Chapter 3
Snow and the others awoke and found themselves surrounded by tall trees and shrubs, they stood in a forest. Most of the group of course didn't recognize this forest, but snow did. She looks around and stares as the Woodsman complains, "Where the hell did that bitch said us?!"
Holly growls, "I don't see how this is supposed to help!"
Snow shushes them, "Wait…I know this place…"
Beauty looks over with a sliver of concern in her eyes, "You do?"
"Yes…we're in Europe. This is where we for Bigby and hired him to be Fabletown's sheriff…"
They all look at her for a moment but are quickly distracted by the sudden appearance of an extremely large wolf. Of course, most of this group save for Snow and Woody had never actually seen Bigby in his full glory. Gren definitely looked a bit startled along with the rest of the others, a few of them even muttering about how they thought people were exaggerating about it.
The wolf quickly makes his way past them as if they aren't there and instead trots up to a pack of significantly smaller wolves. Snow furrowed her brow, "I see now… Greenleaf is making us watch his memories…to figure what could be bothering him."
The others would've responded to that, but there was nothing they could really say to that. They were fables, weirder things had happened, so the just nodded and silently resolve to just follow the wolf for now.
Bigby, or at least this past version of him was talking to the wolves, the conversation didn't sound very important until Bigby insisted that the leave, and with little resistance they reluctantly left. Once the pack was gone Bigby sighed and laid on his belly and just waited. His nose twitched and he growled to himself, "I should've known I couldn't avoid her…"
As if on cue a pair of fables slowly approach the wolf. No one was surprised when the pair turned out to be King Cole and Snow White wearing clothes from the 17th century, confirming the present Snow Whites suspicions about where the group was. King Cole nervously cleared his throat to get the Wolf's attention, "Ehem…Wolf…? "
Bigby growled and stood, towering over the pair, "What brings the likes of you to my domain? Are you looking to be my next meal?"
King Cole gasped, "I'm sorry to intrude! We can leave- "
Snow interrupts, "No, we came here you make you an offer.
King Cole nods as she continues and the wolf points his glare at her, "We are looking to establish a town for fables."
Bigby scoffs, "And you wish for me to be a part of it? I can't imagine that most 'fables' are comfortable with the Big Bad Wolf living among them."
"We have taken this into account. There are many fables with… assorted pasts, such as you. But, in fabletown, we're giving everyone a fair chance. Any past crimes in the Homelands will be forgotten. In fact, we wish for you to e a role model in this regard!" King Cole loudly and enthusiastically explains.
The wolf tilts his head and seems to snicker, "Oh? So, you mean to tame me? Are you sure you're capable?" he mocks them arrogantly and sits, seemingly trying to show that he no longer perceived them as a threat.
King Cole laughs nervously, "Of course not! We would never force you to live in Fable town if you didn't want to! We are merely giving you a choice."
Snow walks up to Bigby all of a sudden, disregarding King Cole completely and crosses her arms, "Why would we need to tame you? You already seem quite tame to me." Bigby's arrogant stance seemed to crumble under her accusation. He huffs, causing the breeze around them all to suddenly increase with enough pressure to actually make them stumble. Bigby growls, "I see you are still reckless, in the past I'd call that admirable for a human, but for now I find it very annoying." The wolf stands and starts pacing around them, "So what exactly would you have me do in this town of yours? And what's the catch?"
King Cole subtly nudges snow away from Bigby, "Well, we need someone to try and keep the peace among the citizens…Miss White suggest you for the job since it was you who guarded the gate to this world in the first place. If you were really able to hold off the Adversary's forces alone, the you definitely have the brute strength for it. But in order for you to live with us, you need to disguise yourself."
"You mean with magic? A glamour?"
King Cole shakes his head as snow retrieves a knife from their belongings, Bigby took one sniff at the knife and quickly and rather violently stepped away with a loud snarl, "How dare you!" Bigby's fur stood on end with his wrath, he was clearly quite offended. Clearly this was the knife stained with lycanthropy and clearly Bigby was very against it.
Snow holds the blade by the hilt and slowly approaches Bigby and speaks softly, "Please…" She looks him in the eye, "You're the only one suitable for this. At least consider it?"
Bigby quickly calms down and looks Over Snow, he was quiet for long while before sitting down, "Fine. Do it. Hurry and do it before I change my mind." Snow nods and as she goes to stab the wolf with it the vision of this particular memory fades.
The group looks at each other, Collin smirks at Snow, "Well it didn't take you much convincing to get the wolf to leave the wood for you huh?"
Snow frowns, "What do you mean by that?"
Holly crosses her arms and looks at Snow, "Come on, we all know that Bigby is smitten for you. Don't tell me you've never noticed? Like why else would he let you change him like that? "
Snow glares, "So, you're insinuating that he only came to Fabletown for me? I 'll admit that Bigby is…fond of me, but that was only recently that he ever started acting like that. Until a few decades ago he avoided me unless it was for work. "
Colin stares, "What the hell are you talking about?! Bigby has always had a thing for you! There's nothing 'recent' about it!"
Gren growls and decide to add to the discussion, "'Fond'. Come on, you have to be joking! "
Snow crosses her arms, "I don't appreciate you tone. It's not my fault if he never spoke up about it sooner. That was his choice." The others sigh while a few others glare at her.
Their moment of tension doesn't last long as another memory starts to manifest itself. Before long they all find themselves in an old and small house, something that resembled a house from the 17th century. Their attention is quickly drawn to a shivering and sniffling figure laying in a bed.
Upon further inspection the figure was Bigby, likely not long after his transformation from wolf to something a bit more human. Bigby growled as he seemed to desperately cling to blankets for warmth.
They all stare at the weak form of a sickly Bigby in front of them, all clearly pretty surprised. Bigby never came off as the type to get sick. Well, at least not from a physical illness of any kind. But here they were watching a memory of Bigby in one of his weakest moments.
They look to snow for answers, after all she was the one that was around when Bigby was first taken in so she had to know what was happening here. Snow Looks back at them, she looked just as baffled as they were, "I….this must be when he was adjusting to the change…King Cole told me it took a while before Bigby was fully accustomed to being human…I wasn't there for it so I don't know much." For a second Snow's side of the story was very believable, that was until a younger snow came walking in to the house with a bucket of water, a pot, and a rag.
The others quickly turn to glare at her for the obvious lie the present Snow had just told them, but are stopped in they're tracks when she looked even more confused and shocked than they were! She seemed to have the breath knocked out of her, "I don't remember this at all…"
Beauty was the first to offer Snow her support by placing a soft and reassuring hand on her shoulder without a word. The rest resign to quietly watching the events before them play out.
The past snow set the bucket down and starts preparing a fire to warm the water. The sickly Bigby growls very lowly at her, "Get out. I don't need your help."
Snow pauses and looks back at him, "Mr. Wolf, please set aside your pride for a moment. I didn't bring you here to watch you die to a cold. And as the one who inflicted this upon you, it's my responsibility to make sure that you get well enough to begin your studies."
Bigby scoffed, "Is it now? Well I don't require it. Get out!" Bigby curled further under the blankets.
Snow frowned and stood her ground, "No."
Bigby snapped at her, "Am I not making it clear enough! I don't want you here cursed woman!"
She snapped back, "And I insist that you accept my help Wolf! I'm the only one willing to help you! Most of the others here would be glad to watch you die here! Why are you so against me in the first place?! "
Bigby huffed at her, still tucked away in his blanket den, "You're so foolish… It never ceases to amaze me. What if this were all a ruse to make you my next meal, have you thought of that?"
Snow stares at Bigby, "Maybe I have…"
The pair become silent for a long and awkward series of minutes before Bigby breaks it, "I apologize Miss White…I just…I can't stand to let anyone see me like this…especially you..."
Snow returns to starting a fire for the water, "Then its safe to assume you're not adjusting well?"
"No…Being fur-less is a bit harder than I thought…or maybe old faults returning with this new form."
"old faults?" he starts warming a pot of water of the fire she started.
"Yes. I wasn't always as big and bad as everyone knows me to be. Even a monster like me was once a young pup."
"I find that hard to believe Mr. Wolf." She teased as Bigby slowly peaked out from his blankets to watch her prepare the rag she brought by soaking it in the freshly warmed water.
"Well believe what you wish." She smiles softly as he continues to watch her. She gets up and turns to bring the warm rag to him but freezes when he catches Bigby staring at her. She blushed, not really seeming to mind it, but still ignoring Bigby's intensity by focusing on her task. She sat on the bed and brought the rag to his brow and quietly cared for him.
The memory faded once again, just as the first did, but this time there was not time to process what had just transpired before the next memory quickly manifested. This time it was the same cabin, except now Bigby was now sitting up in bed but still not quite recovered yet, seemingly trying to study a series of papers with Snow by his side. She was happily teaching the other the basics of reading and writing. By this point it seemed the pair had grown quite close as they sat on Bigby's bed, both adorned with matching honey glows on their cheeks.
Snow puts the papers aside, "I think that's enough for today. You're learning to read quite fast! I'm very impressed Bigby."
Bigby smirks, "I adapt quickly."
"Then why are you still stuck in bed?" Snow giggles as Bigby's smirk falls.
"That was low." Bigby crossed his arms in a huff and Snow began to laugh.
"I'm sorry, but it was simply to hard to resist! You constantly get at me for being 'foolish' so I have make it even."
Bigby watches her pack the papers away into her bag, "Fine. Take me out tonight."
Snow stops and stares at him, "What do you mean?"
"Walk with me. Maybe a walk will help me finally shake off the last of this damned cold. Or maybe reverting to my true form for a short time is what I need."
"Or it can set you back even further! I don't think we should chance it, you just got over the worst of it, it'd be better to just wait and rest." Snow shuffles over to Bigby's side.
"No. I've been patient enough as it is. I need to just…go out. I'm cramped here..."
Snow sighs, "Fine. But if I think you have to stop because its too much for now, you have to listen." Bigby nods back in agreement.
Snow sets her stuff aside before waiting for Bigby to get up. She watches as the former wolf forces himself onto his feet and quickly moves to aid him when the other stumbles only the slightest bit. Bigby waves her off, "I'm fine. I can walk. "Snow backs off when he proves himself by walking to the door with little to no issue. He opens the door, "After you."
Snow lead the way out of the house and towards town since Bigby's temporary house was actually some distance away from the main village. Bigby seemed to take note of this with a frown, but said nothing. They continued to walk for some time before turning back. Overall, the walk went very well! So, the next day, they did it again, and the all of the following days while steadily increasing the amount of time Bigby stayed out each time. It wasn't long before it seemed that Bigby was finally fully recovering, but that didn't seem to stop Snow from coming over to walk about with him, they'd find any excuse to get together at least once every few days.
For the spectators, the present-day Snow and the others had been watching this all on fast forward and now had a moment to talk while more inconsequential things were happening in the memory.
Beauty stayed by Snow's side while Snow massaged her temple, she wasn't expecting a revelation like this. She had no memory of any of this! It was dizzying for her to watch and try and process it. Beauty tries to comfort her, "Maybe it's not actually you? "
Colin scoffs, "Bigby seems pretty convinced it's you, and you can't trick that nose of his…Trust me, I've tried."
Beauty glares, "What about when we thought Snow was dead! He wasn't able to recognize that it was Lily's scent!"
"She was in glamour and he was grieving. That don't count." Colin shoots back
Holly sighs, "Just stop and watch, I'm sure the memory will eventually explain itself. "
Beast agrees with her, "Yeah! And we were just talking about Snow's feelings, maybe this is showing us memories that are relevant to what we're thinking or talking about."
"So what? Should we tell it what we want to see then?" Holly offers as she looks to Snow, "It's your call. "
They all wait for Snow who had just tuned back into their conversation, "Wait, you telling me to just ask why I don't remember this?" Immediately the image surrounding them started to fade and be replaced by a new one.
Author's Note:
Sorry I took a bit longer with this chapter, I had finals and my birthday passed, but here it is. From now on new chapters will be posted on Saturdays unless something comes up.
