Sorry again for the delay! Hopefully this chapter will make up for the delay as it is final showdown!
I hope you enjoy! Please let me know what you think! x
The light was fading, casting creepy shadows along the walls of the cemetery and it began to grow cooler, until even Bigby felt a little chill. As he stalked around the tombs he heard a whistling in the distance. "The cemetery is about to close! Please make your way to the exit!" Bigby groaned and waved Snow over towards him. "I think this place is about to close, we need to hide or they'll kick us out." She rushed over and they searched for a suitable looking tomb and sat inside a crypt, as the whistles echoed in the distance. He listened intently as Snow leant against his shoulder, her scent making him feel like lighting up about forty cigarettes in one go just to stay focused. "Were you going to kiss her?" she said quietly as the noise in the distance faded a little more. Bigby couldn't remember what she was talking about until Marie's apartment flooded back to his mind. He turned to look at her and she sat up, her big eyes stared sadly into his. "Never in a million years..." he said and rested his palm on her hand, but she just pulled hers away and rubbed her forehead. "Would it matter to you if I did kiss her?" He said trying to supress a smile and she looked at him crossly, "No of course not! I just think it would be...inappropriate...y'know given the situation she's in and her history...but if you want to kiss her, then I think you should" she said flatly and folded her arms across her chest. Bigby quickly turned his head away to look out of the crypt, his face cracking with a silent laugh that he knew she would murder him for.
He was about to turn around and prove her wrong when something caught his eye across the way. A shadowy figure had suddenly appeared and was convulsing around the crypts, bashing into stone and clawing at the air. "Perhaps I'll get my chance; I think Jack has just made a little appearance." She huffed and edged to the opening of the crypt at peeked out. Her eyesight was not as keen as the wolf's but she could see him darting in and out of tombs here and there. "He doesn't look so good" she said and narrowed her eyes to try and get a better look, "Did you see where he came from?" and Bigby scanned over the scene. "Possibly? I don't know how long he's been running around for...But it might mean that Marie is still alive?" Jack wondered off down out of sight, so the pair carefully travelled towards his original spot and Snow began pushing at doors and gates to see if any of them would open easily. She reached a crypt that resembled a miniature church and she leaned on the heavy doors, and they ever so slightly budged. "Bigby, help me quick!" He rushed over and rammed his shoulder into the wood and it burst open, the noise echoing around the dark gloom. "Marie?" They both shouted simultaneously and they heard a whimper echo from deep down in the depths. Snow gasped and began climbing down the stairs Bigby trying to prop the door open more to let as much of the fading light in as possible.
He was about to follow her when he heard a growl from outside, "Oh how clever the two of you are to find her so quickly! I should have killed you both in those tunnels when I had the chance. I guess I can do it now and take my time with Marie." He swiped at Bigby who dodged and pushed Jack out into the air, his skinny body slamming into the wall. "Please Monsieur I am trying to fight him but his urge to kill is too strong!" Bigby growled and picked up the man by his throat, "Then we have something in common!" The face contorted and the eyes gleamed red, and Jack began clawing at Bigby managing to escape from his grasp and backing away down the aisle, Bigby following slowly behind.
In the dark Snow had finally reached Marie, who was crawling up the stone stairs, smothered in dust, blood and grit. Marie was sobbing as her friend pulled her to standing and hugged her tightly. "It's alright you're safe now! I promise we're not going to let him get you again!" Marie held onto Snow, and eventually they slowly started climbing the last few spirals of the staircase. They had both heard the commotion above and Snow began to worry again about the Sheriff, Marie hurriedly told Snow about the spirit that had taken hold of Edward and how he had fought with the monster to keep her alive. They reached the entrance at last and there was no sign of either man, although they could hear some scuffling a little while away. "What are we going to do?" Marie whispered and Snow shook her head, "Let's try and get you cleaned up, Bigby should be fine..." Marie winced a little as she leant up against the wall and held her pounding head, "Please tell me you've kissed him? You two need to stop avoiding the inevitable" she said and Snow's head snapped towards her as she pressed her hand to Marie's head. "I think he would rather kiss you. Anyway it's not what's important at the moment, so can we please drop it?" Marie brushed Snow's hand away and glared at Snow, which looked a little scary given she was in a bit of a state, her long blonde hair tangled into knots and sticking out in odd places. She leant on Snow and they began walking. "He didn't want to kiss me! Have you seen the way he looks at you? He is clearly in love with you!" Snow blushed but kept walking propping Marie up as they hobbled towards the end of the row. "Why did you try and kiss him Marie?" She said at last as Marie sighed and shook her head. "I don't know Snow. I guess I just felt a little lonely...Being reminded constantly that a man you loved wants to murder you can get a little depressing. Bigby is a good man, but I regretted it instantly! That's why is it so important that you tell him how you feel. It can all be taken away so quickly."
Snow's mind flickered back to the incident with Bloody Mary and she groaned a little as Marie stopped for a rest on a bench. "You're right...I'm sorry about all this Marie, I've not been a very good friend!" Marie looked up and smiled at Snow, taking hold of her friend's hand. As she was about to reply there was a quiet little laugh behind them. Snow turned to see Jack walking slowly towards them, his hands smothered in blood, eyes burning and a smile on his wicked face. "Ah how touching, you two have made up just in time. It's a shame about you're American friend, he put up a good fight...but not good enough!" Snow gasped and looked around for a sign of the Sheriff, her eyes as wide as dinner plates. She shouted his name but he made no reply. Jack cackled loudly and mimicked her cries, "There is no one left to save you Miss Snow..." and he strode towards the two women.
Suddenly a huge gust of wind whistled through the narrow passageways and almost knocked Snow off her feet. Jack shuddered and covered his eyes, guarding from the debris that had been whipped up around them. The sun had almost dipped below the horizon so the space was filled with a gloomy light and Jack looked a little spooked. Snow looked around again and gasped as Bigby emerged a few meters behind Jack. Not as a man, but as a huge black wolf, his eyes gleaming yellow and his mouth snapping and snarling. "Perhaps I should have introduced myself properly...I seem to have forgotten my manners!" Bigby growled and Jack began to shudder. "What is this evil?" Jack cried and Bigby shook his great head. "That's a little unfair, I have changed my ways you know...but they used to call me The Big Bad Wolf..." Jack planted his feet firmly on the ground but his voice shook, betraying his fear. "HA! So you ate a few little pigs did you? Am I supposed to be afraid?" Bigby growled again, "The piss in your pants says you probably are Jack. Now step away from those two ladies and let's finish this. Monster to Monster."
Jack grimaced and began looking around for some kind of weapon to use against this monster but he was fresh out of tricks. Bigby was growing bored of waiting and stepped towards Jack, his paws causing the ground to tremble beneath him, the wind still whipped around Jack and he felt himself being carried towards the beast. He lunged forward and struck Bigby's neck, causing next to no damage. The wolf snapped his jaws but Jack managed to dodge him running in and out of his giant legs, enraging Bigby no end. Jack ran down the path a little and found a sharp tree branch and held it in his hands like a knife. "Bigby look out!" Snow shouted and the wolf whipped around, managing to avoid the sharp point of the branch as Jack stabbed recklessly at him. Bigby swiped a paw and it collided with the branch, causing him to groan a little as it tore at his flesh, but the force was enough to knock it from Jack's hands. He bore down on Jack and with one quick flash of teeth, he screamed as his bones snapped beneath the jaws. Bigby backed away and the man began to twitch, his scream continuing to carry across the cemetery. They all watched as a writhing spirit seemed to lift from the body, mangled and glowing with a ghostly white in the darkening light. Marie hid behind Snow's back as it rose, into the sky and suddenly plummeted into the earth, its scream finally fading to nothing.
They were silent for a moment until the body below Bigby coughed a little. Marie shot up from her hiding place and looked at him. "Edward?" He groaned and she rushed towards him, throwing herself down beside him. "Marie!" he choked as she stroked his cheek, blood spilling a little from his mouth. "My love I am so sorry for the pain I have caused you! Please know that I tried so hard to protect you..." Tears were spilling down her cheeks as she shook her head, her hands still gently stroking his face and hair. "At least I got to see you, as myself, one last time." He shuddered and she sobbed as the light left his eyes, and he made no other sound. Snow knelt down next to Marie and wrapped an arm around her shoulder. "I'm so sorry Marie...but we need to get you out of here." Marie nodded and shakily got to her feet, looking up at Bigby, who looked at her as sadly as a wolf can. "I'm sorry too Marie, I didn't have any other choice..." She shook her head and wiped her tears away. "Please don't apologise Bigby, you set him free, you set us both free. It was for the best."
The sun had finally set on their little scene and streetlights were flickering on all over Paris. Bigby had carried Edward's body back to the crypt he had kept Marie in and they bolted the doors shut. "How are we going to get back to my apartment?" Marie groaned as she tried to wipe the clotted blood and dust that plastered her face. Snow shrugged and Bigby looked between the two of them. "We could take the sewers again?" Marie groaned and shook her head but Snow shot a glance at the Sheriff. "I thought you told me you were useless at French?" she said angrily and he scratched the back of his head, smiling a little. "Oh...well maybe I am better than I thought?" She fumed and folded her arms across her chest, "How much have you heard?" and he shrugged, as he let Marie hold on to his arm and tightened the tie that had been wrapped around his own bleeding hand, "Just this and that...I know that Marie thinks we're more than just colleagues. And I definitely heard the phrase sexy beast at one point." Marie giggled as Snow took her other arm and growled at him. "Let's talk about this later shall we. I'd quite like to get the hell out of here before I murder both of you myself!"
Will Bigby ever get his kiss? Find out in the final chapter coming soon!