling. When it cleared, she saw a large, muscular, dark skinned pirate standing over her. There were two others standing behind him. All three had their swords drawn, and pointed at Shae.

"The Captain said you would try to run." The man on the left sneered. He was thin and gangly, and appeared to have a wooden eye. He giggled excitedly as the dark skinned man dragged Shae to her feet. "I can't believe it's actually her!"

The man on Shae's right stepped in front of her, brandishing his sword menacingly. "Captain Jack is going to have quite a lot in store for you, poppet." He snarled.

Slowly, a handful more pirates began to step out of their hiding places. They all chuckled deviously, pointing their swords at Shae. It was then their Captain and Mr. Gibbs finally burst through the door. The burly man holding Shae pressed the blade of his sword firmly against her throat.

"SHAE!" Regina exclaimed as she burst through the door behind Jack and Gibbs, David and Snow hot on her heels. "Let her go! NOW!"

David drew his sword, Snow her bow, and Regina summoned a fireball into her hand. "STOP!" Shae shouted, carefully putting out her hands. "Just… Everybody calm down!"

Captain Jack emitted a deep, dark chuckle, taking a step toward Shae. "Oh, I don't think so, mate." He snarled, pointing the tip of his sword straight at Shae's chest. "I want what you stole from me. I want my bloody compass!"

"Ok, yeah, I-I can do that. Your compass, it's here, in Storybrooke." Shae replied in a low, even tone. "But It's protected by magic. I can get it back to you, but you won't be able to get to it without my help."

Captain Jack glanced around at his crew, then narrowed his eyes at Shae. "Fine." He said, giving a small, one armed shrug. "Lead the way, then."

After a nod from his captain, the large, dark skinned man holding Shae removed his sword from her throat. Shae blinked several times in surprise. She had been expecting more of a fight. The others seemed to be of the same mind, and they all took angry steps toward the pirates, who stepped forward themselves, raising their swords.

"Woah, woah, woah!" Cried Shae, putting out her hands once again. She quickly locked eyes with her wife. "Regina… It's ok, I promise. I'll be alright."

"Aye." Said Jack, nodding in agreement. "If what she says is true, then no harm will come to her as long as I get my compass."

Shae simply stared at Jack Sparrow for a moment, once again surprised and perplexed. "Uh… R-Right." She muttered, turning her attention back onto Regina, Snow, and David. "See? I'll be just fine."

For a moment, Regina seemed unconvinced. Then, she breathed out a relenting sigh. "Fine." She grumbled. She turned her eyes onto Jack, pointing an angry finger at him. "If you so much harm a single hair on her head, I'll turn you and your crew into chum."

Captain Jack Sparrow laughed heartily. "I'd expect nothing less from The Evil Queen." He replied with a wink.

Regina bristled visibly at that, but said nothing. Jack then gestured for Shae to lead on, and the dark skinned man behind her gave her a rough shove forward. Shae glanced over her shoulder, giving her wife one last anxious and slightly confused smile.

Shae quickly led Jack and his crew into the Storybrooke cemetery. She knew that if the compass that she had stolen so many years ago would be anywhere in Storybrooke, it would be in Regina's vault. Once they had reached the vault, Captain Jack addressed his crew.

"Mr. Gibbs, Mr. Pintel, Mr. Ragetti, with me." He commanded. "The rest of you, stand guard out here. If she tries to run, cut her throat, eh?"

"I heard that, you know." Shae said to Jack as he and the others joined her by the door.

"Aye." Jack replied, clapping Shae on the shoulder. "You were meant to."

Shae furrowed her brow as Jack Sparrow grinned at her, swaying slightly on his feet, as he often did. She then gave a small shrug, and pulled the door to the vault open. She pushed the stone coffin aside, revealing the hidden staircase.

"Now, I don't know exactly where, but the compass has to be here somewhere." Shae said as she, Jack, and his three chosen crewmates stepped into the vault. "Just… Don't touch anything, ok? Most of this stuff is enchanted with some crazy powerful magic."

Jack nodded his head, as did Gibbs. However, the two other pirates, the one with the wooden eye and his short, balding friend, avoided Shae's gaze. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously at them.

"Put it back." Shae said, folding her arms across her chest.

"What?" Asked the shorter man.

"We don't got-" The false eyed man began to say.

"Put. It. Back." Shae said sternly, pointing a finger at the two of them.

The pirates exchanged a quick glance between themselves, then looked to their captain. At a gesture from Jack, they removed their hands from behind their backs, and placed the items they had taken back where they found them. Shae then gave a satisfactory nod, and the five of them began their search for Jack Sparrow's stolen compass.

Shae and the pirates started their search on the walls, carefully inspecting every shelf and nook carved into the stone walls. Next, they searched through the trunks and crates full of various items that were scattered about. Shae was starting to think that Jack's compass might not be in Regina's vault after all. There was only one other place she could think of that it might be, which was Mr. Gold's Pawn Shop.

"Hey, you guys… The compass might not be here after all." She told the others as she searched through yet another one of Regina's trunks. "There's another place here in town where it might be, but I don't exactly get along with the guy who owns it."

She then straightened herself up with a sigh, brushing the dust off of her hands. "He probably won't be willing to part with it without some sort of price, so-"

Shae turned around to face them, the stopped mid sentence. Something wasn't right. Jack Sparrow and his crew mates were standing rigid in their spots, unmoving, like statues. Shae stepped up to Jack, whose arm was outstretched toward a shelf on the wall. She waved her hand in front of his face, frowning in concern when she saw no reaction whatsoever.

"Gold?" She called out, slowly turning in her spot, her eyes darting around the vault. "Zelena?"

"No… Not quite."

Shae nearly leapt out of her skin at the sudden voice. She turned toward it, her brow furrowing even more when she realized that she recognized the voice. It was Regina's, her wife's.

She peered down the dark hallway that lead toward Regina's safe room, watching as Regina herself stepped out of the shadows. Something wasn't right with her either. She was wearing one of her old dresses, one that she used to wear when she had been The Evil Queen.

"Regina?" Shae asked, immensely confused. "What are you-"

"Wrong again, darling." Regina replied. Her lips were curled into a sinister sort of grin that Shae hadn't seen on her face in a long, long time. "Try another guess."

Shae's heart suddenly dropped deep into the pit of her stomach. "No… No, no, no…" She whispered, drawing back a step as she stared wide eyed at the woman that stood before her, the woman that looked just like her wife, but wasn't. It was The Evil Queen. "Y-You're… You're dead. I watched Regina crush your heart."

The Evil Queen barked out a loud, mocking laugh. "Oh, surely you didn't think it would be that easy to get rid of me." She replied, her sinister grin growing even wider. "Surely you of all people would know better."

Shae shook her head vigorously, her heart racing, her mind reeling. "W-What… What are you doing here? What do you want?"

The Evil Queen laughed once again, sauntering toward Shae. "It's so deliciously ironic that you would ask that." She answered, her grinning, deep brown eyes boring into Shae's. "For now… I'm simply here to give you this."

Shae had retreated so far that her back finally hit the wall. Her blue eyes grew wide as she saw what The Evil Queen was holding in her hand, attached to a silver chain. "Jack's compass…" She whispered.

"Indeed." The Queen replied with another devious grin. "The compass that doesn't point north, but does point to the thing you want most in this world. I remember when you gave this to me. Do you?"

Shae swallowed the hard lump that had formed in her throat, and laughed quietly herself. "Yeah, of course I do." She replied with a small shrug, trying desperately to calm her racing heart. "Specifically, I remember you shouting at me that it didn't work, that it was useless, and that I was useless. Then you threw it at my head."

The Evil Queen nodded, emitting a soft chuckle. "Yes, I remember that as well." She muttered, smiling a wistful sort of smile as she stroked her finger across the compass. "At the time, I did think this compass was useless, because it didn't lead me to Snow White. Instead, it kept leading me… To you, Shae."

A moment of silence passed between them as The Evil Queen slowly stepped forward. Shae finally managed to steel herself, and held her ground. She glared furiously into The Evil Queen's eyes as she drew closer, the same eyes as her wife's.

"I didn't realize it at the time, or, rather… I simply refused to acknowledge it." The Evil Queen went on, her tone soft as placed her hand gently on Shae's cheek. "But… You were the thing that I wanted most, Shae. You still are."

The Queen then removed her hand from Shae's cheek, and flipped open the lid of Jack Sparrow's magical compass. She stared silently down at it for a moment, then titled it forward so Shae could see. The needle was pointing directly at the center of Shae's chest.

"I want you to have this, as a kind of… Peace offering." The Evil Queen said as she closed the lid to the compass. "Know that I won't harm you, Shae. I don't want to hurt you, not ever again."

Shae eyed The Evil Queen suspiciously for a moment, then reached for the compass. "On one condition…" Said The Queen, as she quickly drew her hand away.

Shae sighed, rolling her bright blue eyes. "What?" She snapped irritably. "You have to know that I'm not going to help you with whatever bullshit you have planned."

"I know, darling. I know…" The Evil Queen replied, emitting a sad, heavy sigh, rolling her own eyes. "All I want is for you to keep our little… Encounter, to yourself. I don't want Regina to know that I'm still alive, or anyone else in this town, for that matter. Not just yet, anyway."

There was another moment of silence as Shae glared into The Evil Queen's deep brown eyes. She then shifted her own over to Jack and his crew, who were still standing frozen in their spots. She knew that Jack would never leave her be unless he got his compass back. She also knew that she wouldn't be able to get it from The Evil Queen without a fight, a fight that she wasn't certain she'd be able to win.

"Fine." She growled reluctantly. "I… Won't tell anyone. I swear it."

"Excellent!" Exclaimed The Evil Queen, another dark grin stretching across her face. "I just knew you would agree. I know you quite well, after all. You were always good at taking orders from your Queen."

Shae gritted her teeth, seething silently as she held out her hand for the compass. The Evil Queen took Shae's hand in her own, grinning into her furious bright blue eyes. She then drew Shae's hand up to her lips, and placed a gentle kiss into her palm.

"I give you this in hopes that it will lead you to what you want most." She whispered, finally pressing the compass into Shae's hand.

Shae chuckled quietly, slowly shaking her head. "It's not you, if that's what you're thinking. Not anymore. I already have what I want most."

The Evil Queen cocked her head to one side. "Are you sure about that?"

She pulled the lid of the compass open once again. Shae stared down at it, watching as the needle spun, eventually settling on a spot to the northeast. She furrowed her brow as it immediately began spinning again. Her eyes grew wide as it stopped at the point directly in front of her. She slowly glanced up from the compass, and found that The Evil Queen was suddenly gone.

"W-What? What the bloody hell just happened?" Muttered Captain Jack, as the spell cast on him and his crew was lifted. "I feel strange…"

"Oi! You!" The man with the wooden eye exclaimed, pointing at Shae. "You… Y-You were just there! Now you're… There!"

Shae quickly shook herself out of her frightened and confused stupor, and turned to the pirates. "It's nothing, don't worry about it." She mumbled. "Here. I found your compass."

Jack Sparrow grinned excitedly as Shae handed him his compass. "Wonderful! Finally!" He exclaimed, quickly flipping it open. He seemed to frown in disappointment as he watched the needle spin for a moment, but then shrugged, and stuffed it in a pocket. "Now, then. That ugly business is finally over. What say you to a drink, eh? I don't know about you lot, but I could use a spot of rum."

The other three pirates all nodded in earnest agreement. "Seriously?" Asked Shae, raising an eyebrow at Jack. "You're just going to… Let me go?"

"Aye." Jack replied with a nod. "I said all I wanted was my compass, and now I have it. I think as long as you point me and my crew to the nearest alehouse, we can let bygones be bygones. Savvy?"

Shae breathed out a bemused laugh. "Yeah… Ok." She replied with a small shrug. "I could use a drink too. Come on. I know a good place."

With that, Shae left the vault with Jack Sparrow and his crew, and began leading them back into town. She walked silently as the pirates chattered amongst themselves, trying desperately to ignore the writhing, anxious lump in the pit of her stomach. She had no idea how The Evil Queen had survived, or what she had planned for Storybrooke, but knew that it was nothing good.

Above all else, Shae's heart ached with the knowledge that she had to add one more lie onto the heap of them that she had been telling her new wife. All she wanted to do now was drown her sorrows in whiskey. Perhaps, she even could drink until she forgot all about it, about everything.

XX

"So… You're telling me that you sank my ship, slaughtered my crew, and stole my most prized possession, all because it was… Your wife's birthday?"

Jack Sparrow was now walking next to Shae as they began to approach The Rabbit Hole, Storybrooke's local dive bar. "Well, it was before she was my wife." Shae explained with a small shrug. "But… Yeah. I had completely forgotten to get her a present, and she was… Not happy. So, you know, I figured the fabled, magical compass that points to your heart's greatest desire would make up for it."

"Did it?" Asked Jack.

Shae chuckled quietly. "Um… Not exactly."

Jack Sparrow nodded in understanding. "Aye, the heart is a tricky thing, as is the compass. You have to be absolutely sure of what it is you want most. Otherwise, it'll lead you in bloody circles."

Shae nodded back. "So… What exactly is it that the famous Captain Jack Sparrow wants most?"

Jack stopped walking as he fished his compass out of his pocket. "At the moment…" He muttered, staring down at the compass lying open in his hand. "Copious amounts of rum, which seems to reside inside the establishment with the brightly colored flag outside of it."

Shae followed Jack's pointed finger, and her brow furrowed in confusion when she saw the rainbow flag that was now hanging next to The Rabbit Hole's neon sign. When she stepped inside, she immediately realized why. Remus, her best friend, her brother, was behind the bar, pouring drinks.

"Remus!" She exclaimed, grinning excitedly as she hurried over to the bar. "What are you doing here? Do you work here now?"

"Not only do I work here, I now own this fine establishment." Remus replied, grinning back at her. "The previous proprietor was unfortunately lost during… I think… The Snow Queen debacle? Or was it the siege of the hundreds of Dark Ones? Oh, I don't know. Either way… Here I am!"

Shae laughed as she glanced around the bar. "I was wondering where you'd been this whole time. I love what you've done with the place."

What was once a hole in the wall dive, was now bright, shiny, and new. Remus had taken out several walls, opening up the place in its entirety. There was now a decent sized dance floor, with a stage against the far wall where a DJ had set up his equipment. All around there were booths with plush leather seats, tables and chairs made of finely polished wood. Even the bar itself was brand new, with glass shelves on the wall behind it full to bursting with bottles and bottles of assorted types of liquor. Best of all, there were actually people inside. There were more people at The Rabbit Hole than Shae had ever seen during her time in Storybrooke.

"Yes, well, while you were spending your hard and dubiously earned money on a lavish honeymoon," Remus went on to explain. "I was spending mine on refurbishing my new bar. So… You like it?"

"I love it." Shae replied with a grin. "It reminds me of Eclipse. How are Terry and Rosa, by the way? Have you talked to them?"

"Oh, yes, we keep in touch. They're doing well." Remus replied with a dismissive wave of his hand. "I'm much more interested in your ruggedly handsome friend, here."

Jack Sparrow, as well as his crew, had been staring wide eyed all around him. Shae guessed that they had never seen strobe lights before, or heard techno music. When Jack realized that Remus was staring at him, he sauntered forward, outstretching his hand.

"Captain Jack Sparrow." He said as Remus shook his hand. "My crew and I will be having several bottles of your finest rum, barkeep. All paid for by our mutual friend."

Jack clapped a hand on Shae's shoulder, and Shae opened her mouth to protest. She then shut it again, then shrugged. She realized that it was only fair, considering what she had done to Jack and his crew so long ago. So, as Jack had said, she ordered several bottles of Captain Morgan for the pirates, and a bottle of whiskey for herself. Then, they all found a table large enough for the whole group, sat down, and began to drink.

Remus joined them after a time, leaving the bar in the capable hands of his new employees. The two of them sat with Jack and his crew, laughing and drinking as they listened to Mr. Gibbs' stories. He told fantastic tales of The Black Pearl, captained by the famous Jack Sparrow and his crew of vagabonds.

"I just… I don't get it." Shae said to Jack once Gibbs had finished another tale. "I mean, I'm grateful and everything, but why just… Let me go? After everything I did to you?"

Jack drank deep straight from the bottle of rum sitting in front of him before answering. "Well, first, I've seen what you can do." He said, sloshing some rum down the front of him. "Not only can you fight, you've got magic! Me and my crew of despots can't rightly stand up to the likes of you."

He paused as he tiled back his head, draining the rest of his bottle in a few short gulps. "And… A-And… B… Just look at us! We're pirates, mate!" He went on with a drunken grin, spreading his arms wide. "We're scoundrels, scallywags, savages! We've done much worse, for much less. I daresay that, you, my friend… Well, you're just like us!"

"Aye!" Gibbs exclaimed, raising his glass. "You're a damned vagrant if I ever did see one, lass!"

"A good-for-nothing miscreant, you are, poppet!" The balding man agreed, raising his own glass.

"To miscreants and vagrants!" Shouted the man with the wooden eye. "Cheers, me 'earties!"

Jack Sparrow and his crew all leapt to their feet, clinking their glasses together merrily. Shae, however, remained seated. She stared silently down into her own glass, brow furrowed. You're just like us…

"Shae… Are you alright?" Remus asked in concern.

Shae breathed out a heavy sigh, and slowly nodded her head. "Yeah, I just… Need another drink. Be right back."

She then got up from the table, and made her way back to the bar. She sighed once again, leaning her elbows on the edge of the bar, and buried her face in her hands. Savage, miscreant, vagrant… Those words spun around in her head like a swarm of angry bees.

"Shae? Are you alright?"

Shae jumped slightly at the voice that spoke quietly from beside her. It was a voice she recognized, the voice of Mother Superior, The Blue Fairy. She was staring at her in concern from her bar stool.

"Blue! Hey!" Shae said, quickly shaking herself. "What, uh… What are you doing here? I didn't exactly take you for much of a drinker."

The Blue Fairy's face suddenly flushed a deep shade of red. "Yes, well… Even beings of light and magic such as myself need to take the edge off every once in a while." She replied, waving her hand dismissively. "How are you? How is Regina? I haven't seen either of you since your wedding, which was just lovely, by the way."

"Good! I-I'm good. We're… Good." Shae replied in an awkward stammer. "Thank you for, you know… What you did for us, and for Tink. She's, well… Still figuring things out. But, I know she's gonna do great as a Fairy Godmother."

"Yes, I think so too." Blue replied with a smile. "You know, for the longest time, I sincerely doubted that you and Regina would ever find the light within yourselves, or find each other, for that matter. But, Tinkerbell… She never did. And, well… Here you both are."

Shae nodded silently, desperately trying to flag down one of the bartenders. All she wanted was more whiskey, and to escape from the uncomfortable encounter she now found herself in. The Blue Fairy then reached out, placing her hand gently on Shae's.

"Shae, I-"

Blue had begun to speak, but stopped short. She suddenly drew her hand away from Shae's, recoiling in such a violent way, that she slipped off of her bar stool. Shae furrowed her brow in confusion, as The Blue Fairy stared at her with wide, fearful eyes.

"Shae…" Blue whispered, placing her hands over her mouth. "W-What… What have you done?"

"I… What?" Shae asked, blinking several times in shock and confusion. "What are you talking about?"

The Blue Fairy's hands slowly fell away for her face, and her mouth opened and closed several times, her bottom lip trembling. "You… Have been touched by… Something." She whispered quietly. "Something not of this world. Something… Not of the light, but not quite of darkness, either."

Finally, one of the bartenders stepped up behind the bar in front of Shae. She ordered another whiskey, a double this time. She could feel The Blue Fairy's eyes boring into her, as well as the sweat beading on her forehead.

Suddenly, Blue reached out, and gripped Shae's arm tight. "What… Are you?" She asked in a horrified whisper.

Shae gritted her teeth as she slapped some money onto the bar. "I don't know what you're talking about." She replied, scooping up her drink.

The Blue Fairy then nodded slowly in some sort of understanding. "I see." She muttered, her eyes suddenly very sad. "So it has finally come to pass, after all this time."

Shae blinked several times in confusion, and opened her mouth to question The Blue Fairy. She stopped when a sudden voice called out her name. "Shae! Here you are!"

She whirled around, and saw Hook stepping into the bar, hurrying toward her. When she turned back to Blue, she found that she was suddenly gone. "Is this where you've been this whole time?" Hook asked as he reached her. "Your wife is worried sick about you, you know. She's been calling you for hours!"

"Oh… Really?" Shae muttered, hastily taking out her phone. Her eyes grew wide with alarm when she saw the dozens of missed calls from Regina. "Uh oh…"

"Captain Hook?" Jack Sparrow suddenly called out from his seat. "Bloody hell, is that you?"

Hook turned around, and his own eyes grew wide. "Captain Jack Sparrow?" He exclaimed. "My god! It's been ages!"

Shae sent a quick text to her wife as the two pirates embraced each other warmly. "Wait… You guys know each other?" She asked of them.

"Aye!" Jack Sparrow replied, grinning from ear to ear as he grasped Hook by the shoulders. "We met in Neverland, and had some grand adventures together! The Black Pearl and The Jolly Roger, sailing the open seas side by side in search of riches and plunder. What a time that was, my friend! What a time!"

"Indeed it was, Captain Sparrow." Agreed Hook, also grinning. "What are you doing here? Did you come from The Land of Untold Stories?"

Jack nodded, and beckoned for Hook to join him and his crew for a drink. Hook happily obliged, and sat down at the table with Shae, Remus, and the pirates. He exchanged pleasantries with Gibbs, the man with the wooden eye, his balding friend, and a few other members of Jack's crew.

"Last I saw you, you were sailing off for The Enchanted Forest in search of The Fountain of Youth." Hook said to Jack, once they were all settled with drinks in hand. "What exactly led you to The Land of Untold Stories?"

Jack glanced carefully around the room for a moment, then leaned forward across the table. "This." He whispered.

Hook, Shae, and Remus all watched as Jack began to undo the bandages that were wrapped around one of his hands. Their eyes all grew wide when he showed them his palm. In the center, was a circle of what looked like black, undulating slime.

"Black Spot!" Hook suddenly cried.

He then leapt out of his chair, quickly brushed off both of his shoulders, spun around in a circle, and spat on the ground. "Oi!" Shouted Remus. "These are brand new floors!"

Hook ignored Remus as he sat back down, staring with wide, fearful eyes at Jack Sparrow. "Bloody hell, Jack." He breathed quietly. "That is… Not good, mate. Not good at all!"

"Wait a minute…" Shae quickly interjected. "Isn't the black spot the thing that draws The Kraken to you?"

"Aye." Jack grumbled as he began to re-apply his bandages. "But, as long as I remain on dry land, The Kraken can't get to me. But, well… You know me." He shrugged at Hook. "The sea is my life, my home, my one true love! So, when I heard tales of a far away land that stopped your story in it's tracks, I sailed straight for it. There, my crew and I sailed the open seas once again. Until we were plucked from the deck of our ship by some sort of flying machine. Then… We crash landed here."

Shae's eyes suddenly grew wide with realization. "Oh shit… I think I understand why Hyde brought all these people with him." She said, staring at Hook. "There must be more people here like Jack who are tied to all of us."

"And now that they're here, their stories can play out." Replied Hook, nodding slowly in understanding. "And those stories are tied to ours, in some way. Which could lead to… Well… I'm not sure what."

"'Utter chaos,' as Jekyll put it." Mumbled Shae, slowly rubbing her chin. She then breathed out a sour chuckle as she leaned back in her chair. "He's going to take us out one untold story at a time."

"Then…" Remus chimed in with a dark scowl. "Storybrooke will be his."

A heavy silence fell over the table as Shae, Hook, and Remus all contemplated the new information that they had suddenly deduced. Jack Sparrow glanced between the three of them, his lips pursed into a thin line. Then, he glanced at his first mate, Mr. Gibbs, who merely shrugged at him.

"Well, I haven't the faintest idea what you're all going on about." Said Jack, finally breaking the silence. "But it sounds awfully grim. I propose that we forget about all that, and drown our worries in rum! What say you, eh?"

Shae, Remus, and Hook all exchanged a quick glance, then shrugged themselves. Then, they all poured themselves another drink, then another, then another. Soon, they had forgotten all about Mr. Hyde and untold stories.

After a while, Remus was drunk enough to announce that the next round of drinks for the entire bar was on the house. As the pirates became drunker and drunker, they began to sing sea shanties. Remus called for the DJ to stop, and the entire bar watched, listened, and laughed as the pirates danced and sang.

"Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.

We pillage plunder, we rifle and loot.

Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!

We kidnap and ravage and don't give a hoot.

Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me.

We extort and pilfer, we filch and sack.

Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!

Maraud and embezzle and even highjack.

Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!

We're rascals and scoundrels, we're villains and knaves.

Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!

We're devils and black sheep, we're really bad eggs.

Drink up me 'earties, yo ho!

Yo ho, yo ho, a pirate's life for me!"

The pirates finished another shanty to a round of raucous applause. "I love that song!" Jack Sparrow exclaimed, arm in arm with Hook as they spun each other around. "Really bad eggs!"

"Really bad eggs!" Hook shouted, raising his bottle of rum into the air.

"Shae Cormac Mills!"

Shae froze mid sip of her whiskey, her eyes suddenly growing wide. She slowly turned around, and saw her wife stomping toward her. "Regina!" She exclaimed, grinning drunkenly as she stumbled forward.

As soon as she reached her, Shae threw her arms around Regina, and planted a sloppy kiss on her lips. "Oh… Wow." Regina said, holding her wife out at arms length. "You taste and smell like a lot of whiskey."

"Oh, yeah, I'm like… Super drunk." Shae replied, grinning some more as she swayed on her feet. "It's like… Super easy to get drunk now."

"Yes, well, you are human now." Regina said with a laugh. She breathed out a relieved sigh, placing her hands on either side of Shae's face. "I've been so worried about you… Are you alright?"

"Er… Right. Yeah. Sorry about that." Shae muttered with a frown. "But, I'm just fine, really! Jack and I are like… Best friends now. Right Jack?"

"Aye!" Jack Sparrow agreed, still spinning slowly in circles, arm in arm with Hook. "The bestest of friends!"

Regina laughed once again as she observed the two drunk pirates. "I see you got Hook drunk right along with you."

"Hey, Hook is a big boy." Shae replied with a shrug, taking another sip of her whiskey. "He got drunk all by himself."

"Well, can it be my turn now?" Regina asked, shrugging herself. "It's been a long day."

Shae's drunken grin returned to her face, and she took her wife by the hand, leading her over to the table she had been sharing with the pirates. She poured her wife a glass of rum, and the two of them sat side by side, chatting with Remus. Once the DJ started playing again, Jack, Hook, and some of Jack's crew took to the dance floor. The rest all watched and laughed as the pirates danced awkwardly and drunkenly to the pulsing techno music.

After a few glasses of rum, Regina was significantly drunk herself, and Shae discovered something new about her wife. Rum apparently had a sensual effect on Regina. She was now sitting in Shae's lap, her fingers entangled in her wife's hair as she pressed deep, slow kisses on her lips. It was at that moment, Emma entered The Rabbit Hole.

"Seriously?" She asked with a laugh as she approached Regina and Shae. "What are you guys, two teenagers on prom night?"

"Mmm… No." Shae said with a shrug as Regina pulled away from her lips. "We're just super into each other."

Regina laughed, placing another quick kiss on her wife's lips. "If you're looking for your boyfriend, he's somewhere out on the dancefloor making a fool of himself."

Emma followed Regina's pointed finger, and chuckled quietly when she spotted Hook. He spotted her as well, and gave her an enthusiastic, drunken wave with his good hand. Emma waved back, then cleared her throat, and turned her gaze back onto Regina and Shae. She suddenly looked quite nervous.

"No, actually, I was, uh… Looking for Shae." She said, wringing her hands in an anxious sort of way. "I was hoping to speak to her in, you know… In private, if… I-If that's ok."

Shae looked to her wife, who merely shrugged, and got up off of her lap. "It's fine. I'm ready to go home, anyway." She said. She then ran her fingers through Shae's hair. "If you hurry back, I'll… Well…"

Regina leaned forward, and whispered something into her wife's ear. Shae's eyes suddenly grew wide as saucers. Regina laughed once again, and placed a quick peck on Shae's cheek. She then gave Emma a wave goodbye, and sauntered out the door.

"God, I love that woman." Shae whispered as she watched her go. She then cleared her throat, and turned her eyes onto Emma. "So, uh, anyway… What's up, Swan Song?"

Emma didn't answer right away. She glanced all around her for a moment, still looking strangely anxious. "How, uh… How drunk are you, exactly?" She asked of Shae.

"Hmmm… Depends." Shae replied with a shrug. "What kind of scale are we talking about?"

Emma turned her eyes up to the ceiling as she thought for a moment. "Um… One being tipsy, and ten being… Too drunk to remember a conversation we're about to have."

Shae tapped a finger against her chin as she thought. "I'd say… A solid eight."

"Well, then… Can I buy you another drink?" Emma asked, shrugging herself.

Shae sported another drunken grin, and vigorously nodded her head. Emma nodded back, and led the way over to the bar. "Wait… Hold on." She said, suddenly stopping in her tracks. "You're the one whose apparently filthy stinking rich. Shouldn't you be buying me a drink?"

"You know, this is exactly why I don't tell people about my money!" Shae exclaimed, throwing her arms up in the air.

Emma simply folded her arms across her chest, and raised an eyebrow at Shae. After a moment, Shae breathed out a long, relenting sigh. She then ordered two glasses of whiskey, and followed Emma over to an empty booth, where they both sat down.

"So, I know you guys have all noticed my, um… My tremors." Emma said, after taking a long, deep drink from her glass. Shae nodded silently, to which Emma breathed out a heavy sigh, and went on. "Well, these tremors, they come with, um… Visions, I guess."

Shae furrowed her brow in concern. "Visions?" She asked. "Visions of… What, exactly?"

Emma let out a quavering, nervous laugh. "Oh, you know… Visions of… My death."

Shae's eyes grew wide as saucers all over again. "Say what, now?"

Emma sighed, taking another deep drink of her whiskey before explaining. "In these visions, I'm on Main Street. My whole family is there with me, my parents, Henry, Hook. And I'm… Locked in a sword fight with… Someone. I don't know who. They're wearing a cloak with a hood that covers their face."

She paused for a moment to take another drink, and Shae noticed that her hands were trembling around the glass. "In the fight, I'm… Giving it my all." Emma went on in a low, quiet tone. "But… It's not enough. Eventually, this person in the hood knocks the sword out of my hand and… Stabs me. Right in the heart. And, I… I-I… Die."

Shae blinked several times through her foggy vision, trying as hard as she could to process everything Emma was telling her in her hazy, drunken state. "Shit…" Was all that was able to come out. "That's, um… That's… I-I… I dunno what to say."

"It's alright, Shae. You don't have to say anything." Emma replied with a small, sad smile. She reached across the table and took Shae's hand in her own. "I've been working through it with Archie, but… I just wanted to tell someone who I'm actually close with, who knows me. Someone who I know won't tell anyone else."

"Wait… Wait a minute…" Shae mumbled, slowly shaking her head. "Nobody else knows about this? Not even your parents? Or Henry?"

"No." Emma replied, shaking her head as well. "Especially not my parents, and Henry. All they'd want to do is… Jump into action and save the day. These visions, they might not even be anything, you know? They might not even be… Real."

Shae leaned back against the booth, running her hands over her face. "Yeah… Ok…" She muttered with a sigh. "I mean… You're right. Maybe they're not even real. Maybe it's just… Stress. Or something. Right?"

"Right. Maybe." Emma replied, nodding her head slowly. "I… Don't really know. I'm just… Confused, and… A-And scared. And you're the first person I thought about that I could talk to about all this. You know… Discreetly."

A moment of silence passed between them as Shae attempted to process everything Emma had just told her. "Well, whatever it is, real or not…" She replied slowly, carefully. "I… I know that you'll overcome it. Because, well… You're you, Swan Song. You're The Savior. You've got this."

Emma smiled, and squeezed Shae's hand tight. "Thanks, Shae. I knew I could count on you." The smile then faded from her face, and she raised an eyebrow at Shae. "I can count on you. To keep this between us, I mean. Right?"

"Of course." Shae replied, squeezing Emma's hand back. "But, I mean… What am I supposed to tell Hook? He definitely saw you, and probably saw us go off alone together."

There was another moment of silence as Emma thought for a moment. "Oh, I don't know." She said with a sigh. "If he asks just tell him that… That I needed sex adive, or something."

"Yeah, ok, that could work…" Shae muttered, tapping a finger against her chin. "Wait… Do you? Because, from what I've heard, the male g-spot is in the uh… Back end. So, I suggest getting a strap-on, and-"

"Oh my god!" Emma exclaimed, abruptly cutting Shae off. "Please, just… Stop talking!"

Shae chuckled into her whiskey as Emma got up from the booth. "You're the worst, and I hate you." She muttered, pointing an angry finger at Shae, her face as red as a ripe tomato. "Also, you're a good friend, and I love you."

"Ah, that's my sweet spot, right there!" Shae exclaimed with a grin. "'I hate you, but I love you!'"

Emma rolled her eyes as she scooped up her glass, draining the rest of the contents. She then turned to leave, but stopped suddenly, and turned back around. "Oh, yeah, I completely forgot to tell you the weirdest part of the visions." She said, folding her arms across her chest. "You're probably gonna think I'm totally crazy."

Shae emitted a loud, mocking laugh. "Seriously? Come on. You know we all eat crazy for breakfast around here." She then took another swig of her whiskey. "Hit me!"

For a moment, it looked as if Emma wasn't going to elaborate. Then, she breathed out a relenting sigh, and explained. "Alright, alright…" She muttered, then quickly cleared her throat. "So, the person in the hood, they have a sword in one hand, right? But in the other, they have what looks like… A hammer."

Shae nearly choked on her whiskey, but Emma didn't seem to notice. "It looks old, like… Really, really old." She went on. "And it's shooting lightning and stuff, like straight up Marvel style. You know… Thor's hammer."

Shae slowly and carefully set her glass down on the table in front of her, trying desperately to quell the trembling in her hands. "That's just… Totally crazy, right?" Emma went on with a shrug. "I mean, you used to worship Thor and all them. You don't think it's actually, you know… The God of Thunder trying to kill me in my visions, right?"

A loud, awkward laugh escaped from Shae's lips. "What? No! Of course not!" She exclaimed, laughing awkwardly some more. "Thor's not real. None of that's real. Don't worry about it. It's fine! Everything's fine! Ha! Ha ha ha ha! Ha!"

Emma raised a concerned eyebrow at Shae as she continued laughing strangely. "Yeah… Ok…" She muttered. "Look, you're obviously really drunk. It probably wasn't really fair of me to drop all of this on you. Why don't you just… Go home, alright? You should probably just go to bed. And drink some water. Like a lot of it."

Shae vigorously nodded her head, to which Emma nodded back. She then gave Shae a quick and grateful hug goodbye. Shae remained in her seat for a while, watching carefully as Emma retrieved Hook from the dance floor. As soon as they both left the bar, Shae disappeared in a gust of swirling wind.

She reappeared in the Storybrooke Cemetery, right in front of her own grave. She once again used her powers to move the dirt, revealing the coffin that her once dead body had been lying in. She clambered down inside the hole, and wrenched the coffin lid open with trembling hands. Inside was a bundle of blankets, where she knew Mjolnir was tucked away in. She breathed out a sigh of relief when she found Thor's hammer still safely hidden away where she had left it.

After retrieving Mjolnir, Shae covered her grave once again, then disappeared in another gust of wind, reappearing in the basement of her house, the one she now shared with her wife. She approached the wardrobe that stood in front of her, and slowly pulled the doors open. Hanging inside the wardrobe was her old black leather armor, along with the sheath that once held her old sword, called Soul Eater.

Shae once again wrapped Mjolnir in an old blanket, and tucked it safely into the back corner of the wardrobe. She shut the doors again, and pressed her forehead against the wood, trying desperately to calm her pounding heart. So many questions that she didn't have the answers to swirled around in her drunken mind.

What did Emma's vision mean? Who was the person under the hood that she was fighting? Loki had told her that only those with the blood of the old gods could wield their weapons. Did that mean that Shae herself was the one under the hood? It couldn't be. She would never hurt Emma. Did that mean that there was someone else in Storybrooke that had The Elder Blood? She had no answers, only more and more questions, and it was making her head hurt.

After hiding Mjolnir safely away and nearby, Shae stumbled up the stairs, and into her and Regina's bedroom. Regina was already asleep in bed, which Shae was a bit disappointed by, but at the same time relieved. She stripped off her clothes and got into bed next to her wife, and wrapped her arms around her, holding her tight.

It wasn't long before Shae fell into another fitful night's sleep. She had the same dream again, the one where she stood beside The Evil Queen, watching as Storybrooke was engulfed in flames. This time, however, the dream slowly began to shift. Suddenly, she was standing on Main Street, a cloaked figure standing before her, sword in hand.

She fought as hard as she could, her own sword cutting through the air, the sound of steel on steel ringing through her ears. Suddenly, she was overcome, and the hooded figure knocked the sword from her hand. She bellowed out in fury, and held out her other hand. Suddenly, Mjolnir came soaring through the air.

Shae grabbed on to the wooden hilt of Thor's hammer as it shot toward her hand. She cried out in fury once again, drew the hammer up over her head, and brought it down. Bolts of lightning shot forth from Mjolnir, and struck the hooded figure right in the chest. The figure was sent careening backwards, and they crashed into a heap upon the ground.

Slowly, Shae began to approach the figure. She scooped up her sword from the ground, and stood over the figure in the hood. The cloaked person raised their hand against Shae, but Shae batted it aside. Then, she raised her sword into the air, ready to plunge the tip into the hooded figure's heart.

Suddenly, violently, the dream was wrenched away from her, and she saw no more. The sound of her alarm began to ring, and she woke up.

XX