When he showed up in the arrest, he noticed the man had woken up and the food he left him yesterday was gone. Good.

"Good morning, we need to talk." Bigby said as he opened the door and showed the locked man the way to the office. He was very anxious, it was almost sad to watch. Unsure of himself, without protest he took his place in front of the desk.

"Name?" Bigby asked after sitting down in his chair and getting the papers to fill. "I need to open a new file."

"Skub Cobbler" he mumbled looking at the floor.

Bigby noted and moved to other questions. "The most important thing is: were you working alone?"

"Yes" he answered quietly.

It didn't seem very probable. But Skub was telling the truth, he could feel it in his pulse.

"You know it doesn't sound very believable, right?" Bigby asked. "Who would attack alone a shop right next to the Woodlands? Maybe if you had a gun it would seem more likely."

"I would…" He was now not only scared, but also embarrassed. Great. This man really looked mothing like a bandit.

"Why then?"

"I just… I really don't know you have to believe me." He started spewing out words. "I lost my job, now I'm losing my apartment, I didn't know what to do, I needed the money."

"You could've ask for help. Why should miss Cinderella pay for this?"

Skub was still as scared as he was in the arrest.

"I tried asking for help, it didn't work." Yeah, that on the other hand seems believable.

"When?"

"Half a year ago." Obviously, when Crane was still here.

"Now it would be different" Bigby said more to himself. "But why Cindy's shop?"

"It's just this one woman running it, seemed like rather easy job." Skub said like he was begging for mercy. "Look, sheriff, I though I'll just scare her, I never meant to hurt her." Again, he was telling the truth. "And just… I lost a job in a shoe shop, so I went after a shoe shop. It wasn't the best plan, I get it now."

Bigby sighed.

"You worked as a who?"

"A shoemaker." That was to be expected.

"We won't keep you locked here." The relief was visible on Skub's face. "But you'll get some community service, okay? In the meantime you can try again in the business office."

Skub looked at Bigby's face for the first time. "What community service exactly?"

"Hi Cindy, I'm calling regarding yesterday's events."

"Do you need a statement?"

"That too, but do you need a worker?"

When he settled everything, it was afternoon. He wanted to go back to Snow's apartment as soon as possible, but he was getting hungry and he didn't want her to think he demands cooking of her or something. He got a kebab and only after that he took the elevator up to her place. God, he missed her so much already.

He found her in the dining room, finishing a chicken soup. She was wearing light blue blouse and black skirt of natural materials. The clothes were very simple, but on her they looked like the most splendid garment.

"If your hungry, there's more in the kitchen" she proposed.

"I'm not" he answered and took a place in front of her.

"How was the interrogation?" Snow asked looking at him. She had the most beautiful eyes.

He wasn't a fan of talking about the job with her during their after hours, but to be frank they both had no life beside work, so what else was there.

"Turns out he was just desperate for money after losing his job. He tried getting to the business office, but… yeah." It got her attention.

"What's his name?" Snow asked with interest after having the last spoon of the soup.

"Skub Cobbler" Bigby answered.

He felt a bit of distrust from her. "Sadly, I have no idea who he is. Where is he now, still in the arrest? What's his punishment?" One question came after the other.

"Community service. He's a shoemaker, so I made him work for Cindy in return for the trouble" he stated calmly.

"For Cindy? Wouldn't she be afraid of him?" Ah, yes, she really had no idea who Cindy was.

"No, I'm sure it's fine. He won't try anything like that, you haven't seen him, he was trembling with fear after he was caught. He won't relapse."

She looked at him with judgement. "But still I think you put her in an uncomfortable position."

"You can go talk to her. I know her. I know it's fine." Bigby said firmly. He was getting tired of this subject and undermining of his actions.

"I will." He restrained himself from answering to end the conversation. "Anyway. Go to bed. I'll wash the dishes and join you."

In the bedroom they didn't talk at all. She said earlier to him that talking in bed could turn her on, but now was not the time. They both knew they were on the verge of an argument, so they just stopped talking at all, instead focused on kissing. But the atmosphere was tense still.

He was kind of mad at her, but it didn't change the fact that he wanted to keep touching her hair and skin forever, the fact that her smell made him crazy or that he loved her. He still wanted nothing more than to take her in his arms, keep her safe, hug and kiss her every night, every day, always.

She was angry or disappointed with him, he could not tell exactly, but she was still very aroused, and she still very much wanted sex. And that was sexy in its own way as well.

Snow was wet and strongly smelled of want. Feeling it only made him more and more turned on as he was kissing the skin of her neck, collarbone and chest. Snow was as alluring as ever.

Soon they had not that many clothes on left and he could see her lacy blue lingerie. As she lied on her side in front of him, she looked elegant and hot at the same time, which was typical of her. When she took of her bra, he started touching her nipples, just like she asked of him before, kissing her at the same time. And he could see it was really working for her, weird he didn't think about it earlier.

After a while she took his hands in her hands and made them touch her whole breasts, not just nipples, because they got oversensitive or she just got bored, he couldn't tell. And then she moved lower, took of his underwear and went down on him. He did not expect it in the slightest, but he was loving it, obviously. As she was sucking on his dick, moving her lips up and down, nothing else existed for him. She was doing it better than both times she did it before. He had an urge to move his hips, but he stopped himself, he didn't know if she wanted that and she already didn't trust him. When he was starting to feel a little too good, he just gently moved her shoulders away.

What now, should he go down on her as well? He could, but right now he just wanted to fuck her. He took of her knickers, lied her down and got on top of her. She was into it. It was convenient that they stopped using condoms, because he didn't need to get up to get one. And she was very, very wet, so there was no need for any additional lubrication, he could just slip it in and start moving. Hard and fast, holding her hips with one hand, because he felt like it. And she liked that.

He found a steady rhythm and started touching her clitoris with his left hand. He wasn't kissing her, but looking into her eyes instead. Her face was telling him she wasn't upset with him anymore, but it just might've been because of the current circumstance. In a few minutes she came quietly.

He kept going, but she stopped him.

"Fuck me from behind" she said with an undertone.

He moved away from her body, to allow her to change the position. When she was ready, he kneeled behind her and entered her again, lowering his body, so he could touch her clit. The thrusts were deeper and stronger than he would normally allow himself for. Soon she came again, her body trembling and swaying unsteadily on her elbows. She lied upper half of her body on the bed for the time when he sped up to finish himself off. The sensation in this arrangement was the best for him, it felt better than anything they've done before.

He wiped everything and lied on the bed, she lied herself too.

"That was something" he said.

"Yhm" she agreed. She could not or still did not want to say another word to him. So they stayed in awkward silence.

"I do need to talk to Cindy." She said after a moment and started dressing up.

He didn't know if he wanted to roll his eyes or shout.

"Can't you just trust me on this?" he asked putting effort into maintaining calm.

"It's… he threatened her, I don't think it's okay." She was sitting on the bed, turned back to him.

He sighed. "Just call her."

Without giving him a look she took his advice and went to the other room where the phone was. She was wearing nothing but lingerie and an unbuttoned blouse. It looked phenomenal on her.

"Hello?" He heard Cindy's voice. It doesn't count as eavesdropping when it was in his normal range of hearing.

"Hi, it's Snow. I've heard about what happened at your shop and I'm sorry."

"At least I wasn't the one stabbed."

"Bigby told me…"

"Obviously."

"…he made this man work in your shop, are you okay with this?"

"Sure, I don't even have to pay him."

"But you're not afraid he would do something to you?" She sounded flabbergasted.

"No. He doesn't seem that dangerous."

Did he own one to Cindy for covering for him? He could probably play this better.

"Are you sure? I can relocate him, it's not a problem."

"Thanks for the offer, but I wanna keep him."

"Okay then… goodbye."

"Bye."

She came back to the bedroom.

"So you've heard it" she said.

"Yes."

"I still don't get it." She sat on the bed, but not on the side, next to him.

Well, from all the information she had she made the correct assumptions. Now he could see that it was a mistake on his part to jeopardize Cindy's secret identity this way. His assumption about her not believing that he knew what he was doing was the wrong one.

"I told you it's fine."

"I just… I wouldn't be fine with it if I were in her place" At least she wasn't upset with him anymore. For real this time.

"If you were in her place, you would kill him dead." He managed to make her smile. Anyway, how much time has passed since he ate her out? Three hours? Too long. "Are we good now?" he asked moving closer to Snow.

"We're fine" she answered giving his body a look filled with lust.

"So we can get rid of this?" He started playing with her bra strap.

Snow moved onto his lap. "Will you manage?"

First he put his hand on the skin of her both shoulders and slipped of her blouse to throw it on the floor. "I can try."

Struggling with her bra clasp took more time than he wished it took, but it wasn't a total disaster. And when he did it himself, it made the view even more satisfying. He pulled her closer, so he could kiss her while touching her breast with one hand and embracing her waist with the other.

She broke the kiss and started tracing his muscles with her slim fingers. "I liked how you just fucked me."

"We can try this position more often." He put his hands on her hips, feeling her skin through the lace.

"Not only that. I liked how you were… not as gentle as always. Was that because you were mad at me?" Was it?

He looked away. "I don't know."

"If you wanted to punish me, it was counterproductive." Snow smiled at him.

"I didn't want to… I don't know. I didn't think about it much." He looked back at her. "I guess I'm sorry."

"Oh no, don't be sorry. It was exactly what I wanted too." She moved closer, leaning on him and whispered in his ear: "And I want to do it again."

"Give me a moment" he answered in her ear, inhaling her smell. "As soon as I get it up again, I'll do whatever you want."

She put her hand on his now limp dick, it wasn't stimulating, but still pleasurable and intimate. He started kissing her again. She was so horny for him and he loved it. It was in her smell and in her every move. And she wasn't even ovulating yet. Maybe it was the implant? Whatever the reason, he was on board with it.

"Before we go back to that, maybe you want something from me? Something like, I don't know, oral sex?" he asked.

She again smiled at him. "You already want more?"

"I always do." He started kissing her skin, going from her face, through cleavage to stomach. She was leaning back, to give him more access. When touching and kissing her started to not be enough, he picked her up and lied on the bed, kneeling right before her pussy. Everyday it smelled and tasted a little different depending on her cycle. Now it felt a bit different than it did even this morning. And he delighted in it each time.

"But don't finish the job, I still crave your dick." He didn't answer. He didn't want to stop licking the wetness of her labia and clitoris, activity which was bringing both of them so much joy. Kissing the opening of her vagina, sucking on her skin, he loved it so much. And he loved how it made her feel. He loved making her happy.

With one hand he reached for her breast, to see if she would like that. And she did, it was definitely something to explore later, when she'll give him permission to make her climax form cunnilingus. For now a few amusing minutes of eating her out granted him an erection, so with some regret he kissed her vagina for the last time for now and moved away from it.

Without saying a word, Snow turned around, ready for him. He again kneeled behind her, slowly entering, giving her time to adjust. Next he put his left had on her hip, to bring her closer and then get to her clit. The position was more comfortable for him when he was leaning forward, so he used his right hand to support himself and don't crash her body with his weight. When she bend her back everything started to fit perfectly and he started moving, increasing the pace quickly, so he could fuck her the way he did before that she liked so much.

His only problem with this plan was that when he was behind her it was a bit too good for him. She was just so tight around him and he could fit it so deep it was a real challenge to not come too soon. And she wanted him to move fast inside her, which also made it, unfortunately, even better for him. Normally he would fuck her like that only after she already came for the second time, to finish quickly. Now he had to get his mind out of the situation, because he didn't want to make breaks to recover to not make it harder for her to climax, but that was very difficult, because her intoxicating smell was luring him back in, and resisting it was like fighting something rooted so deeply it felt like a part of him. No, he couldn't talk to her now.

He started counting, repeating multiplication table, anything that could get his mind of how great of an experience he was having. It was enough to give her sufficient time to get her to an orgasm, but he came right after her, feeling her shivering under him and hearing her moan was too much. He couldn't deny himself any longer.

He got of her to free her. And let her clean herself. She went to the bathroom like she often did after sex. He used some tissues and then lied on the bed. Whole room was filled with the smell of sex. Not only from today. He'll never walk into this apartment again and won't be reminded of what they did here. It was for the best that they never did it anywhere else. And that they never did it in his apartment. Not that she would ever want to have sex in his apartment. Not that he blamed her.

When she came back, she lied next to him and covered herself with a blanket, still naked.

"Do you have better orgasms like this or do you just like fucking more?" he asked.

"They're better. Or different. Depends of what I'm in the mood for." If it's dependent of her cycle, maybe soon he will learn how to smell what she was in the mood for. "And for you?"

He smirked. "It's way too good. I'm sorry for finishing so fast."

"You put too much pressure on yourself. Some day I might not come at all, what will you do then?"

"I'd be very, very sorry" he said and moved closer, so he could kiss her.