Chapter 4

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…

Very quickly the world around them shifts around them to form a forest, it was clearly the same one that they were used to seeing in Bigby's memories by now, but it was a new part of it that they were seeing. A place dense with trees and dark with the comforting but melancholy scent of wet soil that always signaled the coming or passing of a storm. And just a few feet away Bigby was resting in his wolf form, his large head comically resting on Snow Whites lap as the woman combed through his fur. She smiled as her hands seemed to just disappear in his fur. The two were sharing a peaceful moment in what felt like a place that was exclusive to them. Maybe something happened between the pair here, or maybe they just liked it in this particular spot; there was no telling how much time had passed between this memory and the last, but clearly it had been quite a while and either way this spot in this forest suited them in a way that could only be described as poetic or artful. The picture wouldn't be complete without them here.

Snow playfully pats her wolf's head, "Bigby, you know if you were smaller you'd be the perfect lap dog. "

Bigby growled, "Oh how humorous. I'm shivering with restrained laughter."

This is where snow laughed, "Normally these quips aren't so funny, but your annoyance with them is what makes it worth it every time!"

Bigby lifts his head just slightly, reluctant to actually move away from her, "I'll leave." He lies.

"Fine. I won't stop you. I have work to do back in town anyway." She actually moves to leave, knowing that Bigby would stop her.

He nips at her dress, "Don't."

"Why not? I've been neglecting my duties long enough."

Bigby almost whines, "Wait I give you whatever you want, just don't go yet."

"Oh? In that case…" She promptly sits back down, "So whatever I want?" Bigby nods, "Good. Tell me your story." Snow demands, "I hate knowing so little about you when we're this…entangled…"

Bigby sighs, "Is it really that necessary that you know? You already know enough. "

"No I know the stories of your exploits, but I want to know your perspective… Like, lets start with you and Red Riding Hood." Snow gets comfortable, leaning back against the wall of fur that was Bigby.

"Well, I can tell you the mundy stories aren't accurate, The Woodsman can vouge for me on that. In reality, I was young, angry, and most of all I was hungry. "

"Angry?"

"Yes. At the time I was most upset with my father. My relationship with him is…non-existent. In fact, I've attempted to kill him several times. After the last attempt, I was injured and tired, I vowed to just forget about it all. It wasn't long after that I found her. She was arguing with her mother. I can't remember what it was about but it made me think that she'd be an easy hunt. In fact, I thought it was so easy that I played with her a bit." Snow give Bigby a nasty look, "Calm yourself, I didn't touch her! I just taunted her a bit. A few strong breezes and some growling, just to startle her. "

"That's it?"

"No… I may have taken the form of a child to-"

"Wait! You can shapeshift?!"

"No, at least not anymore. In my youth I did a few times, but eventually the ability was lost to me as I neglected it. Anyway, I took the form of a child, I convinced her to follow me to the meadows, where I planned to eat her until she mentioned her grandmother. I helped her and gathered more information out of her before darting off to find the grandmother. A bigger meal seemed much more desirable then just the girl, especially with my injuries. So, I ate the grandmother and while I couldn't mimic her form, I could mimic her voice and before you ask, I couldn't take her form because I was tired. Changing form was draining and without much practice I could only do it once for a few minutes before exhausting myself. And even with just the voice I couldn't hold it very long and the girl caught on very quickly. So, I got fed up with my games, pinned her to the floor and that's when the woodsman barged in. And of course, my arrogance and pride got the better of me. I underestimated him and that damned axe. I awoke in a raging river with stones in my stomach. Suffice it to say that night wasn't a good one for me. In fact, I blacked out for most of it."

Snow stared at him then smirked, "So you only lost to the woodsman because you were injured and cocky? That sounds like an excuse Mr. wolf. "

"Maybe but as far as I'm concerned, he got lucky. I should've been smarter than that."

"Well, I don't think the mundy version is too far off. Actually, I like the mundy version better. The image of you in a night gown is much more amusing." She closes her eyes and rests even further back into the other's fur.


Meanwhile, the group eavesdropping on the conversation looked to woody, who shrugged, "I was there for Red's money. It's like Bigby said, she looked like an easy target."

Beast grumbled, "Sometimes it easy to forget how scummy some of us used to be."

Grendel snapped, something about beast's attitude really got under his skin, "Oh shut the fuck up! "

Beauty gasped, "Hey! That was uncalled for!"

Grendel only got even more agitated, "And what the fuck are you going to do about it Princess?" Holly tried to pull Gren back but the attempt failed when Gren pulled away and stormed over to the couple, "You two are really fucking snotty you know that? Not all of us can be royalty like you!" Woodsman helps Holly pull Gren back, "Look at he's saying is that some of us had shitty fucking lives and we had to make shitty decisions because of it. We're trying to move past that."

Colin finally speaks up, "Yeah Fresh starts, right? We can't all get along if we keep dredging up old grudges! I still poke fun at Bigby about blowin' down my house, but I've moved on from it."

Beast sighs, "Right, I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that." He reluctantly backs off.

Snow shushes them in a manner that said 'are you done yet?', then gestures to the memory where Past snow and Bigby were in the middle of a new conversation.

"So… there's been something that's had me confused…" Snow took on a more serios tone with Bigby as she looked up into his eyes. Bigby nodded, understanding that they were being serious now, and she continued, "Back in the homelands…why did you help my sister and I? Actually, why did you help at all? Why did you even agree to help us now with Fabletown? I don't get it, you spend so long being a monster, now you suddenly want to be good? do you feel guilty about what you've done or is all of this another game for you? Why change so suddenly, especially if it meant that you have to sacrifice this much? It doesn't seem like a fun deal for you."

Bigby stares, "So full of questions… You don't expect me to actually answer all of that right now do you?" Snow sighs, "I guess not… But I still want to know…"

Bigby looks away and rests his head on his paws staring at something far away, "Does my past disturb you that much?"

"I just want to understand you. You've given yourself to this town…You let me give you a human form even though you obviously didn't like it. You let the town talk down to you and treat you as harshly as they please without a single complaint…you're letting us get away with so much, surely if you were still who you were back in the homelands, you would've killed us all, would you not?" Snow gently tugs on his fur, once she started this whole rant she couldn't stop the rest of her thoughts from spilling out.

"This has been bothering you for quite some time hasn't it." Bigby states more than he questions, so Snow lets him continue, "Honestly, I would have. I enjoyed being the 'Big bad wolf'. I would never have stopped…but one day I found something, and that life of hunting and killing would never be enough anymore. But here I am, trying something completely absurd in order to obtain what I found." He looks back at her fondly.

"What did you find?"

"That's a secret." Bigby smirks. Snow pouts and hits him playfully, "I'll coax it out of you eventually. But this seems like a bit much for just one little thing." Snow rubs her temple, trying to quell what seemed to be a sudden wave of fatigue.

"No, not for something this valuable. Or at least, I'm hoping that it's worth it…" an unsure Bigby stops, almost loosing his train of thought as he seemed to reminisce but quickly shakes it off and nudges a dizzy Snow, "Snow, Are you alright?" Snow's face scrunches up, "I don't know…"

Bigby quickly changed back to his human form and dressed before helping her up, "Come on, It's time to go back now." Snow suddenly faints into his arms. Bigby panics, "Snow!" he picks her up, cradling her as securely and softly as he could. He starts carrying her out of the woods as fast as his human feet could carry him. Trees and bushes blurred at the edges of his vision as he ran.

He quickly made it to the edge of the forest where the town was only a few paces away. He looked down at Snow, her nose was bleeding now and the scent of magic filled Bigby's nose. He growled and rushed Snow to King Cole, who almost screamed when he saw the pair, "What happened?"

"I don't know! Just get help! Now!" Bigby roared at the king who ran off. Bigby was left standing with a still unconscious Snow White in his arms. He looked around like a lost child, the adrenaline that was driving him caused him to tremble, the stress quickly got to Bigby and he backed into the back wall of King Cole's office and pulled snow close to his chest as he waited for help. His legs gave out on him and he slid down to the floor. Bigby spiraled further into a panic the longer Cole took, so when the short, mustached man ran back in, a startled Bigby immediately flinched and growled protectively. He grip on snow tighten and his human form started to fade into something more monstrous but still vaguely human, something that was somewhere in between. His claws dug into his own arms, drawing blood. His lips pulled back into a loud snarl, displaying fangs that were more than long enough to kill. And his eyes glowed an ominous red color that burned the intruders with their vicious intensity. The entire display was purely defensive, but it was still utterly horrifying for the poor fools that had triggered it.

King Cole put his hands up, "M-Mr. Wolf! Please calm yourself! I've brought help!" behind the king stood Doctor Swineheart and a young woman that reeked of magic, most likely a witch with healing elixirs.

Bigby snapped out of it, and quickly forced himself to stop snarling, "I'm sorry…" Swineheart quickly clear off a decorative sofa that was places by a fireplace, "Quickly, bring her here!" Bigby stood and obeyed the doctor, gently laying Snow down before moving out of the way.

That was when one Ichabod Crane came upon the scene of a frantic King Cole pacing by his desk, the doctor and his witchy assistant, and Bigby still in some kind of middle form. Crane jumped, "Someone chain him!" He dashed behind King Cole and quaked.

King Cole sighed and calmed crane down, "Now, we should get out and let the doctor focus. " He lead crane out the door then hesitantly reached out to get Bigby's attention. He was able to grab Bigby's arm with no consequence, "Mr. Wolf…Come… let the doctor take care of her…"

Bigby blinked and looked at Cole, "Right…"

The exited and waited outside for quite some time. During all of this Bigby remained in this newly discovered form. Bigby seemed to be as baffled by it and Cole and crane were, "I can't stop it." Bigby said with a resigned sigh.

Crane snapped at him, "Well you better figure something out now! We can't just allow you to roam about like this!"

Bigby snaps back with a snarl, quicker to anger while he was like this, "Don't you think I'm trying!"

"Well at least wipe the blood of your arms! You monster.." Crane demanded with no attempt to hide his disgust for the wolf. Bigby looked down at his arms and stared, he wasn't aware of the self-inflected scratches until now. King Cole walked over and offered a hander kerchief. Bigby quietly takes it, "Thanks…" he wipes the blood off with it.

King Cole sigh, "Now… explain what happened. "

"Snow and I were in the forest talking and she suddenly passed out. I don't know why. "

A new voice suddenly cut in, "Like we'd ever believe such an obvious lie from you wolf! I come to see how the establishment of this town was coming along and of course I find you causing trouble." Bigby and the other looked over and found the one and only Prince Charming. The other smirked as he brushed back his black hair and brandished a blade, "I knew it'd be a mistake letting you join us!" He pointed his sword at Bigby and glared, "Confess the truth and maybe I'll spare you wolf. "Crane quickly backed up the former prince, "You expect us to believe that A fine lady like Miss White would truly lower herself to spending her time with a beast such as yourself!"

Bigby flinched, that last comment seemed to hit a particularly sensitive nerve. But the confrontation was interrupted by the witch that was helping, "King Cole?"

"Yes what is it?"

"The doctor and I examined Miss White and it seems that a memory wipe spell was placed on her. A strong one…"

Crane squinted at her, "So you can't reverse it?" he asked in a manner that made it seem that Crane was more worried for himself than Snow but nobody except Bigby actually took note of it.

"No…The doctor and I need help moving her to a bed to rest…"

Bigby steps up before the ex-prince could, "Ill do it."

Bigby went in and helped the doctor carry Snow to his clinic, which was absurd small since most fables didn't even live in fabletown yet. Bigby left Snow with the doctor. He had finally calmed down and reverted back to his human form when he was quickly flanked by Prince Charming with a harsh hit to his head from the hilt of the prince's sword. Bigby stumbled and nearly fell to his knee but was able to catch himself and snarl at the prince. The prince stabbed his sword down into the dirt, "Wolf." He spat. "So crane informed me of you."

Bigby stood straight, "What do you mean?"

"I mean your how you've been following Snow around like a lost pup you mongrel! I know that you're behind this somehow! You got King Cole fooled, but not me! And don't think that I'm afraid to put you in your place!"

Bigby growled, "Believe whatever you wish. But I'm not staying here. It's been a long day and I'm going to rest now." He tries to push past the prince but is stopped by a fist in the stomach. Bigby coughs and stumbles back.

The prince rears his fist back and punch again, this time hitting Bigby square in the cheek, "Did I say you could leave?!" The prince continued to beat on Bigby until he got tired of using his fists and started slashing at the wolf with his sword.

A wounded Bigby snarled, "Fine. Have it your way." He rubs away a trail of blood from his cheek before pouncing at the other. Bigby tackled the other down to the ground and started punching. All of the adrenaline from before came surging back and once again Bigby started transforming, except this time it didn't stop at fangs and claws. Bigby's physique expanded with each punch as grey started to engulf his body, now more wolf than man.

A scream broke Bigby out of his rage and he froze right as the large arms of a troll wrapped around him and pulled him of the prince. The troll started practically squeezing the life from the wolf as others started coming out to help the prince from the savage monster. Bigby squirmed as the sound of his bone cracking grew. When the squeezing didn't work the troll suddenly dropped the wolf and promptly slammed his huge fist into Bigby's head. Bigby fell unconscious and reverted back to human form.

Bigby awoke only a few minute later to everyone fussing over the prince and arguing over him. Surprisingly charming was able to speak, "I'm fine…" he slurred. Bigby got up and they all glared at him. The prince smirked as he was helped onto his feet, "As I though. You've shown you true colors…" he whines from the pain but toughs it out for now as he wasn't actually as injured as he was letting on. After all Bigby has only gotten less than a minute to fight back and overall Bigby was the one with the most injures. But no one was going to look into that, Prince charming was hurt and that was enough to make the few townsfolk side with him.

"I don't see how a monster like you ever made Snow think you of all people could be sheriff. "The prince pulled away from the others who were helping him and got right into Bigby's face, "You not worthy of being in this town. And your especially not worthy of being anywhere near Snow White, Mongrel."

Bigby growled but stopped himself and resigned to just leave the scene. He limped off in to the forest without a word. He kept walking until he couldn't hear anything but the sounds of small creatures scurrying at his feet. When he did stop he just fall back against a tree and slid down onto his butt. With out the tree he probably would've fallen over in his attempt to sit down. Bigby tried to close his eyes and sleep it all off but the soreness from his wounds kept him alert. He spent hours just sitting there trying to just ignore it all. But with the rising of the next day's sun he finally drifted into sleep and proceeded to sleep for a couple of sunrises.

Bigby would finally wake up to a cold breeze stinging at his, now mostly healed, wounds and a deep voice surrounding him, "Get up."

Bigby growled, immediately recognizing the voice as his father's, "….No…just go…" was all Bigby was able to manage while he slowly sat up. The wind swirled into a single point and a man appeared. The man was much older looking, but actually resembled Bigby's human form a little, if it weren't for the white hair it would've been possible to mix them up. The man sighed, "You're still upset with me? You need to get over this petty grudge you have with me." Bigby ignored that so his father continued, "Well I see that this town hasn't treated you well. And how long have you been here, a mere few months? Don't you think its time you give up on this idiotic venture? It's only going to get worse."

"I can't do that."

"Why not?"

"I made a deal with them…I'm not going back on it when I'm already this invested in it.."

"You mean invested in that woman."

Bigby snarls, "Be quiet."

His father ignores him, "You know, I actually quite like that girl. If you actually had a chance with her I'd be preparing for grandchildren. But unfortunately you squandered the only chance you had. Well not just you, clearly there's people willing to get in between you and the woman, but you suspected, that right?"

"Right, I should never have even bothered…I should've known it'd end this way. Even if she's better than you, that won't stop me from ending up like my mother."

"You're still hung up on her? "

Bigby growled, "Of course I am! If it weren't for you, she'd still be alive!"

"If it weren't for me, you wouldn't be alive you ungrateful-!" the north wind roared.

Bigby huffs, "Just be quiet. I don't want to hear it. So, tell me why are you even here?"

"To check up on my son of course."

"Sure, you are." Bigby growls sarcastically.

"So, what do you plan to do now? You welcome to come with me, but I know you'll refuse that."

"Clearly. I'm just going to go back. Be their damned sheriff."

"And what of the woman? Will you continue to pursue her?"

"No. I tried that. It won't work. " Bigby sighs, "I was cursed the moment I caught her scent in my nose just like when mother caught your scent in hers."


The memory abruptly vanished into oblivion in that moment. The group just stared, that last memory was a quite a lot to process. Especially for the present Snow White who found it jarring to being so close to Bigby when the only thing she remember of this point of her life was taking Bigby to study with crane almost immediately after recruiting the wolf. She sighs, "So a memory wipe then… I can't say I'm surprised…Just who would wipe my memories of Bigby anyway?"

Holly, Gren, and Woody shrugged while Collin was already waiting for the next memory. Beauty and beast were the only ones offering suggestions, "Maybe it was Crane? He used to use memory wipe spells on mundies a lot when he was in charge."

Beast agreed, "And the way he acted when asking the witch about if she could reverse it was suspicious as well."

Snow groans, "And yet again Crane has continued to absolutely disgust me."

Colin grumbles, "Alright can we talk about what we should be asking next? I'm getting a bit tired of watching this. "

Woody nods, "Yeah. As much as I like seeing Bigby get shit, I think we're dipping a bit too deep into his personal bullshit."

"Well it wasn't my idea to go snooping around in his memories!" Snow defended.

"Wasn't ours either."

"Then lets just hurry this up." Snow dictated.

"Then we should look into what happened with his ma. Obviously, it's a big deal and whatever is happening to Bigby now is probably what happened to her. "

Snow nods, "Yeah… I've never heard him talk about her like this before… He only ever mentions how loving she was. And I never really see a point is prying about it." Snow smiles remembering a small joke she had with Bigby in the office not too long about him being a son of a bitch.

Colin groans, "Good. Ill ask now. What happened to Bigby's mother?" In an instant another memory materialized and they all watched with baited breath.