CHAPTER 35

It was the night of the third day after Shae's sudden and rather explosive departure to the realm of Avalon. Regina was asleep in bed, and was having strange dreams. In them, she saw her wife, the woman that she loved. Shae looked strange, though, different, garbed in what looked like medieval type leathers and furs. Her hair was different too, longer, and tied back in a braid.

The dream started out in what looked like a vast desert, with tall, towering mountains in the distance. Shae stood before what looked like an army, a large one at that. She seemed to be delivering an impassioned speech, but, even though her mouth was moving, Regina could hear no words.

Suddenly, the dream shifted, and she saw Shae in the midst of a heated battle. It seemed like an entire war was raging all around her. She saw Elven soldiers, but also human warriors dressed in the same kind of leathers and furs as Shae was. She had a sword in one hand, and Mjolnir in the other. She was fighting furiously, swinging her sword, shooting off bolts of lightning from Mjolnir left and right.

For a moment, in the heat of battle, Shae locked eyes with Regina. She was covered head to toe in sand and blood, but Regina could still see her gorgeous blue eyes, and they were staring straight at her. Regina reached a hand out toward Shae, and Shae reached out toward her. Regina sobbed, calling out desperately to the woman that she loved, but no words escaped her lips. She started to run toward her, and, as soon as she reached her, Shae suddenly turned away from her. A massive fireball was descending from the sky straight toward her.

Shae simply stood rooted in her spot, staring open mouthed at the fireball. Suddenly, the small form of what looked like a child stepped in front of her, and raised their hands toward the fireball. Then, the dream shifted again.

Shae was limping, leaning heavily on what looked like a spear. All around her were men and women who were also covered in sand and blood. They all seemed to be fleeing through the desert. Suddenly, Shae stumbled, and fell to her knees into the sand. A man rushed up to her, and pulled her back up onto her feet, throwing one of Shae's arms over his shoulders. It took a moment, for he looked strange to her as well, but the man was most definitely Remus. His hair was also much longer, and he had a brown, bushy beard.

The dream shifted again, and Shae was now sitting at what looked like the base of the mountains. The same bloodied and bruised men and women were sitting around her, and most of them appeared injured. Shae and Remus seemed to be arguing with three dark skinned men. After a few moments, they all seemed to agree on something, and nodded their heads.

With Remus' help, Shae staggered up to her feet, and took up the spear that Regina suddenly recognized as Gungnir, Obin's Spear. She jabbed it in the air in front of her, and a swirling green portal opened up at the spear's tip. Shae and Remus, as well as the other three men, began shouting and motioning toward the portal. One by one, the people around them began stepping through the portal. Most were human, but Regina recognized a good number to be halflings, and some seemed to be even full blooded elves.

After a time, the three dark skinned men clasped hands with both Shae and Remus. Then, the same child as before was suddenly standing beside Shae. The child appeared to be a little halfling girl. She had wild, curly black hair, and was dressed simply in a brown tunic and pants. Like everyone else, she was also covered in sand and blood. She stepped up to the portal, but turned back to glance at Shae, hesitating in fear. Shae urged her forward, and the girl nodded, stepping through the portal. Then, Shae and Remus stepped through as well, side by side.

Once again, the dream shifted. Shae looked like she was about to pass out. Remus had one arm wrapped around her waist, his other arm clinging to Shae's, which was wrapped around his shoulders. They were surrounded by dense trees now, very familiar looking trees. Suddenly, Shae stumbled and fell again, dropping down onto her knees. The last thing Regina saw was Shae removing her ring from her finger, and handing it to the little girl. Then, she woke up.

Regina lurched violently forward, gasping and sputtering. Her whole body was trembling, and she had tears streaming down her face. She sat in her bed for a moment, trying to calm her racing heart, trying to make sense of her dreams. When she finally began to calm down, her dreams, just as most dreams, began to slowly fade from her memory. She laid her head back down on her pillow, and was about to close her eyes again. Suddenly, a strange light from the end table beside her caught her eye.

Regina lurched forward again when she realized that the light was coming from her ring. When Shae had disappeared to Avalon, the sparkling light from Regina's ring had gone completely out. Now, however, the stardust within the obsidian stone was shining bright.

She immediately seized the ring, breathing out a small, surprised laugh. "Shae…" She whispered. She stared at the glittering stardust for a moment, then leapt out of bed. "SHAE!"

XX

Meanwhile, at The Rabbit Hole, the rest of The Heroes of Storybrooke were participating in the three day long funeral for Ragetti, the pirate that King Oberon had beheaded. The pirate's body had been found and collected by Jack Sparrow and his crew, and his head had been delivered to them by Regina and Emma themselves.

Immediately after, Jack had asked Hook to borrow The Jolly Roger, so they could give their friend and crewmate a proper burial at sea. Hook agreed, and sailed his ship himself out of the harbor for the first time in a long time. Once they were far enough out, Ragetti's cloth bound body was tied to a cannonball, and dumped overboard. In the days since, Jack Sparrow and his crew drank and mourned Ragetti's loss. Pintel, who was Ragetti's oldest and dearest friend, was taking the loss particularly hard.

Emma, Hook, David, and Tinkerbell were all sitting at a table together. They, as well as Jack, had invited Regina, but she politely declined. She was mourning her own loss, as were the others. So, despite Regina's absence, the others decided to attend day three of Ragetti's funeral. They drank and watched in amusement as all the drunk pirates danced and sang sea shanties in Ragetti's honor. When they asked Hook if a pirate funeral really lasted three days, he simply laughed and said it would last as long as the pirate's friends and crewmates wanted it to last.

It was getting late, and they were all about to leave, when the door to the bar suddenly burst open. They were all surprised to see a child rush in. It was a little girl, seemingly six or seven years old. She had wild, curly black hair, and olive toned skin. She was dressed a bit strangely for Storybrooke, in an old, medieval style brown tunic. What was most alarming was that she was covered head to toe in dirt, as well as what looked like blood.

"Um… Hi there." Emma said with a smile as she and the others approached the child. "Are you ok? Are you… Lost?"

"G-G… G… Gina…" The girl stammered.

Emma furrowed her brow at the others, but they all seemed to be just as confused as her. "I-I'm sorry… What?" She asked.

The poor girl seemed to have a bad stutter, and she slowly repeated the same word. "G-G-G… G… Gina!" She finally managed to get out. "Need… N-N… Need… Gina!"

Emma frowned, furrowing her brow once again. "I'm sorry, I don't know anyone by that-"

"Wait… Hold on." David suddenly interjected. "Do you mean… Re-gina?"

The little girl's bright blue eyes suddenly grew wide, and she frantically nodded her head. "Oh… I'm sorry, Regina isn't here." Emma continued with another frown. "Is there anything we can help you with?"

The girl firmly shook her head. "N-N-N… Need… N-Need… Gina!" She cried.

Emma sighed, and she opened her mouth to question the others about what they should do about the poor, stuttering girl. She shut it again when the bar's door suddenly burst open once again. In stepped Regina herself. The others simply stared open mouth at her for a moment.

None of them were accustomed to seeing the former Queen in such a state. Usually, she was garbed in an elegant, sensible pantsuit, her makeup done to perfection and her hair neatly combed. At the moment, Regina had no makeup on, her hair was a mess, and she was dressed in only her red, silk pajama top and matching pants, along with a pair of cream colored slippers. The only thing that was usual about her was her black peacoat.

"Good! You're all still here!" Regina exclaimed breathlessly as she rushed up to them. Her brown eyes were wide and wild as she held up her wedding ring. "Look! Look at this! Do you know what this means?"

Emma and the others simply stared wide eyed at Regina, still taken aback by her current appearance, as well as her sudden shouting. "SHAE!" Regina continued shouting. "She's back! She's here!"

The others all gasped as they suddenly realized what Regina was talking about. The stardust in her ring was sparkling brightly. "I think our new little friend here might know something about that." Said Hook. He then cleared his throat, and smiled kindly at the little girl still standing in their midst. "Child, this is… Regina. Regina, this is… Er… Well… What is your name, child?"

The little girl ignored Hook, and simply stared wide eyed up at Regina. "G-G-G… G… Gina?" She asked.

Regina's own eyes grew wide as she suddenly noticed the child. It was the same little girl from her dreams. "Yes…" She whispered in reply. "I'm Regina."

The girl gasped, her eyes growing even wider. She fumbled around in her pockets for a moment, then held up a silver ring with a large, obsidian stone. Everyone's eyes grew wide as they immediately recognized it.

"Shae's ring…" Regina whispered as the girl placed the ring in the palm of her open hand. "Did she… Give this to you?" She asked of the girl, who nodded. "Is… I-Is she here?"

The others all gasped, smiling excitedly at each other as the girl nodded some more. "Can you take us to her?" Asked Tinkerbell.

The girl frowned, and slowly drew back a step, glancing between the others and Regina with apprehension. "It's ok. These are my friends." Regina told her with a smile. "And they're Shae's friends too."

The girl continued to frown at them for a moment, but eventually nodded her head. She then silently beckoned for them all to follow her, and headed back out the door. Regina and the others all hurried after the strange little girl as she raced down the sidewalk. They followed her straight down Main Street. Once she reached the edge of town, she cut into the woods. Regina and the others continued to follow her, all of their hearts racing with excitement. They couldn't believe that Shae was back, and so soon.

Suddenly, they began to hear a familiar sounding voice coming from somewhere ahead of them. As they drew closer, they recognized the voice to be that of Remus. He sounded strange though, as if he was struggling, and in pain.

"Come on, Shae… We're… W-We're almost… There… That's it… One foot in front of… The other…"

David had retrieved his flashlight from his truck, and was leading the way, shining the light in front of him as he followed closely behind the little girl. "Look… A light… Hello? Hello!" Remus suddenly shouted. "Help! Please! We… W-We need help!"

David suddenly broke out into a run toward the sound of Remus' voice. The others ran after him, but they didn't have to go far. They stopped as the light from David's flashlight revealed the forms of Remus and Shae. Nobody spoke for a moment, simply staring at their friends and loved ones that were covered head to toe in dirt and blood. Remus had one hand clinging to Shae's which was wrapped around his shoulders, the other wrapped tightly around her waist. Shae seemed to be only half conscious, and was dragging a spear through the grass behind her.

"Oh… Good…" Remus whispered breathlessly, grinning around at them all. "You're… All here."

Suddenly, Remus's eyes rolled back into his head, and his arms dropped limply down to his sides. He then collapsed sideways onto the ground, where he fell into a crumpled heap, and remained still. Shae collapsed down onto her knees, and, as David rushed over to Remus, Regina rushed to her wife, the woman that she loved.

Regina caught Shae by her shoulders just as she was about to fall forward onto the ground. "Oh my god… Shae!" She sobbed, tears of joy streaming down her face. "It's you… It's… I-It's really you!"

Shae simply blinked dazedly at her for a moment. Then, her eyes focused on the woman that she loved, and she smiled. "You came back." Regina whispered, smiling as well as she gently cupped her wife's face in her hands. "Just like you always do. Just like you promised."

Tears began to leak out of Shae's own eyes, onto her dirty, blood stained face. She reached out a trembling hand toward her wife, and placed it gently onto her cheek. She opened her mouth to speak, but no words were able to escape her lips. Just like Remus, her eyes suddenly rolled into the back of her head, and she slumped forward into Regina's arms.

"This isn't good…" David suddenly muttered from where he was kneeling beside Remus. "Remus is hurt. Bad. We need to call an ambulance fast!"

Emma nodded, and immediately pulled out her phone. "No! There's no time!" Cried Regina, holding Shae's limp, unconscious body in her trembling arms. "I'll take them." She then quickly turned her eyes onto Tinkerbell. "Bring the rest of the fairies. Quickly."

Then, Regina outstretched her hand toward Remus, and swept it over her own body, as well as Shae's. The three of them disappeared in a swirl of purple smoke. They re-appeared in front of the front desk of the Storybrooke Hospital's emergency room. The people behind the desk gasped in shock. Regina turned her face toward them, her cheek smeared with blood from Shae's hand.

"Help…" She whispered, desperately clinging to her wife's limp body. "Please… Help!"

XX

Regina stood and watched, her whole body trembling, as Remus and Shae were loaded onto stretchers, and immediately hauled away by the hospital staff. They asked her many questions, which Regina was unable to answer. All she knew was that her wife and Remus were hurt, and would likely need magical healing, as well as medical.

Thankfully, not even thirty minutes later, Tinkerbell arrived with her fellow fairies in tow. Unfortunately, The Blue Fairy, the town's most powerful healer, was no longer in Storybrooke. But, the rest of her kin immediately agreed to help. Tinkerbell led the way, with Regina and the other fairies rushing along behind her as she followed a nurse to the room where Shae and Remus were being treated.

They were met with an alarming sight. More nurses were rushing about between Shae and Remus, who were now lying unconscious in hospital beds. They were hooked up to dozens of wires and tubes, oxygen masks placed over their faces.

Tink and the others immediately went to work, and Doctor Whale approached Regina. "It's good that you brought the fairies." Whale said, his face grim. "They both have dozens of fractures, dozens of lacerations, most likely a lot of internal bleeding. We'll run more tests once the fairies are done, but… To me, it looks like they're only alive out of… Pure spite!"

Regina breathed out a small laugh, wiping at the frightened tears that continued to flow down her face. "Yes, that… Certainly sounds like them."

A short while later, Emma, David, and Hook arrived. They all watched in anxious silence as one group of fairies waved their wands up and down Shae's body, the other group doing the same for Remus. Meanwhile, nurses continued to rush back and forth between Remus and Shae. The others couldn't help but feel… Helpless. Useless.

"They're… Going to be ok." Tink said as she approached them all a little while later. "But, they've both taken one hell of a beating. Especially Shae. I don't know how or what happened, but she's taken a lot of magical damage."

"Bloody hell…" Hook whispered as Tink returned to her spot at Shae's side. "What in the blazes happened to them?"

"Well, if what I saw in my dreams was actually real," Regina began in a whisper, her eyes wide. "Then… War. A fierce war, against the elves."

"But… How?" Asked Daivd. "It's only been three days!"

"Time works differently in Avalon." Muttered Regina. "Who knows how long it's been there versus here?"

Suddenly, Emma drew in a sharp gasp. "Oh my god…" She whispered, her own eyes wide with a sudden realization. "Morganna! She… S-She needs to know that Shae's back!"

The others all gasped as well. Regina opened her mouth to respond, but stopped as there was a sudden commotion by Shae's bed. "Regina!" Tink called out in alarm.

Regina, as well as the others, all rushed over to Shae. "Re… Gina…" Shae was mumbling, her eyes fluttering open and closed. "R-Re… Regina…"

Regina grasped her wife's hand, placing the other gently one her cheek. "Yes! Shae! I'm here!" She exclaimed, more tears streaming down her face. "I'm… I-I'm right here!"

Shae's dazed, half open eyes turned toward the sound of Regina's voice. They suddenly grew wide as they focused in on her wife's face. She then lurched violently forward, and tore the oxygen mask off of her face.

"N-North… North woods…" She rasped, gripping Regina's hand tight, staring wildly into her eyes. "My… M-My… People. Help… H-Help… Help…"

Shae's muttering qrew quieter and quieter, her eyes fluttering open and closed again. Then, she collapsed backwards onto her pillows, and fell unconscious once again. Regina and the others were ushered out of the way by the nurses, who placed the oxygen mask back over Shae's face. Then, Tinkerbell and her fellow fairies resumed their work as well.

"Ok, so… Apparently there are… People, out in the woods." Emma slowly began to say. "People from… Avalon, I guess."

"Aye, it seems so." Hook agreed with a nod.

Emma nodded back at him, placing a hand gently on his arm. "Right… We'll go check out The North Woods, like Shae said. Dad, can you go to Morganna's camp, bring her and her sisters here?"

"On it." David replied, immediately rushing out the door.

"Regina, you-" Emma began to say.

"I'm not leaving." Regina interjected, vigorously shaking her head. "I will be staying right by my wife's side, thank you very-"

"I know, I know." Emma interjected herself. She then placed a warm, gentle hand on Regina's shoulder. "I was going to say that… You should stay here. We'll be back soon. Call if anything else happens, or if you need anything, ok?"

Regina swallowed the hard, fearful lump that had formed in her throat, then slowly nodded her head. Emma nodded back, then, just as she had said, she and Hook ventured north into the woods. They returned to the spot where they had first found Shae and Remus, and continued to head north from there. It didn't take long before they spotted a light in the distance, which appeared to be a light from a campfire, several campfires.

They continued forward toward the light, but stopped at the sound of a voice shouting out at them from among the trees. Whatever language they were speaking, it wasn't English, but Emma and Hook stopped in their tracks nonetheless. They both cried out in alarm as an arrow suddenly buried itself into the ground at their feet. They jumped back as several more arrows joined the one.

"Stop! Please! We don't mean you any harm!" Emma shouted into the darkness, raising her hands into the air. "We're friends of Shae's! We're here to help!"

Emma elbowed Hook in the side, and he too raised his hands above his head. There was a tense moment of silence as they both stood perfectly still, peering all around them through the darkness. Then, there was a quiet rustling as a figure stepped out of the trees. It appeared to be a dark skinned man, armed with a bow, his arrow nocked and trained carefully at the two intruders.

Slowly, more figures began to shuffle out of the trees, bows and other various weapons pointed at Emma and Hook. There were dozens of them, and they quickly surrounded Emma and Hook in a tight circle. The majority were human, but they also spotted some olive skinned halflings like Shae amongst them, and also a few elves, who were much taller and much more pale.

The man who had first stepped out of the trees shouted threateningly, in a language that neither Hook nor Emma understood. "It's ok!" Emma shouted back, still keeping her hands raised carefully above her head. "We're friends! Friends!"

The dark skinned man emitted an angry growl as he took a step forward, but stopped when one of the elves made an exclamation. The elf, who was armed with a mace, took a step forward, and slowly lowered his weapon. Emma and Hook's eyes both grew wide when they realized that they recognized him. He was the small elf they had seen in Oberon's camp, who appeared to be Oberon's personal slave. He was no longer wearing the leather collar around his neck, though.

"I recognize you two." He spoke to Emma and Hook in English. "You are friends of Zireael's, yes?"

Emma and Hook exchanged a confused glance. "Sorry… What?" Asked Hook.

"Shae! You're friends of Shae, yes?" The elf asked again.

"Yes! Exactly!" Emma exclaimed, still keeping her arms raised carefully over her head. "Shae is the one that sent us. She said that… You need help."

The elf nodded, and briefly conversed with the dark skinned human who had first shot at Emma and Hook. "Yes, she did say that she would send help." The elf then replied to Emma. "But, she said that she and Gwynbleidd would return with it. Where are they?"

"If you mean Remus, then… They're both badly hurt." Emma slowly and carefully explained. "But they're being taken care of as we speak. We have fairies here that are good with healing magic, as well as doctors. They're in the best of hands, I promise."

Once again, the elf relayed what Emma had said to the human man. He, as well as the dozens of others pointing their weapons as Emma and Hook, suddenly began muttering amongst themselves. They seemed angry, scared, and the elf spoke to them all in a calm, soothing voice.

"It's true, we have many injured among us." He went on in english. "We would be… Most grateful for the help of your healers."

"Yes. Of course. We just want to help." Emma replied, vigorously nodding her head. "If you follow us, we'll take you straight to them."

The elf frowned for a moment, then once again told the others what Emma had said. This seemed to make many of them even more angry. The man who had fired the first arrow was particularly heated, brandishing his bow at Emma and Hook as he shouted at the elf.

"My apologies, but… My friends here are slow to trust." The elf calmly and politely explained. "And they are nervous, being in a strange new world. They request that you bring your healers here."

Emma exchanged a worried glance with Hook, then turned back to the elf. "We, uh… We can do that. Absolutely." She said, nodding some more. "It just… Might take some time. They're all busy with Shae and Remus right now, and their magic, it, um… Has its limits."

"Aye. The fairies will need time to rest and recharge." Hook agreed, nodding himself. "We can bring them here sometime in the morning tomorrow, if… That is agreeable with everyone."

Once again, the elf briefly conversed with the dark skinned human man, who seemed to be in charge. The two of them seemed to come to an agreement after speaking back and forth. The elf then nodded, and turned his attention back on Emma and Hook.

"We are agreed, yes." He said with a nod. "When you come with your healers, you will come unarmed. No magic besides healing magic will be tolerated, and punishable by immediate death. If you agree to those terms, then… You and your healers will be unharmed."

Emma exchanged another quick, anxious glance with Hook. "We agree. Absolutely." Emma replied with another nod. "All we want to do is help, we promise."

The elf smiled kindly at them, then spoke to the man in charge once again. The man nodded, and shouted out a command. The people behind Emma and Hook shuffled apart to form an exit.

"You may go in peace, then." The elf said with a small bow. "And I thank you. Thank you both."

Emma and Hook both nodded their heads, and hurried back from whence they came. The people surrounding them kept all their weapons carefully trained on them as they left. Emma and Hook walked through the forest in silence for a while, until they finally could no longer feel eyes boring into the back of their heads.

"Bloody hell…" Hook breathed, slowly shaking his head. "Whoever these people are… They're awfully wary. And well armed."

"That's for sure." Emma agreed with a small, nervous laugh. "But I have a feeling it's for good reason."

"Aye." Muttered Hook. "Lets just hope that Shae and Remus wake soon, so they can tell us what the devil is going on."

XX

Upon returning to the hospital, Emma and Hook found that Morganna and her sisters had already arrived. Morganna and her apprentice, Nel, had joined the fairies encircling Shae's bed, and the twins Faye and Shireen were beside Remus. Henry was now present as well, sitting in a chair by the door.

Regina was still there, as she had said. She was obviously fraught with nerves, anxiously pacing around the room, casting wide eyed glances between Remus and Shae. David was back as well, and was sitting beside his grandson. Emma and Hook sat down too, and they all waited quietly.

About an hour later, Tink and her fellow fairies stepped away from their patients, as did Morganna and her sisters. They, along with Dr. Whale, announced that they had done all they could for Shae and Remus. Now, all that was left to do was to wait for them to wake up. It was then that Emma and Hook told them all about what had happened in the forest, and about their agreement with the group from Avalon.

Upon learning that her people were now in Storybrooke, Morganna immediately rushed off to their camp in the north woods, as did her sisters. The fairies all seemed a bit nervous, but nevertheless, they agreed to help. They left as well, to go back to the convent and rest up for the morning. David left with Henry shortly after, as did Hook, after much assurance from Emma. She alone decided to stay with Regina, who adamantly refused to leave.

Regina eventually fell asleep in a chair beside Shae's bed, her head resting in the crook of her arm, her hand clenched firmly around Shae's. Emma too eventually fell asleep in her own chair, but neither of them slept well. Throughout the night, they kept waking up to check on Shae and Remus. Neither of them moved a muscle, and simply remained still in their beds, eyes shut.

The next morning, Emma met up with Hook at the convent, and they found Tinkerbell and the rest of the fairies already awake and ready. Then, they led them all out into the forest, to the spot where the people from Avalon were camped. They were greeted with another carefully wary welcome, but, as promised, they were allowed into the camp unharmed. They were all met with an alarming sight. There were well over a hundred men and women, human, halfling, and elf. A vast majority of them were injured, an overwhelming majority.

The fairies immediately went to work, as did Emma and Hook. Emma used her magic wherever and whenever she could, and was surprised about Hook's knowledge of first aid. He explained that sailors often sustain injuries upon the seas, and any good Captain knows a bit about how to treat said injuries. His knowledge was basic, for sure, but still immensely helpful among the seemingly endless amount of injured souls.

As the two of them rushed about two and fro, they ran into Morganna and her sisters. They had been working tirelessly throughout the night, and were looking haggard and worn. It was then that Emma decided to call in reinforcements. She made a call to Zelena, who was resistant at first, but, when Emma told her that it was for Shae, for her people, she then agreed to help. Next, Emma called Regina, who was still at the hospital. She was resistant as well, hesitant to leave her wife's side. But, after insistent prodding from Emma, she eventually relented as well, and agreed to come.

Regina and Zelena happened to arrive at the exact same time. Things were still quite strained between the two of them, and they didn't even bother to speak to each other. They simply went to work with their magic, just as Emma and the fairies had.

The situation in the Avalonian camp was dire, and, unfortunately, the people from Storybrooke were mostly unable to communicate with them. The elves and halflings were able to understand them, due to The Gift of Tongues that came with their blood. However, the humans, who were the vast majority, were unable to understand a word. Still, though, they seemed grateful, and mumbled things quietly in a strange language that didn't sound at all like elvish.

As Regina was bent over over a human man with a broken leg, she suddenly noticed a familiar face nearby. It was the elf that she had seen in Oberon's camp, the one that had bowed to Morganna. She approached him as he was wrapping bandages around a halfling woman's arm.

"You… I know you." She muttered, as she stepped up next to him. "You were at Oberon's camp. You're his… Personal servant."

The elf didn't even bother to glance at Regina. "Slave, you mean." He muttered back as he continued on with his work. "I was his personal slave. But… No longer. I am free now, thanks to Zireael, as are many that you see here. All I want is to help them. So, please… Let me help in peace."

Regina opened and closed her mouth several times, then breathed out a heavy sigh. "I'm sorry. I… Didn't mean to offend." She mumbled quietly. "You are… Doing a lot of good. I'll just… Leave you to it."

As Regina began to walk away, the elf finally glanced over his shoulder. He gasped, and suddenly sprang to his feet. "Wait!" He cried. "You are… Rhena'min!"

Regina turned back around, furrowing her brow at him. "Oh, apologies… You are Regina, yes?" When Regina nodded, the elf went on. "I thought as much. You're just as lovely as Zireael described, if you don't mind me saying."

Regina chuckled quietly. "No, not at all." She replied with a smile. "I assume when you say Zireael, you mean Shae, right?"

"Indeed. It is… A nickname, of sorts." The elf confirmed with a nod. "She calls you Rhena'min. Which, in my tongue, means My Queen."

"That… Certainly sounds like her." Regina said with a wistful smile. She then quickly cleared her throat. "And, um… You are?"

"Oh! My deepest apologies." The elf replied, shaking his head in embarrassment. "My name is Robin. Robin Goodfellow. But for many, many years now, I've simply gone by Puck."

"Is that what… Oberon called you?" Regina asked, frowning when Puck nodded. "I see… Well, if you'd rather go by Robin I completely understand."

Puck laughed, slowly shaking his head. "No, no… Puck suits me just fine." He said with a smile. "In fact, I consider it good luck now. It was the name I went by when Zireael set me free, after all."

"How exactly did she do that?" Asked Regina. "What happened to her in Avalon? I haven't heard anything at all."

Puck laughed once again. "Oh, that is quite a long story. One that I'm sure you would rather hear from your wife herself." He replied with another kind smile. "For now, suffice it to say that many of the people here owe their lives and their freedom to Zireael. You see those women over there?"

Regina followed Puck's pointed finger toward a group of women that were all huddled around a campfire together. There looked to be about thirty of them, and seemed to be split pretty evenly in half between halfling and human. They appeared to be warriors, and several appeared to be viciously side-eyeing Regina.

"They call themselves Shield Maidens." Puck explained with a proud grin. "All of them were either slaves in Avalon City, or humble laborers in The Mists. Zireael trained them herself, and turned them all into fierce warriors."

Regina frowned as the same several Shield Maidens continued to glare at her, muttering quietly amongst each other. "I see…" Regina muttered herself. "Would you say that Shae was… Close with them?"

"Oh, yes. Quite close." Puck answered with a nod.

One human woman in particular amongst The Shield Maidens narrowed her eyes at Regina, and Regina narrowed her own right back. "How close, exactly?" She asked of Puck.

Puck seemed confused over the sudden angry growl of Regina's tone. He opened his mouth to reply, but stopped as Regina's cell phone began to ring. Regina fished it out of her jacket pocket, her eyes growing wide when she saw that it was the hospital.

"Excuse me for a moment…" She mumbled.

Puck nodded, and hurried off in search of another person in need of his attention. Regina's finger was trembling as she hit the answer button on her phone. As she listened for a brief moment to Dr. Whale, her heart soared with joy. Shae and Remus were awake.

Regina immediately rushed off in search of Emma, Hook, Tink, and Morganna. They all smiled excitedly when Regina told them the news. Regina momentarily forgot her feud with her sister, and told Zelena as well. Zelena seemed to have forgotten their feud as well, and the two of them briefly celebrated together. Then, they left the rest of the fairies behind to continue their work, and returned as quickly as they could to the hospital.

Regina led the way down the hallway toward Remus and Shae's room. Though she didn't bother to ask permission, the others let Regina go in first, as they waited politely out in the hallway. Just as Whale had said, Shae and Remus were fully awake now, and talking with the nurses that were standing beside their beds.

"SHAE!" Regina exclaimed.

Shae leaned forward, smiling at her wife from around the nurse. "Regina!" She cried.

The poor nurse was practically bowled aside as Regina rushed forward, and threw herself into her wife's arms. Shae smelled like sweat, dirt, and blood, but Regina didn't care, not one bit. She wrapped her arms tightly around the woman that she loved, pressing grateful kisses on the side of her head.

"Hey there, gorgeous." Shae said with a grin, as Regina finally let go for a moment to smile into her eyes. "You didn't really think I'd break my promise, did you?"

Unable to speak, barely able to breathe, Regina simply choked out a loud, joyful sob. She threw her arms around her wife once again, and placed a deep, passionate kiss on her lips. Her heart pounded wildly in her chest, the familiar warmth of Shae's lips upon her own causing it to nearly burst.

"It's alright, don't mind me!" Remus called out from his bed, which was separated from Shae's by only a few feet. "I'll just lay here, like a bloody stump!"

Shae and Regina both laughed as they broke apart, tears of joy streaming down their faces. Regina then vacated Shae's bed, and stepped up beside Remus. She wrapped him up in a tight, joyful embrace as well.

At that moment, the others thought it was finally an appropriate time to enter the room. "Mom!" Shae exclaimed as Morganna stepped in first.

Just like Regina, Morganna couldn't speak, could barely breathe. She simply rushed to her daughter's side, and threw her arms around her. Emma, Hook, and Tink smiled at each other as they watched Mother and Daughter reunited once again.

"My, my… Look at you." Zelena said to Remus, after embracing him herself. "Look at that beard! It's quite fetching."

Remus scoffed, and rolled his eyes at her. "Says you." He grumbled, scratching irritably at his brown, bushy beard. "I'm dying to get rid of the blasted thing. I'm in desperate need of a shave and a haircut."

"Aye, it seems you both are." Hook said with a grin. He embraced Shae as well once Emma was done. "Just look at those braids, and that scraggly beard. You look bloody awful!"

Along with his now busy beard, Remus' hair was much longer than before. It was tied back in a tight braid, as was Shae's. Their skin was also quite a bit more tanned than it used to be, as if they had spent a great deal of time in the sun. The others couldn't help but admit that it was a strange sight.

"Speak for yourself, asshole!" Shae cried, punching Hook lightly in the arm.

The others all laughed. "Well, I for one, think they look great!" Tink said as she leaned in to embrace Shae. She then dropped her voice low, and muttered quietly into Shae's ear. "Seriously, though… As your Fairy-God-Mother, I know I'm supposed to be supportive. But it's just… Awfully weird. Please consider a haircut. You know… I-If you want, that is."

Shae laughed as Tink released her. "Don't worry, it's one of the top priorities on my list. After a nice long shower. Gods have I missed indoor plumbing."

"Indeed. As well as any other stiff drink besides luke warm ale." Remus muttered, breathing out a sad, wistful sigh. "What I wouldn't give for a good whiskey right about now."

Zelena held up a finger, and quickly produced a silver flask. "Oh, you're a diamond, darling!" Remus exclaimed as Zelena handed the flask to him. "An absolute treasure!"

"Gimme!" Shae cried after watching Remus drink deep from the flask for a moment. "Gimme, gimme!"

Remus breathed out a deep, contented sigh, and handed the flask over to Shae. The others all chuckled as they watched Shae guzzle down the rest of the contents of the flask. "Damn, that's good…" She whispered, breathing out a sigh herself. "Thanks, Zelena. Now, then, if you'll all excuse me… I need to make out with my wife some more."

Regina had returned to Shae's side, and laughed loudly as Shae reached out and grabbed her by her hips. Shae practically pulled Regina on top of her, holding her tight as she placed a deep, passionate kiss on her lips. The others averted their gazes, and Zelena let out an audible groan as, just like Shae had said, the two lovers began to make out vigorously.

"Now, then… A few quick questions." Remus said to Zelena. "Where's the baby?"

"Oh, don't you worry. She's perfectly fine." Zelena replied, waving her hand dismissively. "She's at daycare with Cinderella and… What's her chops. The sleepy one."

"Aurora." Said Emma.

"Sure. That one." Zelena mumbled with an unconcerned shrug.

"And Sir Pounce?" Asked Remus.

"Warm and well fed, I promise." Zelena replied with a smile. "He used to wander off quite a lot, but not so much any more. Since you left, he's just been at home moping about. He obviously misses his dear Daddy."

Remus breathed out a relieved sigh, slowly nodding his head. "Good. That's good." He muttered. "And… A-And the bar?"

"Operating at full capacity, I assure you." Answered Zelena, smiling some more. "I looked in on your employees myself. You trained them well, and they are doing just fine."

Once again, Remus sighed in relief. He then reached out and grasped Zelena's hand. "Thank you. You're… A good friend." He replied, smiling back. He then glanced quickly over at Shae, and pulled Zelena in closer, whispering quietly in her ear. "My best friend, besides Shae. Just don't tell her."

Zelena placed her free hand over her mouth for a moment, her eyes shimmering with tears. "My lips are sealed. I swear."

She then pretended to zip her mouth shut, lock it, and throw away the key. Remus nodded, giving her a wink. Emma and Hook eyed them both suspiciously, but were unable to ask any questions. At that moment, Shae and Regina finally seemed to be done with their make out session. They broke apart, and Shae grinned around them all, her arm still wrapped around her wife's waist.

"Right, so, uh…" She muttered, softly clearing her throat. "What's up, you guys?"

Emma, Hook, and Tink all exchanged a brief, wide eyed glance, their jaws dangling open. "You tell us, mate!" Cried Hook, throwing his arms up in the air. "By the state of you two, it looks like you've been gone for ages!"

"Yeah… Right…" Mumbled Shae. "How long has it been here?"

"Three days." Answered Tink.

Shae and Remus both stared at each other in shock. "That's it? Three days?" Remus exclaimed. He then groaned loudly, and collapsed backwards onto his pillows. "Oh… Bloody Avalon…"

"How long has it been for you?" Regina asked of her wife, as she sat beside her on the edge of her bed.

Shae bit her lip, hesitating in silence for a moment. "Uh… Well… Just, uh… Y-You know…" She stammered quietly. "Um… A year? Maybe?"

Everyone's jaws dropped open in pure shock. "I'm sorry… Did you say… A year?" Emma exclaimed, her eyes as wide as saucers. "You've been gone… A whole year?"

"As I've told you before, time works differently in Avalon." Morganna commented with a small, one armed shrug.

"Wait, hold on… You knew?" Asked Tink, staring at Morganna with eyes just as wide as Emma's. "This entire time, you knew that they would be gone that long?"

Once again, Morganna simply shrugged. "I assumed as much, yes."

Regina suddenly leapt to her feet, and was about to start screaming furiously at her mother-in-law. Thankfully, Snow White suddenly rushed into the room, accompanied by Henry. Emma had called her mother while she had been waiting in the hallway with the others. Snow said that she would collect Henry from his current class, and head to the hospital straight away.

"SHAE!" Henry shouted.

He sprinted forward, and threw himself into Shae's arms. Shae laughed as she held him tight, grateful tears once again streaming down her face. As Henry rushed over to Remus next, Shae tightly embraced Snow as well.

"Shae, Remus… It's so good to see you both." Said Snow, holding Shae out at arm's length with a misty eyed smile. "You look good, but, uh… Really strange. What exactly happened to you guys?"

"We were, uh… Just about to explain, actually." Shae replied, staring around at them all with a nervous smile. "You all might want to sit down. It's… A long story."

Once everyone was seated comfortably, Shae and Remus began their tale, starting with the very moment they had stepped through the portal. In all the commotion that Shae had caused, she was able to seize Remus, and jump through before Oberon and his soldiers realized what was happening. The portal took them directly to Avalon Palace. Once there, they fought their way out of the palace and into the city, where they were eventually able to slip away from their pursuers. Then, they stole what little supplies they could, and began the long, arduous trek across the desert.

It was three days later when they finally reached the mountains, and they had already run out of food and water the first day. Then, per the instructions Morganna had whispered to Shae as she was saying goodbye, they climbed to the tallest peak, and blew the large, ancient horn that they found there. Later, they were told that the horn had been made by Morgan le Fay herself, out of an elephant tusk.

Shae and Remus sat and waited atop the mountain for hours and hours. In the desert, it had been blisteringly hot. At the top of the mountain, however, it was cold, and the wind buffeted their tired, aching bodies relentlessly. Then, the sun began to set, and it got even colder. They huddled together for warmth, their bellies aching with hunger, their throats cracked dry with thirst. It was nightfall when, finally, they were rescued.

Just like she said they would, more of Morganna's sisters, The Daughters of Chaos, climbed up the mountain after hearing the ancient horn's call. They found the two starving and shivering outsiders just in the nick of time, and were able to teleport them straight back to their temple. Once there, they fed and clothed both Remus and Shae, and gave them warm beds to sleep in. The priestesses knew immediately who Shae was, and why she had come, which was no surprise to either her or Remus.

The next morning, The Daughters of Chaos led Shae and Remus into The Mists. Their temple sat on its own, much lower mountain peak, but still sat above the cloud of magical mist itself. Once they had descended far enough, and broke through the heavy mist, they were met with the most magnificent sight. The valley was massive, surrounded by a dense forest, teeming with game. They spotted gorgeous waterfalls cascading down from the mountains, which flowed into rivers and streams stretching all across the deep valley. Shae and Remus had never seen such beautiful sights in all their long lives.

The people of The Mists were spread out all across the valley, but the main hub was in the center. They lived in modest huts made of wood and stone, and most were farmers, fisherman, and miners, but there were also a great many warriors. They didn't have any sort of currency, and relied strictly on the trading of goods and services. They lived simple lives, but they seemed quite happy, and were a tight knit, peaceful community.

The Daughters of Chaos then took Shae and Remus to see the Chiefs of the three tribes, M'Baku, W'Kabi, and T'Challa. "Wait a minute! Hold on!" Henry suddenly cried out. "T'Challa, The Black Panther, is in… Avalon?"

"Black… Panther?" Regina asked of her son, brow furrowed.

"Marvel. Superheroes." Henry muttered, waving his hand dismissively at his mother, keeping his wide eyes trained on Shae. "You're saying that… The Black Panther is… King of The Mists?"

"Not a king, no." Morganna answered, slowly shaking her head. "We have no king or queen in The Mists. T'Challa is simply Chief of one of the tribes, and a relatively new one, at that. His father, T'Chaka, was a good man, and had a long and successful reign as Chief. Sadly, he was lost during Oberon's most recent raid on The Mists. May The Gods keep him."

"Woah…" Henry whispered. "That is just… Amazing! N-Not that T'Chaka died, obviously, but… Y-You know."

"Wanna know the coolest part?" Shae said with a wink. "In The Mists, everyone speaks elvish as well, but mostly what they just call Avalonian. In Avalonian, The Mists is pronounced-"

"Wakanda?" Asked Henry. When Shae nodded, his already wide eyes somehow grew even wider. "Holy crap… D-Do you… Do you think Stan Lee is, like… A wizard, or something?"

Shae opened her mouth to respond, but stopped when Hook cut her off. "This is all deeply fascinating. I'm sure we all agree." He said, glancing quickly around at the others. "But I think we'd like to get back to the story."

Shae cleared her throat, and quickly nodded her head. "Um… Right. Where were we?" She mumbled. "Oh, yeah! So, we met with the three chiefs…"

Just like The Daughters of Chaos, T'Challa, W'Kabi, and M'Baku all knew exactly who Shae was, and why she had come. They talked, ate, and drank with Shae and Remus long into the night. The two of them got to meet many people living in The Mists. Most were human, but there were many halflings and even a few pure blooded elves who escaped their bondage and found a home within The Mists. Every single one of them bowed to Shae upon meeting her, crossing their fists over their chests as they did.

The next morning, Shae and Remus woke with terrible hangovers, and found that The Chiefs had called all of their people together into the center of the valley, where they announced their plan. It was finally time for the liberation of Avalon City. Now that Shae had returned, it was finally time for revolution.

That very same day, Shae and Remus led a small group of warriors from all the different tribes into the city. There, once again, per Morganna's whispered instructions, they looked for the likeness of the wolf Fenrir carved into walls and doorways, which was a symbol of Loki. In those places, they found allies, slaves and common folk who had been gathering in secret, and talking of rebellion, of revolution.

Over the next twelve months or so, they continued to meet with The Friends of Fenrir, which the group of revolutionaries had started to call themselves. With their help, they were able to smuggle groups of men, women, and children out of the city using the sewer system. It was dirty work, filthy, but the sewers were the only place that Oberon's soldiers didn't patrol.

Meanwhile, the people of The Mists began to prepare for war. They already had a sizable army, and had technically been preparing for a great war with Oberon and his own army since the day their High Priestess returned to them, and told them of his cruelty. They also began to train all who were brought to them from the city who were of able body to fight, as well as their own common folk. By the time a year had passed, due to the efforts of Shae, Remus, and The Friends of Fenrir, they numbered in the thousands.

Around that same time was when Oberon finally noticed that the number of slaves and common folk in his city had dwindled significantly. Being the cruel but clever man that he was, he began to post guards around all the sewer entrances. But, by then, it was too late. The people of The Mists were more than ready for war.

Shae and Remus, along with the three Chiefs and The Daughters of Chaos, then began to formulate a plan to storm the city and the castle, and rip Oberon right off of his throne. They worked closely with Puck, who had been Oberon's personal slave since the very beginning of his reign. Puck proved to be an invaluable resource. He knew all the ins and outs of Oberon's daily routine, as well as the routine of his soldiers, his army. He knew exactly when all the different guard changes happened throughout the day, which became a crucial part of the plan.

So, once everything was in place, the army from The Mists marched out across the desert. They only traveled during the dead of night, and carefully hid themselves during the day. The plan was to slip into the city via the sewers once again. The Friends of Fenrir who still remained in the city were to take care of the guards before hand, so Shae and Remus could once again lead a small group of warriors inside, where they would raise all the gates. Then, their army would march in, and storm straight to the castle.

"Unfortunately, things didn't go quite as planned." Remus said with a pained grimace.

"No… Not at all." Shae muttered, grimacing herself.

The others all exchanged worried glances. "What happened?" Regina quietly asked of her wife.

Shae breathed out a long, heavy sigh before responding. "We were… Betrayed." She growled, balling her hands into fists. "There was a man amongst The Friends of Fenrir, Einar, an elf, and a noble one at that. He was part of Oberon's own court. We thought he was on our side, but… He wasn't. The entire time, he had been planning to betray us, to rat us out to Oberon at the opportune moment."

"So, instead of quietly slipping in, we were met by Oberon's entire army as we began to approach the city." Remus continued, his tone soft and sad. "By then… There was no going back. Our armies were evenly matched in numbers, sure, but… Oberon's soldiers were better trained, and he had a lot more mages than we did."

"The Daughters of Chaos held their own really, really well." Said Shae, smiling a small, sad smile at her mother. "But, there were just… Too few of them. They fought their hardest, everyone did. But, in the end, it just… Wasn't enough. Our carefully laid out plan turned into a complete goddamn mess. We were… Forced to retreat."

"Thankfully, Shae was able to snatch Gungnir from her father after facing him on the battlefield." Remus went on, smiling sadly himself at Shae. "So, while T'Challa and W'Kabi led the bulk of what remained of our army back to The Mists, Shae was able to open up a portal. We, along with M'Baku, brought all those who were too injured to make the journey to the only safe place we could think of, which was, well… Here."

Shae nodded, silently confirming what Remus had said. She then glanced around at all the others. "I'm… So sorry." She whispered, her eyes filled with sorrow. "Oberon's soldiers were chasing us, and I had to act fast. Storybrooke was just… The first place that I thought of."

"Don't be sorry. We completely understand." Emma whispered back, leaning forward in her chair as her eyes shimmered with tears. "We found your people out in the woods, and we did everything we could to help them. The fairies and Morganna's sisters are still out there as we speak. We're just… Glad we could help."

Shae breathed out a bitter, sour laugh. "I wouldn't go saying stuff like that so soon." She mumbled, slowly shaking her head. "Wherever I go, my father will follow, to ensure my destruction. Gungnir isn't the only thing he has at his disposal to travel between worlds. He will come for me, and soon."

Once again, the others all exchanged wide eyed, worried glances. "You mean, he's… H-He's going to come… Here?" Asked Snow.

Shae and Remus both nodded their heads, their faces grim. "In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if he was here already, given the vast difference in time." Replied Remus.

"That is… Really not good." Mumbled Regina, her eyes wide.

"Aye, we'll have to act fast, then." Hook agreed with a nod. "We should send the dwarves out to patrol the forest, as well as Captain Sparrow and his crew. The rest of us can go rally the townsfolk."

"We can try." Snow muttered, slowly shaking her head. "But… There's no guarantee that they'll help us."

"They'll have to. If they value their lives." Said Remus, his tone heavy and dark. "After the things we've done in Avalon, he won't stop at just murdering his daughter. He'll burn this whole town to the ground, with anyone and everyone in it."

There was a moment of silence as they all exchanged grim, anxious glances. "Well, then… It's like Killian said. We need to act fast." Emma said with a determined nod, rising to her feet. "Mom, Henry, Killian, can you three handle the dwarves and the pirates, and work on rallying the town?"

Snow, Henry, and Hook all nodded their heads, to which Emma nodded back. "The rest of us should go back to the camp in the north woods. There's still a lot of injured, and we'll need all of them back in fighting shape if we're going to stand a chance at facing Oberon."

"Indeed, we will." Morganna agreed with a nod, getting up from her chair as well. "Once we're there, my sisters and I can cast a spell similar to the mist around our valley. It won't hold for centuries, but it will suffice for now."

"We'll come with you." Shae said, glancing at Remus. "We need to see our people, and tell them to expect another battle."

Once again, the others exchanged worried glances as Shae and Remus began to remove all the various tubes and wires attached to them. "Are you sure you're alright to leave?" Regina asked with a frown. "You were both very badly hurt."

Shae swung her legs off the bed, and attempted to take a step forward. She immediately stumbled and nearly fell, but Regina managed to catch her by her shoulders. "Of course I'm alright." She whispered, smiling into her wife's eyes as she wrapped her arms around her. "How could I not be when I have such a beautiful wife to catch me if I fall?"

Regina chuckled, placing a quick kiss on her wife's lips. "I'll always be here to catch you." She whispered back, smiling into the piercing blue eyes that she loved so much. "Forever and always."

Shae chuckled herself, and drew Regina in even closer, placing another deep, passionate kiss on her lips. "I know it's been a while, but this is no time for flirting!" Remus grumbled as he staggered past them toward the door, with Emma's help. "Come on! We've got work to do!"

Shae and Regina laughed as they broke apart, then followed Remus as he hobbled out the door. Upon leaving the hospital, they all went their separate ways. While on their way toward the Avalonian camp, Shae and Remus questioned the others about what had happened in the three days since they had been gone. They were shocked when Emma and Regina explained, in brief, all that had happened.

The very next day after Shae and Remus left, Gold cast a spell on Belle to hasten her pregnancy, just like both Belle and Emma feared he would. Belle immediately went into labor, and fled to the convent, where Emma and the others gathered to protect her from Gold. She successfully gave birth to a healthy baby boy, whom she immediately handed over to Mother Superior. She begged her to take her baby to the fairy realm, where his father wouldn't be able to reach him.

The Blue Fairy was hesitant, of course, but eventually agreed, and soared off into the night sky with Belle's baby. Gold arrived soon after, and Belle told him the shocking news. He denied having cast the spell that sped up Belle's pregnancy, but none of them believed him. Enraged and distraught, he then left, promising Belle that he would find their son.

Emma and Regina then went on to explain how they had briefly gotten trapped in an alternate realm. Aladdin had become a genie, and his lamp was stolen by The Evil Queen. Wary of the lamp's power and, moreover, it's price, The Evil Queen didn't make a wish for herself. Instead, she wished for Emma's wish to have never been The Savior to come true. Emma immediately disappeared after the wish was spoken. Regina was able to steal the lamp back from The Evil Queen, then made a wish herself to go to wherever Emma was.

Regina suddenly found herself in The Enchanted Forest, but it was not the home she had left behind. It was a complete alternate world, created by The Evil Queen's wish. In this alternate Enchanted Forest, The Evil Queen had been banished from the realm, and had never cast The Dark Curse. Emma had been raised by both her parents, and was a Princess, her son, Henry, a Prince and a Knight.

Emma had no memory of her previous life, her actual life. It took Regina becoming The Evil Queen all over again, and crushing the hearts of Emma's fake parents, for her to finally regain her memory. Once she did, they were able to open up a portal back to Storybrooke. When they arrived, they found that The Evil Queen had mysteriously been turned into a snake. They had no idea how, or who had done it. They immediately assumed it had been Gold, but, once again, he denied having any involvement.

"Where was I in this… Wish Realm?" Shae asked of them.

Emma and Regina exchanged a quick, nervous glance. "Well, you were, um… Dead." Regina slowly replied. "While I was released and banished, you… Never made it out of Snow and David's dungeon. I went to your old cell looking for you, and found nothing but… A pile of bones. It seemed like once you ran out of rats to feed on, you wasted away."

Shae was quiet for a moment, and seemed deeply disturbed. "So, if things had been different, they just would have… Left me to die." She muttered. She then breathed out a bitter, sour laugh, slowly shaking her head. "Fucking figures…"

Once again, Regina and Emma exchanged a quick glance, brows furrowed in concern. They didn't have time to say anything more, though, for they had finally reached their destination. They were once again greeted by arrows pointed at their hearts. When the people surrounding them saw Shae and Remus, they lowered their weapons, and rushed to embrace them.

There was a lot of excited shouting in languages that the women from Storybrooke didn't understand as they were all ushered into the camp. Suddenly, Shae and Remus were lost from their sight, surrounded by dozens of people who seemed positively overjoyed to see them. Morganna was greeted much the same way, leaving Regina, Emma, Tinkerbell, and Zelena to stand quietly and awkwardly to the side.

They trailed silently along behind Shae and Remus as they made their way through the camp, bombarded on all sides by excited humans, halflings, and elves. At one point, Shae pushed her way through the crowd back to Regina. She wrapped an arm around her waist, and planted a quick kiss on her cheek. She then shouted out joyously to her people, gesturing at her wife. Suddenly, both Shae and Regina were lost from sight as they were engulfed back into the excited crowd.

Though they were left awkwardly on the sidelines, Emma, Tink, and Zelena couldn't help but smile. All around them, people were rushing about to and fro, clamoring to grasp both Remus and Shae's hands, and now Regina's as well. The people of Avalon seemed to positively adore them, as well as Morganna, their High Priestess.

Over and over again, they kept hearing the same two words that none of them understood. "Zireael, Gwynbleidd!" Any time anyone approached Shae and Remus, and uttered those words, they would bow low, crossing their clenched fists over their chests.

At one point, a group made up entirely of women rushed up to Shae. She seemed to know them well, and shouted out in joy, throwing her arms up over her head. Shae laughed as the women all embraced her tightly, and didn't seem to notice as her wife was suddenly shoved to the side.

"Wow! This is… Quite a lot, isn't it?" Tink said with a laugh as Regina joined her, Emma, and her sister.

Regina simply nodded silently, staring at her wife as one of the halfling women embraced her, placing a kiss on her cheek. "I think Shae cheated on me." She suddenly blurted out, turning to the others.

The fairy, The Savior, and The Wicked Witch all exchanged wide eyed, open mouthed glances. "What?" Tink exclaimed. "What makes you think that?"

"Well, just look at her with all these women!" Regina cried, gesturing to her wife, who was now embracing a human woman, who also kissed her cheek. "They call themselves Shield Maidens. Apparently, Shae trained them to fight herself. Just look at the way they look at me!"

It was definitely true that several of the women were casting narrow eyed glances Regina's way. "Ok, yeah, they're most definitely throwing some shade your way." Emma admitted with a small shrug. "But that doesn't mean that Shae actually slept with any of them. They're probably just jealous!"

"Oh, I'm certain that they are." Zelena muttered with a small shrug. Her sister shot her an angry glare, and Zelena sighed, rolling her eyes. "Oh, come on! Just look at everything the two of you have been through! You can't possibly believe that Shae would be unfaithful now, after all that!"

Regina frowned, furrowing her brow as she pondered her sister's words, as well as Emma and Tink's. She was about to respond when Shae herself suddenly rushed up to them. "Hey!" She said breathlessly. "Sorry, I know this is all probably, just… A lot."

"Yes… It is." Regina muttered, narrowing her eyes at her wife.

Shae's smile turned into a frown of her own as she noticed her wife's icy tone. "SO! Everyone here seems to… Just love you!" Cried Tink, quickly changing the subject. "We've noticed that they keep calling you Zireael. What does that mean?"

"Oh! Um… Right, yeah… It's… I-It's just, you know… A nickname." Shae stammered in reply.

"Right, we… Thought as much." Tink muttered. Her own face fell into a confused frown at Shae's sudden nervous stammering. "What does it mean, though? Does it just mean Shae in, um… Avalonian, or something?"

"Er… No… It's… I-It's elvish, actually." Shae stammered some more, growing increasingly nervous by the second. "It, um… I-It means… Uh… Savior."

It took them all a moment to realize what Shae had said, as she spoke the last word of her sentence quickly and quietly. Once they did, their jaws dropped open in shock. "Wait… Seriously?" Emma exclaimed. Her hazel eyes were wide, and she quickly shook her head. "Ok… Wow… That, um… T-That is just… Well…"

Zelena had been trying to stop herself from laughing, but failed immensely. Emma stopped her quiet muttering as Zelena suddenly led out a loud, raucous guffaw. It turned into a fit of quiet giggles as she tried to force herself to stop. She finally did after receiving reproachful glares from both Shae and her sister.

"Hey, don't worry. I'm not trying to steal your thunder or anything like that." Said Shae, placing a reassuring hand on Emma's shoulder. "You're still the OG Savior! You know, the one born of true love and stuff!"

Emma slowly nodded her head, though still seemed to be a bit miffed. "So… What does Gwnybleidd mean? Let me guess… Other Savior?" She asked, a slight bitterness in her tone.

"No. Not exactly." Shae replied with a small chuckle. "It means Ironside. Many of the slaves and commoners we rescued saw me and Remus fighting our way out of the city after we first arrived. I was a little too busy to notice, but apparently it was… Quite a spectacle. The story of how many soldiers they watched Remus single handedly take down grows taller and taller with each person who tells it. They insist that he has the protection of the god Baldr himself, that nothing can kill him. Hence… Ironside."

They all glanced over at Remus, who was talking and laughing loudly with a group of dwarves. There were only about a dozen of them, and they seemed to be the only ones in the camp. These dwarves were a bit shorter and stockier than the dwarves they were used to, and all had varying shades of warm brown or deep red hair, with long, full beards to match.

"Oh! Mom!" Shae called out to Morganna as she joined them once again. "Do you happen to have a spell or something that can help with the, uh… Language barrier?"

Morganna was quiet for a moment, tapping a finger against her chin as she glanced around at them all. "Yes, I believe I do have a little something." She muttered. She then stepped up to Regina, and placed her hands on her shoulders. "Now, don't get upset, Shae, it's simply how the spell works."

Shae furrowed her brow in confusion, but said nothing as Morganna closed her eyes, and moved her hands to cover both of Regina's ears. Regina exchanged an equally confused and nervous glance with her wife as Morganna began mumbling quietly in Avalonian. Then, Regina's eyes suddenly grew wide as Morganna leaned forward, and placed a firm kiss on her lips.

Emma, Tink, and Zelena's jaws all dropped open in shock. They slowly turned their wide eyes onto Shae, whose jaw was also dangling open. After a moment, Morganna released her daughter-in-law, and stepped back.

"Mmm… I see why my daughter is so infatuated with you." She said with a wink.

Morganna patted her daughter on the shoulder as she began to walk away, who simply stood rigid in shock. "Wait!" Tink called after her. "W-What… What about us?"

Morganna turned back around, and frowned as she slowly scanned her eyes over Tink, Emma, and Zelena. "Well, I'm not kissing all of you." She said with a shrug.

She then went on her way again. There was a moment of silence as they all stared wide eyed around at each other. Once again, Zelena had been trying to stop herself from laughing, but failed. Unable to stop, this time she simply made herself scarce. She went off in search of someone in need of healing, chuckling all the while.

"I… Did not like that." Sahe mumbled, finally breaking her stunned silence.

"I kind of did." Replied Regina. At the appalled look on Shae's face, she simply simply shrugged. "What? I see where you get it from now."

Regina laughed as she patted Shae's cheek, and stepped away from the group for a moment, leaving Shae alone to deal with the fact that her mother just kissed her wife. As she gazed around the camp, she slowly began to realize that she could now understand what they were saying. To her, it simply seemed like they were speaking English, but she knew full well that wasn't the case.

Regina laughed some more as she listened to the strangers surrounding her that she could now understand. Most were talking excitedly about Remus and Shae's return. Her smile slowly faded as she listened to the injured and dying. They all called out to The Gods, their Gods that Regina knew full well were dead and gone.

She quickly shook herself, and focused her attention on the group of women nearby, Shae's Shield Maidens. The same small few that Regina had noticed glaring at her earlier were sitting around a fire together. They spoke loudly and freely, assuming that Regina couldn't understand anything that they were saying.

"I can't believe that's The Savior's wife!" One of them exclaimed, casting a quick, side eyed glance over at Regina. "The one that she's so damn obsessed with."

"I know! She's not even that pretty!" Agreed another, throwing her arms up in the air.

"She's prettier than you!" One woman sitting apart from the jealous others called out. "You look like a fucking horse!"

The other women all laughed as the one who was insulted angrily stoked the fire with a stick. "Well, there must be something to her." The human woman across from her said with a shrug. "The Savior is constantly talking about her."

"I know, right? It's so irritating!" Said another woman, a halfling. "And have you seen the way she looks at her? If only she'd look at me that way…"

"Keep dreaming!" Scoffed the human woman beside her. "If she's a horse, then you're a cow!"

The entire group burst into more laughter. Regina couldn't help but chuckle herself. She then returned to her wife's side, who was talking with Emma and Tink. Regina grabbed on to Shae's arm, and spun her around to face her. She threw her arms around the woman she loved, the woman that loved her, and placed a deep, passionate kiss on her lips.

"Gods, I missed you." Shae whispered softly, gently caressing her wife's cheek.

"I missed you too." Regina whispered back.

Their lips crashed together again, and Regina made especially sure to grope every inch of Shae's body that she could. She glanced quickly over at the women that had been gossiping about her. The angry scowls on their faces caused her to smile.

Shae and Regina's passionate moment was rudely interrupted by the group of dwarves. "Savior! There you are!" One of them called out as they approached the two lovers, who quickly broke apart. "We were just talking with Ironside. He said to expect another fight with your rat bastard of a father."

"Keep your voice down, Cleaver…" Shae muttered, glancing nervously all around her. "I'm going to tell everyone myself soon. But, for now, just… Keep it to yourselves, alright?"

The dwarf named Cleaver shrugged at the others. "Aye. If you say so, Savior. Our lips are sealed." He said, to which the others nodded. He then turned his eyes onto Regina with a wide, toothy grin. "And who is this delectable looking specimen?"

Shae glanced quickly at her wife, and cleared her throat awkwardly. "Right, uh… This is Regina, my wife." She replied, placing her hand on Regina's shoulder. "Regina, this is Cleaver, and his band of mercenaries, Cleaver's Reavers."

Cleaver and his dwarves all laughed merrily. "Well done, Savior!" One of the dwarves called out. "Just look at the pair o' tits on this one!"

"Aye, and that arse, to boot!" Cried another.

"Guys… Come one. Don't be rude." Shae muttered with a frown.

The dwarves simply laughed some more. "What? It's not like she can understand a bleedin' word we're saying!" Cleaver exclaimed.

"Actually, I understand you perfectly."

To Regina, it simply sounded like she was speaking English. But, at the sudden, horrified look on Cleaver and his Reavers' faces, that clearly wasn't the case. There was a tense moment of silence as they all stared wide eyed at her, their jaws dangling open.

"Deepest apologies, m-m'lady…" Cleaver stammered anxiously, bowing low. At a frantic gesture from their leader, the other dwarves followed suit. "W-We didn't mean to offend!"

Regina simply laughed, wrapping an arm around Shae's waist. "No offense taken." She replied with a small shrug. "I know full well what a… Delectable specimen I am."

Cleaver and his fellow dwarves immediately burst out into more raucous laughter. "Oh, I like this one!" Cleaver exclaimed, clapping his hand on Shae's forearm, the only part of her arm that he could reach. "Come, sit! Have a horn of ale with us!"

Shae chuckled herself, draping her arm around her wife's shoulders. "Later, my friends." She said with a smile. "There are still a lot of wounded around that need our help."

Cleaver nodded, and made them swear that they would join him and his band of dwarves for a drink sometime later. Shae and Regina both agreed. They then joined the others from Storybrooke, lending their healing magic to anyone who was in need.

Regina mostly stuck to her wife's side as they wandered the camp. It had only been three days for her, but those three days without the woman that she loved had been agony. She couldn't imagine what a whole year would be like. She tried to ask her wife more about her year away in Avalon, but it was difficult. Shae was constantly being approached by her people, who all bowed to her, and some even kissed her hand, thanking her profusely for saving their lives. Regina didn't mind. It warmed her heart to see how adored among her people Shae was, just like she adored her.

A little while later, Snow, Hook, and Henry arrived, announcing that their own dwarves, as well as Jack Sparrow and his crew, were out patrolling the forest as they spoke. They also said that they had been successful in convincing the townsfolk of Storybrooke to join the fight against Oberon. They assured Shae and Remus that, when the time came, any and every able bodied person within the town would take up arms. Nobody was really that surprised. Inspiring hope and courage was what Snow White did best, after all.

Shae and Regina were talking with their friends and family from Storybrooke when a familiar voice cried out; "Zireael! Gwynbleidd!"

Shae and Remus turned around, and Regina recognized Puck rushing toward them. "Puck!" Shae exclaimed, tightly embracing the young elf. "There you are! When I didn't see you, I thought something might have happened."

"My apologies, I've been quite busy tending to the wounded." Puck replied, bowing low as he crossed his fists over his chest. "And I've been keeping an eye on the little one, as much as I can, anyway. She's always wandering off into the forest, but I made her swear that she wouldn't wander too far."

Remus chuckled, clapping a hand on Puck's shoulder. "Oh, don't you worry. She may be small, but she can take care of herself, that's for certain."

"Do you know where she is now?" Asked Shae.

"I believe so, yes." Replied Puck, nodding his head. "Come, I will take you to her."

Shae nodded back, then turned to her wife and the others. "Come on." She said, motioning for them all to follow her. "There's someone I want you all to meet."

Up until the last sentence, Shae, Remus and Puck had been speaking elvish. Apart from Regina, the rest of the group from Storybrooke was quite confused, but obliged anyway. Regina was confused herself, but simply trailed along behind her wife, as did Emma, Hook, Henry, Snow, and Tinkerbell. The only one not among them was Zelena, which suited Regina just fine.

As they made their way through the camp, Shae continued to be approached by all sorts of people. She didn't stop to talk to any of them this time, and quickly but politely excused herself. She seemed anxious for some reason, excited.

Puck then led them out of the camp and into the woods. It wasn't long before they reached their apparent destination. They were all confused for a moment as to why Puck had stopped, until they spotted the hunched over form of a child digging in the dirt at the base of a tree. Shae began to walk forward past him, an excited grin on her face.

Upon hearing approaching footsteps, the child whirled around in alarm. It was a little girl with curly black hair, the same little girl that had led them to Shae and Remus the night before. In all the commotion, Regina and the others had nearly forgotten about her.

"SHAE!" The girl exclaimed, her dirty face lighting up with joy.

Shae knelt down on the ground, and threw her arms wide. The little girl sprinted toward her, practically leaping into her waiting arms. Shae laughed loudly as she hugged her tight.

"Hey there, kiddo!" She exclaimed, holding the girl out at arms length. "I'm so happy to see you! I'm sorry I was gone for so long. You did a really good job of bringing my friends to help me and Remus. Thank you. I'm so proud of you."

The little girl giggled as Shae pulled her into another tight hug. "Welcome!" She said with a smile.

When Shae released her again, she proudly held up the rock she had clutched in her fist. "Woah! That is a really cool rock!" Shae exclaimed. "Are you going to put it with the others?"

The girl shook her head as she continued to hold the rock out toward Shae. "F-F-F… F-For… You!" She replied in the same quiet stammer as the others heard before.

"Aww, thanks, kiddo!" Shae said, smiling as she took the rock from the girl. "I love it."

The group from Storybrooke all stared wide eyed around at each other as Shae swept the little girl up in another hug. "Shae… Who is this?" Regina asked quietly, though she was quite certain she already knew the answer.

"Right, sorry…" Shae muttered as she rose to her feet. She placed her hands on the little girl's shoulders, gently guiding her to stand directly in front of her. "Regina, this is… Freya. My little sister."

Regina placed her hand over her mouth, her eyes immediately welling with tears. "Freya, this is Regina." Shae went on, smiling down at her sister. She then knelt down at her side, whispering loudly enough for Regina and the others to hear. "She's my love, the one I told you all about. She's even prettier than I said, isn't she?"

Freya giggled softly, and nodded her head. Regina laughed herself as she took a step forward. She then knelt down in front of Freya, smiling into her eyes, which were the same shade of magnificent, piercing blue as her sister's, and her mother's.

"Hello, Freya." Regina whispered softly, her eyes streaming with joyous, overwhelmed tears. "It's… So nice to officially meet you."

"Freya, can you… Say hello?" Shae quietly asked of her little sister.

"H-H-Hello…" Freya stammered softly.

"Good! That was really good, kiddo!" Shae said excitedly, smiling fondly at Freya. She then cleared her throat, and turned her eyes onto her wife and the others. "She has trouble, uh… Communicating. But we're working on it, right?"

Freya silently nodded her head with a smile. "Right, I want to introduce you to Henry next." Shae said, beckoning for the boy to step forward. "He's kind of, um… Your Uncle, I guess? Or… Your cousin? I-I dunno… Anyway… Freya, this is Henry."

Just like his mother had, Henry knelt down in front of the little girl. "Hi there, Freya. It's nice to meet you." He said with a smile. "Do you… Like rocks? I do too."

Freya emitted a soft, excited gasp, and began to fish around in what looked like fully laden pockets. She then produced another rock, and held it out to Henry. "Is this… For me?" Henry asked, chuckling quietly when Freya nodded. "Thank you so much! This is a super cool rock."

Freya nodded, giggling quietly. Shae nodded at Henry, and gave him a wink, to which Henry winked back. "Now then, these are the rest of my friends." Shae went on, gesturing toward the others. "This is Emma, her mother Snow White, Killian, aka Captain Hook, and that there is Tinkerbell, my fairy-god-mother."

One by one, the others all greeted Freya the same way that Henry and Regina had, with warm, misty eyed smiles. There was no denying that she was Shae's sister. Freya was basically a smaller, child sized version of Shae. The main difference was that Freya's hair was a tangle of tight, wild curls, where Shae's was now flat and neatly combed. They were all positively overwhelmed. They could barely believe that Shae had actually found her long lost sister alive, and that she was now in Storybrooke with them all.

"Oh my god… She's so adorable!" Snow White cooed as she smiled down at Freya. "She's just like… A mini Shae!"

"I know, right?" Shae said with a grin. "She obviously gets all her best qualities from me."

The others all laughed. Freya then began to hand out more gifts to them all. They were mostly more rocks, leaves, and sticks, but they accepted whatever the young girl gave them nonetheless. Tink was the unfortunate one who received a live, wriggling worm that Freya had stuffed into her pocket. She accepted her gift just as graciously as the others, then immediately tossed it away the second Freya wasn't looking.

"She, uh… Doesn't have much experience with the outside world." Shae explained as Freya rushed up to Remus. She greeted him just as excitedly as she had her sister. "She loves digging around the dirt for, um… Well… Anything!"

"What exactly do you mean?" Hook asked of Shae, frowning in confusion along with the others. "Where did you even find her? How did you find her?"

Shae bit her lip as she watched Remus scoop her little sister up in his arms, and twirl her around in the air. "I'll tell you guys all about it soon, I promise." She replied, turning her gaze back onto her wife and the others. "There's just… One more stop we need to make first."

The others all immediately knew what Shae meant, and nodded their heads. As they made their way back into the camp, Freya giggled happily as she rode on the back of Remus's shoulders. The people of Avalon all smiled and waved at Freya as they passed, who smiled and waved excitedly back. Regina was smiling herself as she looked upon Shae's own warm, loving smile. Though she didn't know the full story yet, she could tell that Shae cared for her little sister very deeply, and that they had been through a lot together.

As they approached the center of the camp, they suddenly found themselves blocked by a large crowd. The people of Avalon were gathered closely together, standing on their tiptoes to see whatever was ahead of them, muttering excitedly. When they noticed Shae and Remus starting to push through the crowd, they immediately parted for them, bowing low with their fists crossed over their chests.

"Okoye!" Shae suddenly shouted out. She approached a human woman, whom Regina recognized as the one who had called one of Shae's admirers a horse. "Hey! What's going on?"

The woman, whose name was apparently Okoye, grabbed onto Shae's arm with one hand, and placed a finger of her other to her lips. "Quiet, Savior…" She whispered. "The Daughters of Chaos are calling upon the old magic, the mist."

As Shae silently nodded her head, Henry drew in a soft, excited gasp. "D-Did… Did you say… Okoye?" Heny quietly asked of Shae, his eyes wide as saucers. When she nodded, giving him an excited grin, he grinned excitedly back. "Wow… Holy shit…"

"Language…" Regina grumbled, gently elbowing her son.

Henry bit his lip, then continued to stare wide eyed at the human woman, Okoye. The only thing Regina knew about her was that she was one of The Shield Maidens. She stood tall among the rest of the humans, almost Shae's height, and was more stockily built, her entire body rippling with copious amounts of muscle. She held a spear in one hand, and had a bald head just like Morganna, just like all the rest of the humans among the camp. Henry seemed positively starstruck over her, for some reason.

After exchanging another few, quiet words with Okoye, Shae then began to lead the way further through the crowd, until they reached the front. They spotted Morganna amongst her sisters, who now numbered over a dozen. They all were standing in a circle, holding hands with one another. Their heads were bowed, eyes closed, and they were all muttering quietly in Avalonian. The words were too quiet and too quickly spoken for Regina to understand, but there were a few that she recognized being muttered over and over again; "Loki… Mad One… Chaos."

Suddenly, a column of what looked like thick, white steam burst forth from the center of the circle the women had created. The steam slowly began to dissipate, forming into a thick cloud of mist. It spread all over the camp, surrounding it on all sides. Soon, the forest beyond the camp was lost from sight amongst the dense, heavy mist.

The moment that The Daughters of Chaos released each other's hands, the people of Avalon burst into raucous applause. The people from Storybrooke were all jostled by the crowd as they began to rush toward Morganna and her sisters. The Daughters of Chaos were quickly surrounded by the excited, grateful mob.

Regina and the others all waited patiently with Shae and Remus, who still had Freya perched on his shoulders. They all kept glancing anxiously over at Shae, who seemed incredibly anxious herself. She stood beside her wife, one arm wrapped around her waist as she bounced on the balls of her feet.

Finally, the crowd began to dissipate. Shae instructed Remus and the others to stay back for a moment, so she could talk with her mother. She approached Morganna as she slowly sank down onto a seat that was actually just a log cut from one of the nearby trees. The rest of her sisters did the same, some even sitting down on the ground. They all seemed to be exhausted after the efforts of their spell.

They all watched with bated breath as Shae briefly conversed with her mother. Then, Shae stepped aside, and motioned for Remus to join her. Remus nodded, and carefully removed Freya from his shoulders. The others all trailed silently along behind him as he walked hand in hand with Freya toward Morganna.

"Freya, this is… Morganna." Shae spoke quietly, dropping down onto one knee beside her little sister. "This is… Our mother. I… Told you about her. Remember?"

Morganna herself simply remained silently in her seat, her own blue eyes shimmering with tears. She watched with her jaw dangling open as Freya, her other long lost daughter, simply stared curiously at her for a moment. Freya then turned toward Shae, and placed her tiny hands on either side of her face. She stared intently into her sister's eyes for a moment, then turned her own back onto Morganna. She glanced back and forth between them for another moment. Then, she pointed a finger toward Shae's eyes, then at her own, and then, at her mother's.

"M-M-M… M-a… Mama?" She stammered quietly.

Morganna clapped both hands over her mouth, choking out a strangled sob. "Yes. That's right." She whispered, her voice quavering with emotion. "I-I'm… Your mother."

Slowly, a wide, joyful smile stretched across Freya's lips. "Mama!" She cried.

Freya threw her arms wide, and rushed toward her mother. Morganna immediately swept her up into her own arms, holding her tight. She sobbed loudly as she did, gratefully. She slowly rocked back and forth in her seat for a while, holding her daughter close, the little girl that she thought was dead.

After a time, Morganna finally released Freya. She simply smiled into her eyes as she sat in her lap, her own streaming with joyous tears. "What do you think, kiddo?" Shae whispered, tears of her own leaking onto her cheeks as she placed a gentle hand on Freya's shoulder. "She's pretty too, don't you think?"

Freya once again giggled happily, and vigorously nodded her head. Morganna choked out another loud, strangled sob of pure joy. She pulled both of daughters into her arms, holding them tight.

"Oh… Oh, my sweet girls!" She exclaimed, laughing loudly through her tears. She then began placing gentle, grateful kisses into the side of Shae's head. "Thank you…" She whispered breathlessly. "Thank you, Shae… Thank you, thank you, thank you…"

The others all watched with misty eyed smiles of their own as Morganna was reunited with another long lost daughter, one that she never thought she would see again. The three of them were finally together, after so much time. They were finally a family.

"Oh, just look at you, my darling." Morganna whispered, smiling at Freya as she gently stroked her wild curls. "You're so beautiful. More beautiful than I could ever imagine."

Freya smiled back at her mother, and began to rub the top of her bald head, to which Morganna laughed. "I never thought this would be possible." Morganna went on, turning her tear stained face onto Shae. "How did you find her? Where did you find her?"

Shae suggested they all sit down, which the others did. Then, she and Remus both began to explain how they had finally found the daughter that Morganna assumed was dead. Puck had been the one to tell them about her, for he was one of the few people in the castle that knew of her existence.

He hadn't known exactly who she was, though, or that she was even a she. All he knew was that there was a child locked away in the tallest tower of the castle. Three times a day, it was his job to bring meals to the child, where he simply slid them through a small slot at the bottom of the tower door. He was given specific instructions from The King to never speak to the child, or of the child. To do either would be punishable by death, a slow, painful death.

The only others who knew of the child were a select three court mages, and a set of four of Oberon's most trusted soldiers. The soldiers stood watch outside the door at all times, two during the day, and the other two at night. Puck assumed that they were given the same instructions by The King, as they never spoke to Freya, or even Puck himself, for that matter.

Upon hearing all this, Shae knew that the child had to be her sister. She told them all that she didn't quite know how or why, that she just knew. So, a few days later, Shae and Remus went alone into the city. Thanks to a magical potion crafted by The Daughters of Chaos, they were simply able to walk right up the tower's outer wall. They jimmied open the lock on the tower's top most window, and crawled inside. That was when they found Freya.

Immediately upon entering the small room, Shae was struck over the head with a heavy book. Freya must have heard someone trying to break into her window, and was scared. The commotion alerted the guards, who quickly rushed into the room. Freya hid under her bed while Shae and Remus made quick work of the guards. Thankfully, it was late and night, and they were high enough up to not alert anyone else in the castle.

It took a while, but, finally, Shae was able to convince Freya to come out from under the bed. Once she did, she quickly explained who she was, and that she and Remus had come to rescue her. Freya was resistant at first, and understandably frightened. But, there was a moment where she stared into the nearby mirror at her reflection, then back at Shae. Just as she had done a few moments ago, she placed her tiny hands on Shae's face, and stared intently into her eyes. When she realized that she was staring into the same exact blue eyes as her own, she immediately threw herself into Shae's arms. That was all the convincing that she needed.

Thankfully, the effects of the potion hadn't worn off yet, so Shae and Remus were able to walk right back down the side of the tower, with Freya in tow. The girl was positively amazed by the desert, even more so by the beautiful valley of The Mists. The moment her feet touched the grass, she tore off her shoes, and began running about, giggling happily.

"It was the first time she had ever seen grass. Or trees. Or… Anything else besides her room in the tower. Including humans." Remus explained, smiling sadly as he watched Freya digging in the dirt with a stick. "Why, she didn't even have a name when we found her. Didn't even know what a name was."

Their eyes all grew wide with horror. "Seriously?" Asked Emma.

Shae and Remus both nodded. "That's why I just started calling her Freya. Like you wanted, Mom." Shae replied, smiling at her mother. "I… Hope that's alright."

"It is more than alright. It's perfect." Morganna said with a nod, smiling affectionately at Freya. "So, judging by what you're saying, she had never left the castle until you rescued her. Is that why she… Doesn't seem to speak?"

Once again, Shae and Remus both nodded. "She can speak, just… Not very well. Because she was told not to, and because no one ever really spoke to her." Shae answered with a grimace. "The only time anyone did was when the court mages were teaching her magic, or how to fight. And, even then, she was told to only listen and… Obey."

"They… Taught her magic?" Regina asked with a frown. "Why would they do that?"

Remus and Shae exchanged a quick, grim glance before responding. "Because, they were trying to train her to be a weapon." Remus replied, his tone low and dark. "A weapon to be used against Shae. She'd been being trained with magic ever since she was old enough to walk, the same with a sword. Their intention was to create… The perfect soldier. Oberon was slowly grooming her to be the perfect killing machine, who was powerful in both magic and brute force, and, more importantly, who never questioned orders."

"She was supposed to be my ultimate destruction." Shae went on, her tone just as dark as Remus's. "But, I guess I… Changed too many things about The Prophecy. I came back too soon. If Freya had been raised that way her entire life, then… They might have succeeded. But, all she is now is a quiet, curious little kid who loves books and digging around in the dirt."

"Thank the gods for that…" Morganna whispered, slowly shaking her head. "But, so… She has powers, then?"

"Oh yeah." Shae replied with a laugh. "They're pretty much the same as mine, but she's… Way better with them. In fact, she saved my life during the battle with Oberon."

Morganna's jaw suddenly dropped open in shock. "You took her into battle?" She cried.

"Well, I tried to tell her to stay behind, but she refused!" Shae cried herself, throwing her arms up in the air. "My only choice would have been to lock her up again. I just… Couldn't do that to her. Not after all she's been through."

"Besides, even if we had locked her up, she would have found a way to get out." Remus said with a shrug. "She's become awfully resourceful, not to mention powerful. She's been stuck to Shae like glue ever since we rescued her from her tower. Trust me, she would have found her own way onto that battlefield."

Slowly, the anger on Morganna's face began to dissipate, and she turned her eyes back onto Freya. She had climbed up into Hook's lap, and was carefully examining his hook. She seemed deeply confused by it, but also deeply fascinated.

"How exactly do you know all this?" Asked Tink. "I thought you said Puck didn't know anything about her."

"He didn't, but one of the court mages we kidnapped did." Remus explained with a small shrug. "Any man will spill all his deepest, darkest secrets after enough time without food or water, and with enough prodding. Especially when the prodding is being done by a red hot knife."

The others all exchanged nervous glances, but decided not to ask anything more about the mage. "So, you say she… Likes to read?" Morganna asked, finally breaking the uncomfortable silence.

"Yeah. That's pretty much all she was able to do." Shae replied with a small, one armed shrug. "She was only given books on magic and alchemy in the tower, and unfortunately the people of The Mists don't really have any. But we were able to snag a few storybooks from the city. She loves those. She's probably read them all over a dozen times now."

"We should take her to the library tomorrow!" Henry said with an excited grin. "She'd probably completely lose her mind!"

"That sounds like a fantastic idea!" Regina agreed with a smile.

"Agreed." Morganna replied, smiling herself.

There was a moment of silence as they all turned their eyes back onto Freya. She was now sitting in Emma's lap, closely examining her long, blond hair. Once again, she seemed confused, but completely fascinated.

"Well, uh… We should probably get back to it." Shae said as she rose to her feet. "There's still plenty of wounded who need our help. And, like Emma said, we're going to need all our warriors to face Oberon when he comes."

"Shae!" Freya exclaimed, rushing to her sister's side.

Shae chuckled quietly as Freya threw her tiny arms around her legs, staring up at her with worried, frightened eyes. "It's ok, kiddo. I won't be going far." Shae told her with a warm, encouraging smile. "Why don't you stay here with Mom? You can show her your collection. I'm sure she'd love to see it."

"Yes. Of course." Morganna said with a nod, smiling at Freya as well. "Please, come. Show me everything. I hear you like rocks."

Freya nodded, a wide grin stretching across her face. She then rushed up to her mother, and climbed back into her lap. She then began to remove all the various items from her fully laden pockets, proudly displaying them to Morganna.

"I just… I can't believe you actually found your sister." Regina muttered as she stood beside her wife, the two of them watching Freya and Morganna laughing together. "She is… Just the sweetest thing. I'm so glad you found her when you did."

"Me too." Shae agreed with a nod. She then turned to her wife with a sudden frown. "I'm sorry to spring all of this onto you so suddenly. I know it's a lot, and-"

"Don't be sorry." Regina whispered, placing her hand gently on Shae's cheek. "Any family of yours is family of mine."

Shae opened and closed her mouth several times, her eyes welling with tears. Then, she simply drew her wife into her arms, and placed a soft, grateful kiss on her lips. After a few moments, they broke apart, and stood and watched Freya giggling happily in her mother's arms.

"I still can barely believe that this is all real." Shae muttered, her own arms still wrapped around the woman that she loved. "After all this time, after all I've been through, I… Finally have a family. A mother, a little sister, a son, a gorgeous, amazing wife, and good friends that all care about me. I just… I never thought this was possible, that I'd actually have all this."

"Me either." Regina muttered back, breathing out a small laugh. "But… Here we are."

Shae laughed herself, slowly nodding her head. "Here we are." She agreed, turning her shimmering blue eyes back onto her wife. "And there's nowhere else I'd rather be."

Regina nodded her own head in agreement. She smiled as the woman that she loved with all her heart placed another soft, gentle kiss on her lips. Then, after casting one final glance toward Freya and Morganna, they set off to find anyone and everyone who was in need of their help.

XX

Finally, after the sun had set, all the injured warriors in the Avalonian camp were healthy and strong once again. Unfortunately, there were quite a few that had been beyond help. The people of Avalon made quick work of preparing a great funeral pyre for them all. Then, a feast was prepared from the copious amounts of game that the best hunters among the group were able to collect. They all ate, drank, danced, and sang around the roaring fire, in honor of their dead.

The group from Storybrooke found it all a bit strange, and slightly morbid, but kept quiet about it. They knew that the people around them, who had been nothing but kind and grateful for their help, were from an entirely different world, and lived vastly different lives than their own. They knew that it wasn't their place to question the traditions of people from such a far away land.

"Zireael! Zireael!"

A large, muscular, dark skinned man suddenly rushed up to where Shae was sitting with her wife and the rest of her friends and family. Emma and Hook recognized him as the one who had shot an arrow at them when they first found the camp.

"M'Baku!" Shae exclaimed. She and Remus immediately leapt up to embrace the man. "I'm so happy you're here!"

"Indeed!" Remus agreed with a wide, joyful smile, clapping M'Baku on the shoulder. "When we couldn't find you, we assumed you were among the dead!"

"No, I still live! By the grace of The Gods!" M'Baku replied, smiling himself. "I have been busy with our prisoner. My men and I cannot agree on what to do with him, so we bring him to you for judgement, Savior."

M'Baku waved his hand in the air. Suddenly, all the clapping, singing, and dancing came to a screeching halt. A small group of human men began to approach Shae, dragging what looked like an elven man between them. The people from Avalon began to surround them, shouting and spitting furiously at the elf who seemed to be only half conscious.

When the group of human men finally reached Shae, the two of them dragging the elf by his arms shoved him forward, where he collapsed at her feet. Shae simply stared silently at him as he grunted and groaned, pushing himself onto his knees. He was dressed in fine silks and cloths, which were covered in a layer of dirt and blood. His face was swollen, bloodied, and bruised, and he peered up at Shae through the one eye that wasn't completely swollen shut.

"Einar…" Shae whispered.

Though the others from Storybrooke, besides Regina, hadn't understood a word before, they recognized the name that Shae had uttered. Their eyes grew wide when they realized who this elf was. He was the one that had betrayed Shae, the one who had told Oberon of her army's coming.

"Some of my men say that he should simply be beheaded for his crimes." M'Baku said as he stepped forward. "But, others… Others say that he should suffer… The Blood Eagle."

Suddenly, the crowd of Avalonians burst into furious, raucous applause. Snow White questioned Regina about what they were saying. Regina quickly explained, but, like she was, they all seemed confused.

"What is… The Blood Eagle?" Henry asked of Shae.

Shae didn't respond right away. She simply stood rigid in her spot for a moment, staring down at the traitor that was kneeling before her. After a few moments, when Shae failed to respond, Remus explained instead.

"The Blood Eagle… Is a form of punishment." Remus told them, still staring down at Einar, fists clenched. "It is a horrible punishment, reserved for the most horrible of crimes."

The others all furrowed their brows at each other. There was another moment of silence as they all waited for Remus, or Shae, or someone else to elaborate. When Remus finally went on, his tone was dark, solemn, and quiet.

"The offender gets down on his knees, and his back is sliced open… With knives." He said, slowly turning around to face them all. "Then, with axes, his ribs are chopped away from his spine. His lungs are removed from the massive, gaping wound, and laid over his shoulders, so they look like the folded wings of a great eagle. And he must stay like that, suffering in great pain… Until he dies."

Another moment of silence passed as the group from Storybrooke stared around at each other in pure horror. "If he suffers in silence, then he may enter Valhalla." Shae continued on, her back still turned toward the others. She paused to turn around to face them, the roaring fire behind her casting a dark, sinister shadow over her face. "But, if he screams, even utters a tiny whimper… He will be rejected from The Allfather's hall, and be subjected to the cold fires of Helheim for all eternity."

The others simply stared with their mouths gaping open at Shae. Zelena was the only one who didn't seem completely appalled. She simply stared wide eyed at Shae with morbid curiosity. When none of them spoke, though, or asked her more, she slowly turned back around. She stepped up close to Einar, crouching down in front of him.

"What do you say, traitor?" She whispered softly, glaring into his bruised, swollen eyes. "Should I simply cut off your head, and let you die like the snivelling coward that you are? Or, should I make you suffer The Blood Eagle, and see if you are worthy enough to enter Odin's hall?"

Einar simply glared right back at Shae for a moment, then drew back his head, and spat right in her face. "Vatt'ghern!" He snarled, a word which Regina recognized to mean Doom-Bringer. "It matters not what you do to me! Soon, His Highness will come, and he will crush you under his boot! He will put all those who love and serve you to the sword! Then, King Oberon, Champion of The Gods, will reign supreme, and Odin himself will reward me with a seat at his table for all I've done!"

Shae slowly wiped Einar's spit away from her face. "We will see." She growled.

Shae then rose to her feet, and gestured toward M'Baku and his men. The people of Avalon once again burst into furious applause as the same two human men seized Einar by his arms. They gathered closely around, shouting angrily as the traitorous elf was turned around to face them, and forced down onto his knees.

"Shae, you can't seriously be thinking of doing this… Blood Eagle!" Cried Snow White, as she rushed up to Shae's side.

Shae nodded silently at M'Baku as he handed her a dagger. "It's what my people want." Was all she said to Snow.

Snow and the others watched with their jaws dangling open as Shae proceeded to slice the back of Einar's shirt open with the dagger. "Shae, don't!" Snow exclaimed, grabbing on to Shae's wrist. "This is… Barbaric! I know this man betrayed you, but he's still entitled to a fair trial! After which, he should be locked up, not… Brutally murdered!"

Shae breathed out a small laugh. "Yeah, that's… Not really our way."

"But it's your way!" Whispered Snow, leaning in closer as she gripped Shae's wrist tight, staring desperately into her eyes. "You said yourself that Storybrooke is your home now, and that is how we do things here. Hell, you even married The Mayor! For god's sake, Shae, your step-son is watching! And your little sister!"

Shae glanced back at Henry and Freya, who were indeed watching her intently. "Savior! Who is this woman?" M'Baku asked of her. "She seems to be bothering you."

"It's alright, M'Baku. I've got it." Shae replied in Avalonian. She then glanced back at Snow, switching to English again. "Snow, I suggest you step back. My friends here don't like your tone."

Snow White turned her gaze onto M'Baku and his men, who were all glaring at her, hands on their various weapons. Snow's eyes grew wide, and she immediately retreated back several steps. She glanced around at all her friends and family, who were looking just as horrified as she was.

"Morganna!" Cried Snow, turning to Shae's mother, who had Freya sitting in her lap. "You can't tell me that you're ok with this!"

Morganna simply frowned in silence for a moment, gently stroking Freya's hair. "You may think it barbaric, Snow White, and I cannot disagree." She quietly replied. "But it is our way. Besides… It does not matter what I think, or what anyone else thinks. It is Shae's decision to make, and Shae's alone."

Snow blinked several times in shock, slowly shaking her head. "Regina!" She exclaimed. "Do something!"

When Regina simply bit her lip, and remained silent, Snow glanced desperately around at all the others. "Come on, you guys! This is insane!" She cried, throwing her arms up in the air. "We have to do something!"

Just like Regina, the others remained silent as well. They glanced out at the crowd of dozens and dozens of people, all demanding the traitorous elf's death. They were vastly outnumbered, and knew there was nothing they could do. They all saw how M'Baku and his men reacted to some mere angry words from Snow. If any of them were to make a move toward Shae, her people would stop at nothing to defend her. She was their Savior, after all.

Snow was outraged at their silence, and opened her mouth to voice it. She stopped when there was a sudden, boisterous uproar from the crowd. They all turned their eyes back onto Shae, who was still standing behind Einar, dagger now raised into the air. The people of Avalon all screamed and cheered, stomping their feet and clapping their hands.

As Shae brought the dagger back down, and pressed the tip against the elf's bare back, silence fell over the entire camp. Snow White finally realized that there was nothing she could do, so she simply stood in front of her grandson, shielding him from the awful sight they were about to witness. They all furrowed their brows as the people in the crowd began stomping their feet in a slow rhythm, beating a fist over their hearts in time with their feet. Then, they started to sing.

"Upon your knees you kneel,

Hold fast with heart of steel.

Cold as the ocean's spray,

Your death is on its way,

Yes, your death is on its way.

Be strong though rain beats down,

Upon your broken crown.

With life you had your way,

But each must die some day,

Yes, each must die some day."

Regina was the only one among them who understood the words, but their meaning wasn't at all lost among the other people from Storybrooke. The crowd continued to sing louder and louder, their voices rising in a sinister sort of harmony as Shae continued to stand rigid in her spot. Her wife and the rest of her friends and family all watched her with their hearts pounding in their chests. Once again, Zelena was the only one who seemed excited.

"You're just… Going to let her watch?" Cried Snow White, staring wide eyed at Morganna.

While Snow was shielding Henry from the sight, Morganna was doing nothing to stop Freya from watching intently. "All must watch, if the offender is to reach Valhalla." Morganna replied quietly. "Even the children."

Snow turned her wide, horrified eyes back onto Shae, who still had not moved a muscle. Regina noticed beads of sweat streaming down her wife's face, her hand trembling around the hilt of the dagger. She also saw tears mingling with the sweat on Shae's face.

Suddenly, Shae raised the dagger into the air once again, and the crowd fell silent. Tink, Emma, and Snow all turned their heads, squeezing their eyes shut. Regina, Hook, Morganna, and little Freya all watched with their eyes gaping open. Then, Shae did something completely unexpected. She brought the dagger back down, and swiftly drew it across Einar's throat.

Einar the Traitor emitted a soft, strangled gurgling noise for a few moments. The men holding his arms eventually released him, and he collapsed forward onto the ground, dead. The gathered crowd remained silent. Most of them looked simply shocked, others were disappointed, and, a select few, looked purely angry. Zelena was among the disappointed, frowning as she dropped her chin into her hands.

"He did not deserve Valhalla!" Shae shouted in Avalonian. She pointed the tip of the bloody dagger down at Einar's body as she gazed out at the crowd. "He did not deserve a seat at The Allfather's feast! Not like you do!"

Shae then tossed the dagger aside, and took a step forward. "Odin and his son Thor are smiling down on all of you at this very moment, as are the rest of the Aesir and the Vanir!" She went on, her voice ringing out across the silent crowd. "You have all fought bravely, valiantly! But, I'm afraid, brothers and sisters, the battle is not yet won, and certainly not the war. Oberon will come for us. He might even be here already."

There were several gasps among the crowd, and many began quietly muttering amongst themselves. "My heart aches to ask this of you, for I know, I've seen, how hard each of you has already fought." Shae went on, taking another step forward. "But, brothers and sisters, I must ask of you once again to fight at my side, to fight for your freedom!"

Many amongst the crowd threw their fists in the air, crying out in agreement. Many others, however, seemed nervous. "The people of this town have agreed to join us in our fight for freedom, for now they must fight for theirs as well!" Shae shouted over the din of anxious mumbling. "The people of Storybrooke are kind but also fierce, just like you! So, with our two forces working together, I am certain of victory! Here, in this realm, is where my father will finally meet his end!"

There were many more cries and shouts of support among the crowd as Shae paused once again. "I swear to you, my brothers and sisters, that King Oberon will die, by my hand!" Shae went on, spreading her arms wide. "But, I will need the strength of every single man and woman here to do it! I cannot succeed without all of you, without your support! Without you, I am nothing!"

Shae then dropped her arms back to her sides, and gazed around all the faces gathered before her for a moment. "So… What say you, brothers and sisters?" She asked, her eyes streaming with tears. "Will you fight by my side once again?"

This time, the entire crowd cheered, throwing their fists in the air. Shae laughed loudly, throwing up her own fists, bellowing out into the night sky. She then turned around, and smiled at her wife, holding out a hand toward her. Regina breathed out a laugh of her own, and rose from her seat, stepping forward to take her wife's hand.

The crowd cheered once again as Shae swept Regina up into her arms, and placed a firm kiss on her lips. After a few moments, silence settled over the crowd once again. Then, M'Baku, Chief of one of The Mist's tribes, began to beat his fist over his heart once again. His men all followed suit, creating another steady rhythm.

"Yibambe!" M'Baku suddenly shouted.

"YIBAMBE!" His men shouted back.

The rest of the crowd began to join in, beating their fists and stomping their feet in time with M'Baku and his warriors. "Yibambe!" M'Baku shouted once again.

"YIBAMBE!" The entire crowd shouted back.

"Yibambe!"

"YIBAMBE!"

Regina recognized the word to mean, "Hold Fast." Henry seemed to somehow recognize it too. "Holy crap!" He exclaimed, leaping up to his feet. "They're… T-They're doing the thing!"

"What thing?" Snow White asked of him.

Henry simply waved his hand dismissively at his grandmother, and shoved past her to join Shae and his mother. He threw his own fist into the air excitedly. "YIBAMBE!" He shouted along with the rest of the crowd.

The others from Storybrooke simply shrugged at each other, and stepped up behind Shae, Regina, and Henry. They chanted the phrase they didn't understand with the rest of the crowd, also raising their fists excitedly. Morganna joined in as well, as did Freya, whom her mother had placed on her shoulders. The only one who didn't join in was Snow White. She remained rooted in her spot, still disturbed over the fact that Shae had just killed a man.

"Yibambe!"

"YIBAMBE!"

"Yibambe!

"YIBAMBE!"

M'Baku suddenly drew his sword, and raised it over his head. He brought it down upon Einar's dead body, severing the elf's head from his shoulders in an instant. He then grabbed Einar's severed head by his hair, and thrust it out toward the crowd.

The people of Avalon all cheered loudly, vigorously. Meanwhile, Emma, Tink, and Snow all averted their gaze from the gruesome sight. The others, however, the people like Shae, Regina, Hook, and Morganna, who were all more accustomed to such sights, merely cheered right along with the crowd. Then, the music started up again, and the crowd began to dance, sing, eat, and drink around the fire once more.

Shae briefly spoke to M'Baku, instructing him to send as many men as he could spare out to patrol forest, leaving the rest of them to guard the camp. M'Baku crossed his fists over his chest, and bowed to Shae, just like so many others did. After that, Shae told her wife and the others that she was tired, and ready to go home.

The others from Storybrooke all agreed, and began to go their separate ways. Remus and Zelena were the only ones who elected to stay in the camp. The two of them were dancing together and swigging from horns of ale as the others left.

This time, Morganna agreed to Shae and Regina's offer to let her stay the night in their guestroom, along with Freya. Henry joined them as well, much to the protesting of his grandmother, Snow White. Once they all arrived, Henry went up to his room, and Morganna took her daughter, Freya, into the guest room with her. Freya stared all around her the whole time, her jaw dangling open.

Shae and Regina then bid them all goodnight, and headed upstairs to their own room. "It feels so good to be home." Shae muttered as she sat down on the edge of her and her wife's bed. "I missed it so much, missed you."

"I missed you too, my love." Regina whispered, her back turned toward Shae. "But, there… T-There's something I have to ask you. It's… Probably completely silly for me to ask but, still… I must know."

Regina then turned around to face her wife, fists trembling as she clenched them at her sides. "You've been gone for a whole year, so… I have to know," She began in a whisper. "Was there… Anyone else?"

Shae simply furrowed her brow at her. "What do you mean?"

Regina sighed, rolling her eyes at Shae. "There's no need to play dumb, Shae. I've seen the way some of your Shield Maidens look at you, and I've heard them talking about you. To be honest, I wouldn't even be that upset. I'd just… Like to know."

For a moment, Shae still seemed deeply confused. Then, her eyes suddenly grew wide with understanding. "Do you think that I… Cheated on you?" She whispered.

Regina sighed once again, biting her lip as she fought back tears. "Like I said, I… I-I won't be upset. I would just like you to be honest with me."

"Regina, I swear to you, I never touched another woman, never even looked at one." Shae replied, firmly shaking her head. "I was kind of busy, you know, leading a rebellion."

"Oh, really? During an entire year?" Asked Regina, raising a skeptical eyebrow. "I'm sorry, I just… Have a hard time believing that."

"Well, believe it! Because it's the truth!" Shae exclaimed, leaping up to her feet. "Regina, just… Come here. Look at me."

Shae reached out and pulled her wife into her arms. She placed her hands gently on either side of her face, forcing her to stare into her eyes. "I thought of nothing else but you every single moment of every day for that entire year." She whispered softly, staring deep into the gorgeous brown eyes that she loved so much. "There's no one else for me, Regina. You're it, you're… Everything. It's me and you, forever and always."

Tears began to leak onto Regina's cheeks at her wife's gentle, heartfelt words. Unable to speak, she simply nodded her head in silence. Shae nodded back with a smile, and drew her in even closer, placing a deep, passionate kiss on her lips. Regina breathed out a contented sigh as Shae's lips parted against her own, and she curled her arms around her neck.

"I believe you. And, I'm… So sorry." She whispered, staring mournfully into her wife's eyes. "Seeing you with all those women, the way they look at you, the way they talk about you… I just… Got jealous, I guess."

"It's ok, no need to be sorry." Shae replied with a smile. "I'm fully aware of how, uh… Infatuated, some of The Shield Maidens are with me. Some were even bold enough to… Proposition me. But I refused. They know that I only have eyes for you."

Regina sighed, taking both her wife's hands in her own. "I… I-I should have known that. Of course I should have known that." She whispered, hanging her head in shame. "I'm so sorry, Shae."

Shae chuckled, cupping her hand under Regina's chin, tilting her head back up. "I told you, you don't need to be sorry." She whispered back, placing another quick kiss on her lips. "Besides, seeing how jealous you are is… Kinda hot."

Regina chuckled herself as Shae wrapped her up in her arms, kissing her again. "So, you've gone a whole year without…" Regina whispered as Shae moved her lips down to her neck, and began placing gentle kisses up and down it. "You must be dying for it."

"You have no idea…" Shae muttered, grinning into her wife's eyes. Regina gasped as she slid her hands down to her backside, grasping it firmly. "I want to devour every single inch of you…"

Regina hummed happily against Shae's lips as she kissed her again. "I'm yours to devour…" She muttered back.

Another wide, sultry grin stretched across Shae's face. She attacked her wife's lips once again, and they both began to tug urgently at each other's clothes. Once they were both naked, they fell into bed together. Regina gasped in delight as Shae immediately plunged her face between her legs.

Normally, Regina was the more domineering one when it came to her and her wife's bedroom activities, which Shae immensely enjoyed. This time, however, Regina simply let Shae take whatever she wanted from her, albeit with just a little playful resistance. Shae was in a state that Regina had never seen her in before. She was completely unhinged, like a wild, rabid animal. For hours, Regina was in a state of hazy euphoria.

It was well past midnight and the two of them were still going strong. Regina was lying on her stomach, biting hard into a pillow to keep from screaming. Shae was on top of her, her own teeth sunk deep into her wife's shoulder as she furiously pumped her fingers deep inside her. Suddenly, Regina's whole body tensed up, and she emitted a soft, strangled cry as she came once again.

Shae slowly removed her fingers, and began pressing soft, gentle kisses up and down Regina's back as she quivered with pleasure. "We… We have to stop…" Regina whispered breathlessly, her chest heaving, her heart racing. "I can't… I-I can't cum any more."

Shae chuckled quietly as she nibbled on her wife's ear. "That's nonsense, and you know it." She whispered back.

Regina simply chucked herself, unable to speak, barely able to breathe. Shae then rolled off of her and onto her back, opening her arms wide. Regina smiled as she snuggled in close to the woman that she loved, resting her head on her chest.

The two of them laid there like that for a long while, both of their chests heaving, their bodies covered in sweat. "That was… Absolutely incredible." Regina muttered, once she was finally able to speak again.

"Yeah, it was." Shae muttered back, tracing her fingers lightly up and down her wife's back. "I missed you so much."

"That is… Very apparent." Whispered Regina, grinning into her wife's eyes.

Shae grinned back at her, and curled her arms around her, placing a soft, gentle kiss on her lips. They slowly and gently enjoyed each other's lips for a while, their racing hearts finally beginning to settle. Shae removed herself from her wife's arms for a moment to untangle the blankets. Once she was successful, she pulled them over the two of them, and settled back down again.

"Can I ask you something?" Regina whispered, her head once again resting on Shae's chest. She went on when Shae nodded. "Why didn't you blood eagle Einar? It seemed like you were about to, but… You changed your mind."

Shae didn't respond right away. She frowned silently up at the ceiling for a while as she resumed running her fingers up and down her wife's bare back. When she finally replied, her tone was low and somber.

"I guess I just… Didn't have the stomach for it. Not after everything I've seen, everything I've done." She whispered. "I've seen it done a few times, but I've never actually done it myself. The people of Avalon, both elf and human, they all believe that The Blood Eagle is the only way a traitor like Einar can reach Valhalla. I guess I just… Didn't see the point of making even scum like him suffer so much for something that just… Doesn't exist anymore."

Regina slowly nodded her head, tracing a finger along the runes and glyphs that were tattooed onto Shae's chest. There were much more of them now, stretching down the length of her legs and down to her toes. They were even starting to creep up onto her neck.

"Why haven't you told anyone about the gods, about Ragnarok?" She asked quietly.

Shae breathed out a bitter, sour laugh, slowly shaking her head. "I've wanted to many times, trust me." She grumbled. "They're all constantly crying out to the gods, praying to them and thanking them for… Everything. In reality, they should be thanking themselves, and each other. But… They all love the gods. They truly believe that Odin, Thor, Freya, and all the rest hear their prayers. I just… Don't have the heart to tell them that none of them are around to listen anymore, and haven't been for their entire lives."

"I understand. I don't think I'd tell them either." Replied Regina. She sighed heavily, placing a gentle kiss on her wife's cheek. "So, do you really think that your father is going to come here?"

"Yeah. I'm certain of it." Shae replied in a whisper.

"Do you think we can actually defeat him?"

Once more, Shae didn't respond right away. In fact, she didn't respond at all. She simply turned onto her side, and drew the woman that she loved into her arms. She placed a deep, passionate kiss on her lips and, soon after that, they were making love again.

When they were both finally and completely spent, Shae laid awake staring up at the ceiling, while her wife eventually fell asleep in her arms. She pondered the question that Regina had posed to her, and couldn't come up with a definitive answer. Eventually, she fell asleep as well, her dreams plagued by visions of war, destruction, and death.

XX

The next morning, Shae and Regina woke early to start preparing breakfast for their suddenly full household. They stopped by the guest room momentarily, and slowly and quietly opened the door. Morganna was still peacefully asleep in bed, as was Freya, who was wrapped up in her arms. Regina and Shae smiled at each other, and quietly closed the door again.

A little while later, they were all sitting around the dining room table together. They all chatted happily as they ate. They quickly discovered that Freya was a major fan of bacon, as was Henry. The young girl was practically shoveling the stuff down.

"You like that, Freya?" Henry asked of her with a smile. "It's my favorite too. It's called bacon."

Freya's eyes grew wide as she stared at the piece of bacon clutched in her fist. "B-B-B… Bacon…" She whispered, grinning excitedly at Henry. "Bacon!"

They all laughed as she shoved the whole thing into her mouth. Regina, Henry, and Morganna all found Freya to be exactly as Shae had said; A quiet, curious little kid. They were all immensely grateful that Shae was able to liberate her from their father's influence while she was still so young and innocent.

After breakfast, Henry packed up his things for school, while the others began to discuss taking Freya to see Belle at Storybrooke's library. Henry was just about to leave when there was a sudden, frantic knocking on the front door. Regina opened it to find Jack Sparrow standing on her porch, the rest of his crew behind him, scattered about the front lawn. They all looked haggard and worn, their chests heaving with exertion as if they had just ran several miles.

"You! Where's your wife?" Jack demanded breathlessly

"She's… Inside." Regina replied, frowning at the pirate. "Is everything alright?"

Jack Sparrow didn't answer her. Instead, he quickly pushed past Regina, and entered the house. Regina pointed him to the kitchen, where Shae, Morganna, and Freya were busy cleaning the dishes from their breakfast. They all turned around when Jack suddenly burst in, Regina and Henry hot on his heels.

"Jack Sparrow!" Shae exclaimed with a smile. That smile slowly faded when she noticed the distraught look on the pirate's face. "What's going on? What's wrong?"

Jack took several deep, calming breaths before responding, wiping at the sweat dripping from his brow. "It's your father, mate, and the damned elves." He finally replied. "They're back. They're here."

There was a moment of silence where Shae exchanged a worried glance with her mother, then her wife. "Where?" Shae asked of Jack calmly, quietly. "How many are there?"

"Well, I didn't exactly stop to bloody count them all!" Cried Jack, throwing his arms up in the air. "After what happened last time, I took me crew and ran before they could spot us!"

"Right… I-I understand." Replied Shae, still trying to keep her voice calm. "Just… Give me your best estimate."

"I dunno… A hundred? Two hundred, maybe?" Jack said with a small shrug. "They came through some sort of portal out by the west end of the woods."

Shae nodded, swallowing the hard, fearful lump that had suddenly formed in her throat. "Thanks, Jack. You did good work." She then stepped up to the pirate, and placed her hand firmly on his shoulder. "But I could still use your help. There's likely going to be a battle soon, and I could use your sword, as well as your crew's."

"We'll pay, of course." Regina chimed in.

"There's no need, love. Not this time." Jack muttered, slowly shaking his head. "After what those bloody bastards did to Gibbs and I, as well as Ragetti, we'll be happy just to get some good old fashioned revenge."

Shae breathed out a small laugh, clapping both hands on Jack Sparrow's shoulders. "Thanks, Jack." She said with a grateful smile. She then cleared her throat, and dropped her hands back down to her sides. "Right, then. Take your crew and head to The Town Hall. Tell anyone you see on your way what's going on, and that they should follow you. I don't know how many will actually listen, but I'd appreciate it if you'd try."

"We're on it like barnacles on a ship's hull!" Jack replied with a nod.

Shae nodded back, to which Jack Sparrow turned around, and started to leave. "Wait! Actually… Take Henry with you." Shae called out, nodding toward the boy. "He should be able to help you convince people."

"Yeah! I can do that." Henry agreed with a confidant nod. "But, um… W-What about school?"

"I'm afraid school is going to be canceled for the rest of the day." Regina replied, placing her hand gently on her son's shoulder. "In fact, call Violet and your grandmother on your way. Tell them to get everyone they possibly can to the town hall, and fast."

Henry nodded some more, gave his mother a quick, tight hug, and left with Jack. "Mom, I need you to take Freya back to the camp." Shae went on, turning to her mother. "Tell everyone to prepare for battle."

"Of course." Morganna agreed, nodding herself. She then turned to Freya, who was busy turning the sink's faucet on and off in amazement. "Come along, darling. We need to go."

Morganna took her daughter's hand, and tried to pull her along with her. Freya remained firmly where she stood, however. "Sh-Sh-Sh… Shae?" She stammered quietly, looking toward her sister.

"It's ok, kiddo." Shae replied in a gentle, soothing voice, immediately rushing up to her little sister. "I need you to go with Mom for right now, alright? I'll see you again really soon. I promise."

Freya frowned worriedly up at Shae for a moment, but then relented, and nodded her head. Shae pulled her into a tight hug, placing a kiss into the wild curls on the top of her head. Freya then walked hand in hand with her mother out the door.

As soon as they were gone, Shae breathed out a long, shaky sigh, resting her hands on the counter in front of her. "Are… You alright?" Her wife asked of her as she gently rubbed her back.

"Yeah… But, also… No. Not really." Shae whispered, slowly shaking her head, her whole body trembling. "We… W-We need to warn the town, get everybody to the town hall as fast as possible.

"Right… You're right…" Regina muttered as she continued to rub her wife's back. Suddenly, an idea sprang into her head. "And I know just the dwarf to do it! Come on, he's probably at Granny's."

Shae immediately knew what she meant, and took Regina's outstretched hand. Then, the two of them disappeared in a swirl of purple smoke. They reappeared at Granny's Diner, where, as Regina had suspected, they found Leroy, as well as his fellow dwarves. The two of them quickly explained what was happening, and Leroy and his brothers immediately agreed to help.

As the seven dwarves abandoned their breakfast, and rushed out the door, Shae and Regina called out to everyone else who was inside the diner, telling them that the town was in danger, and they should go to The Town Hall. At first, nobody moved a muscle, eyeing Shae and Regina apprehensively. Then, Granny stepped in. After some angry shouting, and after pulling out her crossbow, the residents of Storybrooke gathered in the diner began to flee toward The Town Hall, promising to bring with them anyone and everyone they came across on their way.

Next, Regina and Shae headed to Emma's house. They found both Emma and Hook inside, and told them that Oberon was back, and had come with an army. Soon after, they left again, to join with the dwarves and Granny in warning the townsfolk. They made a quick call to Remus, as well as Tinkerbell, who said that her and her fellow fairies would do the same.

Not long after that, they all headed to The Town Hall themselves. They were happy to find that it was jam packed, full to nearly bursting with frightened and confused townsfolk. All those who were fit enough to fight had brought weapons, just as Snow had promised. Those who were not brought food, water, first aid kits, and various other supplies, like they had been asked to.

They waited anxiously for a little while as more people slowly trickled in. Finally, Shae announced that there was no more time. She instructed Snow to lead all the fighters amongst them to the Avalonian camp in the north woods. All around them, people began to say goodbye to their friends and loved ones. Shae silently wondered how many would actually make it back to see the people that they loved again, if she even would.

The Heroes of Storybrooke all began to say their own goodbyes. After giving her grandson a tight hug, Morganna drew Henry off to the side for a moment. Shae found it a bit strange, but shrugged it off as she bid farewell to Belle, Granny, and Archie. Morganna then returned, and swept Freya up into her arms, holding her close as she whispered to her how much she loved her. Tears streamed down her face as she did. As Shae approached her little sister, she had to fight back tears of her own.

"Listen, kiddo. I need you to stay here, ok?" Shae said with a smile, crouching down to meet Freya's eyes.

"N-N-No…" Freya stammered quietly, staring at Shae with tears in her eyes. "Shae…"

Shae sighed, and placed her hands gently on both of Freya's shoulders. "Freya, it's very, very important to me that you stay here, alright?" She said, staring deep into her sister's eyes. "This is Auntie Belle. She's my friend, and she's going to look after you, keep you safe."

"Of course I will." Belle said with a misty eyed smile. "I hear you like books, Freya. I brought a few with me. Would you like to read them together?"

Once again, Freya simply frowned in concern at Shae. After a while, she relented, and slowly nodded her head. Shae nodded back, and pulled her into a tight hug. She wanted to tell her how much she loved her, and to always remember how much she loved her. But she didn't want to worry her. She couldn't risk Freya following her out onto the battlefield, not again.

Shae's heart ached as she watched her little sister walk away hand in hand with Belle. While she had been saying goodbye, Shae asked Belle that, if anything were to happen to her, Regina, Emma, and Snow, if she would be willing to look after Freya. Being the warm, kind hearted soul that she was, Belle immediately agreed. Shae took solace in the fact that Freya would be well cared for by such a kind, lovely woman.

All of their hearts were hammering in their chests as they followed the rest of the fighters from Storybrooke out into the woods. None of them noticed the cloaked, shadowy figure that was watching them from afar among the trees. It was, of course, Loki, God of Mischief, once again accompanied by a small black cat.

"And so it begins." Loki whispered, staring out at Shae with a grin. "On this very day, Shae will either achieve her destiny and come into her full, glorious power, or… She will perish."

The cat beside Loki meowed loudly. "Oh, I haven't the faintest idea what will happen." Loki replied with a shrug. "This particular point in time is in flux. But, never you fear, my dear Muninn. I have great faith in Shae."

Loki continued to watch Shae for a beat, then suddenly breathed out a small laugh. "Oh, my apologies. I suppose I should call you… Sir Pounce A Lot."

The black cat, whose name was actually Munin, who wasn't actually a cat at all, emitted an irritated growl. Loki laughed some more, reaching down to give Muninn an affectionate scratch behind the ears. Once again, Munin growled irritably.

"Come along, then. We'll need a much better vantage point if we're going to enjoy the show." Loki said with a grin. "I suggest you take to the air, darling. It's an awfully steep climb for a cat."

The cat suddenly disappeared in a puff of black smoke. A moment later, a raven burst forth from the smoke. Loki nodded, and disappeared as well, in a gust of swirling wind. The God of Chaos reappeared on a cliff overlooking the forest. A few moments later, Muninn, now a raven, flew down from the sky to perch on Loki's shoulder. They waited for a while, watched as the two armies began to march toward each other, listened to the fierce battle cry erupt from both sides. Then, the two armies charged.

The battle for Storybrooke had begun.

XX

Author's Note: The song in this chapter is Each Must Die Some Day from the TV show Vikings. It was inspired by Þórir Jökull Steinfinnsson, a 13th century Icelandic warrior and poet, who sang a death poem before his execution in 1238. I changed a few of the words to better fit MY story. Hope that's cool beans. :)