Long time no see!

...To be honest, I don't even know what happened... I have no means to justify myself ;D

Anyways, hope you enjoy c:

Droplets of light fell through the canopy of trees as she sped along in the car. The wind that was coming through the open window brought the scent of pine needles to her nostrils and she knew that they had almost arrived. For a moment, her mind took her back to the homelands. She remembered lifting her face towards the sun, letting the light and shadow dance across her skin as she was standing in the thick forest. Bees hummed in and out of the pennyroyal. She inhaled its minty smell and continued on, delighting the feeling of the grass and leaves beneath her feet. The trees had been standing still, in their silent majesty as no leaf dared to fall.

There were untold memories in those forests, memories of happier days but also memories of darker days, yet they were so unchanged by the passage of time. The tires disturbed the fallen pines and left them swirling in their wake as she left behind the peace of her early childhood and returned to the present future beyond.

"I haven't been to the farm in a while" the voice beside her mumbled, head leaned on his hand as he was staring absentmindedly out of the window. "But I sure remember how tedious the journey is." It was the first thing she had heard from him since they got into the car, back at the Woodlands, with exception of the occasional rustling of his bag when his hand went in to fish out some sort of candy. She didn't know why he was so quiet, but it probably had to do something with the fact that he had to drag himself out of bed before dawn to accompany her on this trip up to the farm.

Snow adjusted herself in the driver seat, she could feel her tense muscles aching from the stiff posture she had been in for the past hours but also from the lack of sleep she experienced. Her sleep was still light and easily disturbed, but at least nightmares didn't plague her anymore. No, it was not a nightmare that kept her awake last night...

"Well Blue, I never told you, you had to come with me, you made that decision all by yourself" she explained slowly, not taking her eyes off the road.

She had seen him again last night, the floating pig head, the long dead Colin had come to warn her of another upcoming crisis and even though she tried to dissemble it, his words still concerned her. In fact, the uneasiness reached its peak when she had decided to visit the farm once again. Was it another upcoming rebellion Collin had been talking about? Or dare she think it was something about him?

"It's okay" Blue yawned next to her, stretching his limbs. "King Cole and Prince Charming asked me to put up these posters for the upcoming election anyways" he patted the pile of paper on his lap. Snow rolled her eyes. Of course, the election, she thought dryly. She saw the whole thing as nothing more than a mere joke. She didn't know when her ex-husband had become so politically active but competitive he had been all his life and ever since he had put himself on the list of becoming the new possible mayor, all of Fabletown and the farm had to suffer from Charming's and Cole's constant cockfighting. Everyone knew the post as Mayor included nothing but the representation of the Fabletown government. She was the one who had to do all the work, regardless of who would win the election.

"…are you going to vote for Charming? I mean he has got some pretty striking points." Blue asked slowly, not sure if it was safe to approach the matter of her ex-husband so easily. Snow lifted her eyebrow in an annoyed manner. Boy Blue didn't have to walk on eggshells around her, especially not when they were talking about Prince Charming.

"Don't let him fool you Blue, his points and promises may be convincing but as you might know he is not known to be someone who actually holds promises." Snow stated, eyes still fixed on the road. She could write a whole book about his schemes and lies. Snow completely ignored Blue's question of who she was going to vote for. It didn't matter in her eyes, it was her who had the actual power over Fabletown but she would never pass the chance to spite her ex, so she was clearly not going to vote for him.

Snow checked the time on the dashboard. Her mind wandered back to Fabletown, she wondered if Bigby was awake yet. A blush crept on her cheeks as she remembered their night. Her hands tightened around the steering wheel and she could only imagine him laying spread out on his couch, snoring softly as he did when he had been in her bed.

Boy Blue cleared his throat next to her. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously. "Is there anything else you'd like to say Blue?" She inquired seemingly nonchalant. She saw him looking at her for a moment in the corner of her eye.

"Oh…well I was just wondering how Bigby was doing, I mean he's all by himself today." Blue mumbled, suddenly engrossed in his pile of paper. Anger swirled inside of Snow. Why was Boy Blue bringing up Bigby? She didn't want to think of him now; he consumed her mind every other second of the day, especially since their encounter. She didn't know how they stood to each other now, after their night together they didn't find the time to talk about things, not that Snow wanted that anyways. The upcoming election, as well as other matters have kept the Deputy Mayor and the Sheriff from discussion their private affairs. The few words they had shared that were not about work though were friendly, and had given her hope for a renewed friendship between them. It was a gentle attempt at regaining each other trust and she knew it would take a while for their scars to heal but she was willing to do that, even if her apprehension was hindering her at times.

"I think the Sheriff can handle the situation perfectly fine, Boy Blue" Snow stated her tone was getting frosty. She had cancelled all appointments for today, so nothing would be different for him. He only had to check on Bufkin once in a while to make sure the monkey wouldn't accidently start a fire or cause some sort of trouble in any other way. Snows gaze turned towards the sky, the morning wasn't gray, but by soothing lavender and brilliant amber, sunrise was spreading a pinkish glow that was announcing the morning in the rural area north from Fabletown.

She noticed Blues silence and took it as a sign that she had intimidated him, Snow sighed. "You know he is not allowed at the farm, everyone knows. Bigby is making a good job as Sheriff so we don't have any reason to be worried about the Woodlands today." Her voice grew softer as she mentioned him. Snow turned her head to Boy Blue for the first time and she saw him nodding. He returned her gaze with a small smile. "What are you worried about then, your sister?" She sighed. Her sister.

The last time she visited Rose didn't end well, Rose ended up calling her sister a slut and Snow had found no consolation whatsoever when she had needed it the most. This visit was not about her though. It was about official Fabletown business. The farm animals had to be informed about the election on behalf of the two candidates. Snow also wanted to check if there was another upcoming rebellion, Collins words hollowed in her mind and she had to make sure to avoid this crisis. And the first step was to make sure that all the citizens of Fabletown were at peace, even the ones at the farm.

Still, Snow had the urge to talk with someone about the things that happened between her and Bigby, and she might even need some advice. Snow didn't want to fight again, she knew she had no one else but her sister Rose Red to talk about this with, and she hoped her sister would provide a shoulder to lean on this time.

Snow turned her gaze to the road again. She could already see the outlines of the farm in the distance. The weeping willow, the dense wooded forest and the open fields, everything would still be the same and it calmed her to see no trace of an upcoming crisis, at least not up here. The hectic scenery of New York was replaced with the tranquil serenity of the Farm and for a moment Snow thought how nice it would be to actually live there, to wake up every morning to the sound of the birds and hens rather than to be woken up by the shrill sound of her alarm clock. Maybe one day in the future, when she'd leave the government once and for all. What would become of Bigby then? Snow quickly shook her head. I'm thinking nonsense again. The thought of leaving never crossed her mind and she realized that whenever she thought of her future he was always there, the mere thought of living without him around her was absurd to her. He wouldn't be able to live at the farm, never ever. Suddenly the thought of living in the rural city didn't appeal to her anymore.

Who needs chickens anyways?

~oOo~

"My my, dear sis, how come I never noticed how cute your secretary actually is"

Snow furrowed her brows at her sisters' remark; she lifted her head from the cup of tea she was holding, to glance at her sister. Her back was facing her as Rose Red was leaning over the window, head on her hands to watch Boy Blue hang up posters outside. Snow crossed her legs and started blowing air on her hot cup of tea again. It was always the same with Rose Red wasn't it?

"Please Rose, could you at least pretend to have an ounce of decency in you?" Snow mumbled. Blue and her just arrived a short hour ago and he was already spreading the word of the two candidates by hanging up their election posters and advertisements on every barn and stable he could find. Rose Red turned around and hopped to stand beside Snow only to flop herself on the couch. "It's just the two of us isn't it? So what's the big deal?" Rose winked. Snow didn't reply and both of them sat in an uncomfortable silence for a moment. The moment stretched on as neither of them knew how to approach the other after their last meeting.

Would it always be like this between them? Snow absentmindedly started to trace the rim of her cup with her thumb. Her sister and her were so close once and now it was as if their peaceful childhood never existed. Now that she needed her sister more than ever, to give her advice to be a shoulder to lean on, Snow noticed how utterly lonely she was. The only one left for her was Bigby. But he was the one who put her into this predicament in the first place.

"Look Snow..." Rose voice broke through her train of thought and Snow glanced at her sister. She was clearly struggling with whatever she wanted to say. Rose wriggled uncomfortably and opened her mouth a few times, as if she wanted to say something but decided against it. Snow eyed the hand that reached out to carefully touch her knee. "Sometimes... I say stupid stuff that I don't really mean... you know that don't you?" Rose murmured, looking at the ground. Was this supposed to an apology? She could see the remorse on her sister's face, the way she shifted nervously. Wasn't lifetime of enmity enough? Snow needed her sister just as much as Rose needed her. She had caused her pain once, and not too long ago she felt the betrayal again, but there was still this undeniable glimmer of affection in her heart. Maybe she was holding onto the past too much, Snow could see that her sister was trying, she was trying hard to be recognized and accepted as she always stood in the shadow of her preeminent sister. Snow sighed loudly, placing the cup of tea on the table to face her sister.

She bit her lip for a moment contemplating how to answer; she simply nodded, a weak smile appearing on her face. Rose face lit up and she jumped forward to embrace Snow. Her eyes widened and she didn't move as Rose placed her head on her shoulder like a little kid. Snow could feel her sisters' arms around her back as she squeezed and the intimate moment was accompanied with a warm feeling inside her heart, it felt as if they were kids again, carelessly living before life put a wedge between them. She closed her eyes for a moment, enjoying this feeling of understanding and affection she shared with her sister for the first time in many years.

The moment was interrupted though when Rose abruptly broke the embrace. "Now tell me what is going on with you and your lover?" She smiled suggestively. Snow could already feel the blush creeping up on her cheeks. How was she supposed to explain what happened without having to restrain Rose from yelling it all over the farm? She didn't want to hear the endless 'I told you so's that would follow. Snow crossed her legs and averted her gaze. "First of all he is not my lover..." She huffed. She didn't know if it was a lie or not. Yes, they had spent one night together, but did that make them lovers? Snow didn't look for someone to bed... she didn't look for anyone at all actually.

Rose only rolled her eyes at her sisters' usual excuses. "Of course you're not because you guys are only colleagues and your private life shouldn't hinder your work yadda yadda, spill the beans Snow, what happened since the last time?" Rose was practically glowing with curiosity, Snow narrowed her eyes. "Are you making fun of me?"

"Stop beating around the bush Snow, I know something happened so just tell me!" Rose urged on, completely ignoring her sisters question. She was holding onto Snows leg and was shaking it in an attempt to get the truth out of here. Snow bit her lip, she needed to tell someone since she obviously couldn't deal alone with the matter. She sent a quick prayer that Rose wouldn't start going crazy. She folded her hands on her lap.

"Alright...so we had this fight a few nights ago..." she started quietly, still unsure how to approach the matter. "And then one thing led to another and we..." She looked at her sister expectantly, hoping she would take the hint and not make her actually say it out loud. She could at least keep some of her decency.

Rose seemed to understand it though as she suddenly gasped loudly and started jumping up and down. "You did what?" The booming laughter that followed was much to Snows dismay. She pinched the bridge of her nose; she knew it wasn't a good idea. "Would you please not make a big deal out of it Rose?" She whispered as the embarrassment settled in her. Rose regained her composure after a few minutes of hearty laughter and cleared her throat. "So? What's the problem now? It's been a long time coming Snow, let's be real..."

"The problem is..." Snow explained slowly, suddenly feeling exasperated. "...I don't know where we stand anymore, I mean this is just wrong, it's not supposed to go like this..."

"How was it though?" Rose interrupted, showing not a trace of interest in her sisters words as she leaned forward with glowing eyes and a big grin on her face. Snow could feel the heat rising in her cheeks, she must've been red as a tomato at this point.

"Excuse me?" She couldn't believe her sisters indiscretion, were they really going to discuss that? Rose didn't seem fazed as she shrugged innocently. "You know what they say Snow, you gotta try the milk before you buy the cow..."

"Rose, stop it!" Snow exclaimed, she had the sudden urge to put her hands on her ears. This was certainly not how she wanted it to go. She needed advice and was not here so they could exchange stories of her sexual adventures.

Rose sensed her sisters' uncomfortableness and cleared her throat, trying to be serious for a moment. "Look Snow, I know what you are going to say, but Bigby is good for you. He is the best thing that happened to you in a while, why don't you just give him a chance?" It seemed so simple when Rose said it like that. Wasn't it simple though? Maybe she herself was standing in the way of her own happiness. Snow sighed and averted her gaze, she stared absentmindedly out of the window. "But not like this! We are jumping from one rash decision to another, how are we ever going to make it work right?" The defeated tone in her voice was unmistakable. Rose kept smiling and shrugged again.

"Then just go for it, start going out with him, learn more about him take things as slow as you want... Now that you know he is not lame in the sack you have nothing to worry about." Rose winked suggestively. She had never understood how her sister could be so stubborn, it was always 'Bigby, Bigby, Bigby' with her yet she wouldn't acknowledge how plainly obviously they were meant for each other.

Snows shoulders started aching and she felt tired, was this same discussion ever going to end? "There is something else... I'm his boss, I cannot just abandon my duty like this, you know it has always been my first priority Rose" She mumbled, not really convinced by her own points.

Rose jumped up from the couch and continued to hop to the window to look out for Boy Blue again. "Duty doesn't make you happy you know what makes you happy? Bigby. So screw all this responsible crap and just be with him" She nonchalantly said as she leaned her head on her hands again to stare at the dewy farm morning.

Rose's words were true, in all her years Snow had served Fabletown and put its needs before her own. She was there since day 1 but no matter how much the work was consuming her it didn't fill the void in her heart, the long forgotten and suppressed longing for affection and dare she say it? Love. She loved Bigby and she couldn't imagine a life without him, so why should she deprive herself of her own happiness? She was the more responsible sibling but her sisters' words didn't seem absurd for once, maybe she was too hard on him, on herself. This pregnancy... and her misfortune had to be her wake up call. She couldn't waste any more time pondering and dwelling on the past and past mistakes, she needed to move on and finally accept the concept of love into her life once more.

"Now let's get back to the important stuff... care to give me Blue's number?" Rose grinned, pulling Snow out of her thoughts. She just rolled her eyes and picked up a pillow to throw it at her sister. Her surprised squeal as it hit her bottom made Snow laugh.

"You are unbelievable..."

~oOo~

The next day

The unexpected sharp thud of a knock on the door made Snow lift her head from the documents she was going through. She was not expecting anyone this early, it had been only half an hour since she entered the Business Office to start the day, and not even Boy Blue was there yet. So it confused her even more when the door flew open to reveal Beauty, making her way to her desk.

"Beauty, I am surprised to see you at such an hour, what is giving me that pleasure?" She dryly asked not caring to look at her. No, her mind was occupied with other things at the moment, such as the thought that she really needed a computer in her office, it was the 21st century and she still was doing everything manually. Fabletown never seemed to catch up with these kinds of things. The clicking sound of Beauty stepping with her heeled foot in the floor made Snow look up at her.

"Look Snow there is something we need to discuss" Beauty huffed and crossed her arms across her chest. The hostile tone in her voice made Snow suspicious. "How about you take a seat first Beauty? There is no rush..." She motioned towards the chair in front of her desk. She still wasn't sure if she could take her request seriously. Beauty cut straight to the business though.

"If our dear Prince Charming really wins this election, I do not think it wise for one of his ex-wives to remain Deputy Mayor. And see, since I never was affiliated with him and am already experienced in doing your work, I think it's my turn to be in your position..." She explained not caring to take a seat as she confidently flipped her hair over one side of her shoulder. Snow was perplexed for a moment. Where was this coming from all of the sudden, it was as if Beauty just burst through the door to ruin her day.

Her words were not completely false, if her ex-husband really was to win the election, he would be a pain in the ass to work with, but it wouldn't hinder her from doing her job, she was done with him, once and for all. Of course she wouldn't admit to herself that one of the reasons for that was that someone else had a place in her heart now. Snow crossed her legs and held the gaze of Beauty who was standing in front of her desk with her nose turned up.

"I wouldn't concern myself with those matters if I were you Beauty..." Snow said slowly, her eyebrow raised in irritation. A devious smile took over her features, if Beauty could play dirty, then she would too. "And speaking of affiliation, are you sure there is nothing between Charming and you?" The provocation didn't go unnoticed; Beauty narrowed her eyes and placed both of her arms on either side of Snows desk to lean forward. Her jaw tightened and she spat: "What are you talking about?"

Snow suppressed the urge to roll her eyes again, would the people of Fabletown ever understand that she was informed about everything that was happening in her town? She leaned back in her chair and seemingly nonchalant inspected her nails. "Oh I don't know Beauty, but I am sure you wouldn't want Beast to know some of the things I have witnessed this one specific evening..." In the corner of her eye she could see Beauty shifting nervously, and Snow smiled to herself.

It was one night a few weeks ago, Snow was being the last to leave work, as usual, and just when she was about to lock the door and call it a night she heard them. Giggles, whispers, hidden smiles. She had rolled her eyes and started walking down the hallway to see who was disturbing the nighttime peace. Neither of them seemed to her heeled footsteps as she reached the corner of the hallway and slowly stretched so that she could see what was going on. Her eyes widened slightly at the sight of Prince Charming and Beauty standing in front of the elevator, a little too close for what would seem appropriate for a married woman. Snow didn't see anything else happen between them nor did she want to so she turned around and left the scene behind her.

"Snow, there was nothing you must believe me!" Beauty shrieked voice higher than usual. Snow rolled her eyes, this was getting pathetic. "You should think twice before challenging me like this Beauty, and now leave this office." The unrelenting glare she was giving Beauty must've intimidated her because without another word she stormed away not without flipping her hair one last time.

~oOo~

The sound of the door opening again made her sigh in exasperation and Snow rubbed her temples. "I told you to leave Beauty..." She was not in the mood to have long discussions with her this early in the morning. But as Snow started to smell that unmistakable scent of cigarettes and bourbon her shoulders stiffened and a sudden panic spread through her. He also carried that lingering scent of the woods she so dearly missed as he wordlessly made his way to sit on her desk, right next to as he had done so often in the past. She looked up at him and a warm feeling went through her as she examined his handsome features. Neither of them said a word as they silently stared at each other, it was as if they were searching for the answers they needed in their eyes.

"Hey..." He was the first to talk, his deep voice send a shiver down her spine as the memory of tender words muttered by this exact voice replayed in her mind. "What was that about" He nodded towards the door. Of course, he must've heard. For a second she thought that his worry about her led him into her office, but she quickly dismissed that thought.

She moved her chair to bring more distance between them as she closed her eyes and sighed. "I don't know... apparently Beauty thinks I'm not fit for this job anymore."

"Well I must admit she did an excellent job while you were gone" He stated dryly trying to suppress the grin that forced its way on his face. Snow opened her eyes and looked at him suspiciously. "Oh really?" She leaned forward, a playful smile placed on her lips. If they were to play a game, she would surely play her role.

He shrugged, smiling her favorite crooked smile. "Yea, if you mean by excellent job, looking at her own reflection the whole day and ordering Blue to get her coffee, then yes, she was magnificent..." She couldn't help the small laugh that escaped her at his sarcasm. After a moment her face turned into a serious expression again. "But what if it's true? We have been in this office for such a long time... maybe it's time for a change" She hoped he wouldn't hear the ambiguity her words held. Bigby leaned back on her desk.

"Well, maybe it's time we leave then, we've been doing this job for ages" He chimed carelessly. Snow lifted her brow curiously and leaned further forward to him. "Mmh, what are we going to do with our time then?" She asked seemingly clueless. Snow didn't know where this game of theirs was going but it was soothing to pretend for once.

"I know what I'd do, run through the forests and be free, no more paperwork and no more constricting ties..." He smiled innocently, tugging slightly at his own tie and even though his tone was playful she couldn't overhear the nostalgia that lay in his voice. Did he miss the woods as much as she? "Oh and what about me?" She crossed her arms as she feigned being sulky.

Bigby shrugged again as his grin widened. "I could take you with me... you can just hop on my back and we can explore new parts of the world..." Snow averted her gaze; it was a silly fantasy, a dream that would never become true. Yet she found herself wondering why she dismissed that thought so quickly, was a future with him such an absurd thing to think? She herself had already established that a future without him would be not possible.

"What if I decide to live at the farm?" She asked carefully, every trace of the previous humor erased. For a moment neither of them said something, the eerie silence was making her uncomfortable and the intensity of his stare was making her nervous. His smile turned sad and he sighed before lifting himself from her table to leave. Rose Reds words came into her mind again. 'Duty doesn't make you happy you know what makes you happy? Bigby. So screw all this responsible crap and just be with him'

Snow couldn't imagine a future without him, but the future she always thought about could start right now. She no longer had the will to deprive herself of her own happiness, he had moved on and now it was her turn. She would no longer stand in the way of her own future, of her own happiness; she needed to act on it. And before she could stop herself she stood up and reached forward to grab him by his arm. He turned around and looked at her, eyes wide in surprise.

"Maybe... we can go have breakfast together?" Her words came out more unsure than she hoped. Her worries were washed away though as she saw the smile he broke into at her request. "Sure Snow, anytime." She let go of his arm and crossed her arms across her chest. "I'll meet you in a bit then...you better not be late Mr. Wolf..." She grinned unable to ban the pleased tone out of her voice.

And for a moment both of them forgot the worries that plagued them, the tears they had shed and the problems that constantly nagged at their conscience, and just shared a smile, a small sign of tenderness both so desperately needed, for in this moment both of them realized that the night had healed all their wounds.

Ugh, finally Snow, IT TOOK YOU A WHILE DIDNT IT?

See you next time lovelies :3