"Why did you kill us, Faye?"

"I didn't mean to, I was tricked!"

"Excuses, excuses. Me and your father are very disappointed in you - in fact, you're a downright disgrace to our family name."

"No, mother, you don't mean that. You don't!"

"Daniel was always our most cherished child compared to you. You were always the show-off of the household, always thinking you were better than your brother too."

"What are you saying? You know that isn't true! Father? How come you're not disagreeing with her?"

"I'm sorry, Faye, but your mother is right. Besides, how can I forgive and agree with you after what you've done to us - to her?"

...

She gasped. "You - you were carrying? No, this isn't possible! This is just all part of a bad dream!"

"It isn't a bad dream unless we say it is, little Faye. Now," Her father gives her a glare. "Time for you to wake up." He snaps his fingers.

"Wake up, wake up!"

"Huh? Fayde had her eyes half-open. "Wha-?"

"Miss Everwind?" Someone with a familiar voice shook her. "Miss Everwind, wake up!"

Her eyes finally sprung awake as she looked around, almost panicking. "All right, all right! I'm up, okay?! Jesus!"

A rugged voice spoke in the background. "Fly, don't do that again to her, or anyone else you find sleeping on your shift."

"Sorry Bigby, got carried away is all."

The sheriff pats his shoulder and lets his cigarette dangle from his mouth to speak. "Think she's the one you should apologize to."

Fayde rubbed her eyes to get a more clearer to look at the two men standing in front of her. "...Flycatcher? Bigby?"

Flycatcher smiled and joked. "Long time no see, Miss Everwind. How are you feeling? It sounded like you had a bad dream."

She returned his gesture and cupped her hands. "Likewise, Flycatcher. Plus, I don't know what you're talking about either."

Flycatcher grabbed ahold of his mop nervously, while Bigby raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure? Because me and Bigby heard a little yelling just before we got out of the elevator doors over there."

"As I said: it was nothing. Now, since I'm awake," Fayde looked at the wolf. "Did Snow send you here to take me to her?"

Bigby inhaled from his cigarette, and exhaled shortly after. "You could say that, come with me."

Fayde got up and carefully followed the Big Bad Wolf up the lobby's stairs. She felt an uneasy feeling form in the pit of her stomach, considering the fact that Bigby was calm in comparison to how he violently attacked her a while ago.

Flycatcher almost yelled to Fayde. "Before I forget, sorry for shaking you awake! Have fun doing whatever it is you two are going to do!"

She nodded back at Fly with the sudden feeling of hope that she would see him again.

Bigby sniffed the air the moment he got on top of the second floor from the staircase.

"If you don't mind me saying, I noticed you have a little... crush on our building's janitor."

"What? How? I mean, the one with the frog hat? Nah, totally out my league."

"Even after earlier, I can tell you're still lying. Heh, and I thought I was persistent."

She crossed her arms. "I have my reasons, especially after what you did to me."

Bigby sighed. "Figured you would act this way regardless of what Snow told me about her little agreement with you."

Fayde rubbed her temple and crossed her arms. "I'm sorry, wolf. It's just with certain people like yourself, I tend to have trust issues and-"

"It's all right, no need to explain, I understand. Besides, your little secret about Fly is safe with me."

Fayde grinned at him, possibly for the first time in the few hours she's met him. "Thank you."

"No problem. Anyways, we're here at my office."

"Your office?" She looked at the door window rightly stating so. "You going to throw some more private questions my way?"

"Pretty much, if I'm going to work with you." He opens the door. "Ladies first."

She looked at him, a little surprised at the way he acted all politely. She went in.

"Take a seat." Bigby pulled a chair out for the Irish woman.

Fayde took a few moments to look around the uncomfortably-small room, then finally accepted his request to sit down on the chair he offered.

"So, Miss Everwind, I've been looking at your 'file' here and all that's listed is your name, photo, country you used to live in and a bunch of sentences that are scratched out with what seems like black marker." He sniffs the paper to make sure. "Why is that?"

She looks around almost mysteriously, to which the wolf notices. "Nothing leaves this room, correct?" She asked.

"Depends on what's being talked about." The sheriff proceeds to sit on his office chair behind his desk as well.

She sighed. "I know I can't lie, since I realize you're going to press me for information sooner or later if I do."

"Of course, but not like earlier. That I can promise."

She smiled again, with a gut feeling he was going to stay true to his word. "Okay, umm, how do I put this..." She put it abruptly. "I killed my family."

"You killed your family?"

Fayde wrapped her arms around herself, trying not to weep. "Y-yes, but - it wasn't my fault."

She dried her eyes and took a moment to collect herself. "The scratched-out lines you saw on the paper were done by a couple of friends of mine who worked at Ireland's Fabletown - mainly to try and cover my tracks to anyone who might've been pursuing me at the time. Anyway, the place is similar to what you guys have here at the Woodlands, except that the offices are way smaller, like a Mundy's cubicle."

"I see. I won't put you on the spot and say I don't believe you. Go on."

Fayde nodded. "Anyway, I was tricked into doing so - killing my family. I'm not going to go into the specifics regarding that but let's just say a 'now-previous lover' of mine was the one responsible."

"And who would this 'lover' of yours be? A name would be helpful."

"His name is Oomal, fucking bastard that he is."

She continued on. "I even told your employees a little about it: Rose Red and Tezoth. Even a family out in the woods outside of the city - the Smith family, I think."

"The Smiths? Interesting. And Rose and Tezoth are not my employees, by the way. Maybe Snow White's employees, but not mine. I'll leave it at that."

"Speaking of which, you forgot Harmony. Judging from what she told Snow over the phone a few hours ago, it seems like you've won her respect already."

"Oh yes, her. How is she doing, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Don't know. Snow, however, is going to find out soon after she's doing questioning Rose and Tez back at their place."

"I hope she's doing fine, I like her personality."

Bigby ignored her remark about Harmony and changed the subject. "As a matter of fact, Snow told me you wanted to tell her something."

Fayde rubbed her left arm nervously. "I'd prefer if I talked to Snow about it first."

Bigby rubbed his whiskered chin out of annoyance. "Fayde, I'm doing my best to keep my patience here, because believe it or not, Snow is my boss. So whatever you don't tell me, she's likely to throw a fit at me and find out herself."

"Okay, okay, I see what you're saying. Again, the whole trust-issue-with-certain-people thing. Moving on..."

Bigby nods.

Fayde scratched her head. "Apparently, hitmen are out to get me."

"Hitmen? Are you sure?"

"Not really, but the guy I mentioned earlier, Oomal - he seemed to know what was going on."

She continued. "I don't know if you two were watching through the mirror at the time but he appeared, back when I was at the club and possessed me. It's like he knew I was coming here despite the many ways I thought were going to cover my tracks before my leave. Rose or Tezoth can explain what else happened at the club if Snow White hadn't learned the details already on her end."

"Hmm, I should ask you some more questions," Bigby looks at his watch. "But I think that's enough due to how little time we have left now. Thanks for your cooperation, Fayde." Bigby places Fayde's folder into one of his file cabinets near the back of his room, and proceeds to take out another in return.

"Now to give you some insight on the main topic at hand. Are you familiar with the events that happened in the Fabletown area a few years ago, specifically pertaining to the Crooked Man?"

Fayde looked at the folder Bigby carried in his hand, and then to his eyes. "I've heard a little bit, yeah. Not sure which 'version' I heard was right, though. Stories involving other countries tend to get blown out of proportion back in Ireland."

"And?" Bigby eyed Fayde. "What'd you hear?"

"Well, let's see," She pondered. "The Crooked Man was the result of many incognito criminal activities here in Fabletown, and there was the supposed illegal Glamour thing many Fables had to resort to because of how your Thirteenth Floor witches charge a year's pay for them. That's all I know."

"You got some of it down. Has Snow told you who your friend's killer was?"

"No, she said she'll tell me inevitably."

"Good, we believe there's more to this than your friend's killer." Bigby throws the open file onto his desk. "Involving this girl here." He points to the innocent-looking redhead in the only photo of the file.

Fayde widens her eyes. "Her, I remember seeing her in a picture Holly showed me yesterday at Lily's shrine where your town's well is at!"

"Yep, that'd be Nerissa. She's one of the very few that made it out alive - she disappeared without a trace, even though I was on her scent at the time."

"Anyway, I wouldn't like to talk about it," Bigby mumbled to himself. "Read up on the file, you and I are going to meet someone very soon."

"But, I need to tell Holly about this, about her sister being involved with this girl that may have led her to her death, and her killer to which you or Snow won't tell me his name!"

Bigby crossed his arms, trying to keep calm again. "Holly knows who her killer is. Me and Snow just prefer that neither her or you rip him to shreds. If you'd like, you can ask her and she'd probably tell you his name - but I wouldn't recommend it. As for telling her about Nerissa, she won't believe you."

Fayde became puzzled. "Then why show me this information?"

"Because Snow believes a part of your reckless behavior and subtlety may be just what we need to solve this mystery - whatever it is. Consider yourself lucky."

"Can I least tell Holly about what I read? About me working with you and Snow White?"

"You can, but you'd be risking your reputation here as a citizen even more, especially after the long goose chase you led us on yesterday. Besides, I got someone else already working on that: making up stories to cover up what you did and what you asked about the strip club."

She sighed. "Very well. I just hope I can see her again soon because after all, she was one of the main reasons I came to the United States."

"You can, Fayde, possibly right after my contact comes."

A couple knocks were heard at the door. "Speak of the Devil - here she is now." And there the door was opened from the outside.

A woman Fayde has yet to know walks into the room. "Hello, Bigby."

"Hey, Dixa. How's Holly doing?"

"She's doing fine, actually. Made up a little story to her like you said."

"Good, good. Dixa, meet Fayde. Fayde, Dixa."

"Ah, so this is the Fable that has been causing quite the commotion lately." The confident woman held out her hand. "Pleased to meet you, Fayde."

Fayde smiled and returned the gesture. "Likewise."

Dixa raised an eyebrow as she let go of her hand. "Your accent, Irish?"

"Yes, straight from my home country."

"Fascinating, it's been a long while since I've last heard a foreign accent around here."

"Anyway, onto more... important matters, have you read up on the file Bigby told you to look at?"

Fayde answered quickly. "I have, yes, while he was explaining some things to me."

"Very good - come with me, Fayde, we're going out. We'll talk later as well, Bigby."

"Noted, got some reports I have catching up to do anyway."