Haha hey guys...so uh remember Brannigan? Yeah I changed that. She won't be in this fanfiction. Maybe the sequel...it was just too hard and her storyline wasn't what I wanted to focus on. Sorry!

I also added in something else - Beauty was kidnapped as well. I haven't added that into chapter five yet, but I will.

This chapter is rated T for violence and language.

Chapter Nine: Remember Death

Where am I?

Charming sat up in – in his bed. His head was foggy and…well, nothing. Other than that, he felt fine. Great, even. Except –

He couldn't remember ever coming home.

In fact, he couldn't even remember yesterday at all.

Sunlight shone through his open window and he climbed out of bed to close it. The clock on his wall read 10:07 – he'd slept in later than usual.

Had…had he been drunk? Hungover?

Why couldn't he remember?

Charming ran his hand through his hair and turned to head for the bathroom, realizing for the first time that he was still fully dressed. Maybe…maybe he had gotten rip-roaring drunk and ended up at a Mundy's place and came back a few hours ago…? But it didn't make sense. He'd tried on countless occasions to get so wasted as to induce memory loss but he never could.

He caught his gaze in the mirror and frowned. He looked terrible. Pale, black rings under his eyes, chapped lips. He had stubble-turning-beard from his stint in jail – jail. Why am I not there? Did Bigby let me out?

"Amnesia is simply the worst, isn't it, darling?"

He shivered involuntarily at the sound of her voice. Ilyse stood in the doorway of his bathroom with a bright red smirk. "What are you doing in my apartment?"

"Just a friendly visit."

"We are not friends." He turned on the facet to splash some cold water on his face. "So get out."

"My, my, my; you're quite the killjoy today, aren't you?" She touched his shoulder with her long, soft fingers.

Charming couldn't pretend that he felt nothing…Ilyse was a very sensual woman, always using her body to her advantage. But something…something in the deep back of his mind told him that he couldn't – shouldn't – trust her. Yet he didn't know why.

She gently pressed up behind him and moved to whisper in his ear. "I need you to do something for me, darling."

His mind went blank and he met her gaze in the mirror, those bright green eyes.

"I need you to find some Fables, particularly Boy Blue, Flycatcher, and Pinocchio. Can you do that for me, dear?"

"Yes." His voice sounded hollow and hard.

"Good, good. Blue and Flycatcher, you may bring them with you by all means necessary. But do not harmPinocchio. Understand? He is…important to our cause."

"Yes."

"Good. So what are you waiting for, my dear? I'll be in the basement. It's time we reveal ourselves. Don't dawdle."

"…I don't know, Fly, is he…? …shit, yeah he is….well shut up…what the hell are you motioning…I'm the one being loud? ...I'm not being loud…"

Blue's eyes snapped open at the sound of his roommate's voice. "You're being extremely loud, Pinocchio," he called groggily, rolling onto his back. The open blinds on the single window cast a dangerously unwanted amount of sunlight across Blue's face and he groaned, covering his eyes with his hands. "Why am I on the couch?"

"You fell asleep there last night, right before Charming left," Fly answered softly.

"Charming…oh." He sighed heavily as yesterday's memories came rushing back to him. Snow and Bigby and Nerissa and Beauty going missing…Rapunzel murdered…Cole under Ilyse's spell…and everything that Charming had said. "I hoped that was all a dream."

"You and me both, man." Clutching a can of Coke Pinocchio plopped onto the couch beside Blue's feet. "But it's not. So what are we gonna do?"

"Hell if I know."

Fly sat in the armchair beside the couch and ran his hands through his unruly hair. "We never heard from Charming last night, after he left. We should talk to him. Or the witches."

"Think he ever actually went?" Pinocchio asked.

"I hope so."

Blue sat up and stretched his arms over his head, letting out a yawn. "I probably can't take today off, huh?"

"No way! You gotta keep everything upright till we get Snow and Bigby back!"

Blue met his roommate's blue-eyed gaze and sighed. "What makes you think they're coming back? You heard Charming. Ilyse is ruthless. She's probably killed them."

"We can't think like that, Blue," Fly responded, ever the voice of reason.

"I know." He hung his head.

There came a sudden pounding on the door, causing the door to shake and creak.

"Goddamn – I'm coming!" Pinocchio stood up and went to open it. He chuckled. "Charming? About time you showed up."

The ex-prince pushed past him. He was pale, yet flustered, his face hard and his eyes empty. "You three need to come with me now."

"Wh-why? Where?"

"Come, now."

"What's wrong with you, dude?" Pinocchio asked. "You look terrible."

"No time for questions. You must come with me now."

They exchanged glances before scurrying up from their spots. Blue grabbed his keys and locked the door on his way out.

The prince brought them to the basement of the Woodlands. It was packed with every single other Fable in Fabletown, each of them complaining and whining and asking why they were there. Ilyse stood beside the Well, along with Bluebeard, Cole, and a few other Fables Blue didn't recognize. Charming joined them after a moment and leaned down to whisper something in her ear. Something strange was about her today… it was her face. She looked…older.

"I don't like this," Pinocchio whispered beside Blue.

"Me either." He watched Mayor Cole take a few wobbly steps forward, his old face pale and drawn tightly. He looked like he was about to collapse and his clothes were starting to hang on his shrinking frame.

"Thank you all for joining us here this morning on such short notice," he said.

"Yeah, what the fuck is going on?" Grendel called from somewhere in the crowd, amongst a flurry of voices.

"All in due time." The mayor rubbed his tired-looking face. "As many of you know, the start of this month brought us a new Fable, Miss Ilyse Grimhilde. She is here today to make an announcement, direct from the Homelands. So listen carefully."

Ilyse smiled her sickeningly-charming smile and touched the Mayor's shoulder as she stepped in front of him. "Thank you, darling." She looked towards the crowd with her smile. "Many of you were told I was the Adversary's slave; captured by him when he took my kingdom away from me. And for awhile, this was true. But not long after the Adversary arrested me he realized just how important I could be."

No…she's not saying…?

"He sent me here as a spy." Her clear, bright laughter echoed through the basement. "Look at you, eyes wide and mouths agape, as if it were a surprise. I'm shocked it's taken you all this long to figure it out. What a sorry bunch you are. My Emperor will have no problem with his invasion of your pathetic little town."

Someone shouted something at her; but the words were lost in the pounding in Blue's ears. Invasion? No. They weren't ready. They didn't have Bigby or Snow…

"Get back!" Bluebeard cried as he drove his dagger into Jack Horner's stomach. He must've been the one shouting and he must've run up…the young man stumbled backwards into the arms of some of the other Fables.

"You traitorous bastard!" Beast shouted from somewhere in the mob. "You've been working with her?"

"She has the Mayor – and Charming on her side too!" someone else exclaimed.

"Don't worry," Ilyse smirked. "They'll be staying here with you."

Bluebeard looked at her with wide eyes. "What? You said – "

"I say anything to get what I want, dear Bluebeard. As do you. It was your own fault to trust me." She laughed softly. "Enjoy your time down here, Fables, for it won't be long till the Emperor arrives with your doom in hand." As she spoke she headed for the elevator. "Of course, you can always throw yourself down the Witching Well, save yourself from the pain he will bring. I'm sure dear Bluebeard and the Mayor and your sweet prince will be the first ones."

"I knew it!" Pinocchio hissed. "And I knew we couldn't trust Charming! I told you…"

His voice faded into all the others screaming and crying and cursing around Blue. But he was numb, his mind and ears and everything numb.

They were going to die, locked in the basement like rats. Locked in with a spell, probably, one that the other witches couldn't break. Locked in so it would be easier for the Adversary to destroy them.

They were going to die.

What a turn this is taking, huh?

So Bigby was right about Ilyse being a spy! Did you think so too?

Sorry if the end feels rushed - I really wanted to get this done :3

And once again, anything that doesn't make sense will be revealed in the end. Hold on, my lovelies!

Review, please?

See ya round!