Hello! Just a quick thank you to the guest who left that super speedy review! Glad you enjoyed it! And of course to everyone else who read and reviewed too it means a lot :)

I'm sorry if this chapter feels a little slow but I needed to make sure we have a good starting point before the fun really starts! Hopefully you'll still enjoy it and you're looking forward to the next installment!

xxx

Once Swineheart had taken the body away from the crime scene Snow and Bigby were left with a lot to think about. She couldn't believe that Blue was involved but, as Bluebeard had gleefully pointed out, that was most definitely his trumpet. She could sense the same disbelief from the sheriff but there was no way they could ignore this key piece of evidence.

"Snow, I want you to head back to The Woodlands and bring Blue down to the Business Office. We need to have a little chat...and ask him to bring his trumpet." Bigby stared grimly at the empty space where the body had been and she caught him shake his head slightly. "What will you do?" She asked nervously, wishing Bluebeard would just go away for a moment. "I need to check this idiot's alibi, then I'll join you in the office and we can question Blue together."

"Oh like that's going to be fair!" Bluebeard exclaimed, casting them both a look of displeasure. "He's your golden boy; you're going to let him off the hook." Snow watched as Bigby stepped right up to Bluebeard's face, only inches away and muttered, "That's not how I do my job...now I suggest you go home before you make any more comments on how I do my job."

Bluebeard sneered a little but Snow could sense his fear, so she fixed him with a 'you'd better do what he says' look and watched as he spun on his heel and stalked from the dimly lit alleyway. They both listened until his the click of his heels had finally drowned out and they walked back to the street together, his fingers softly brushing against the back of her hand. "Blue isn't a murderer." Snow said firmly as they glanced around the still empty street, the first rays of sun starting to illuminate the sky. Their eyes eventually locked as his hand wrapped around hers, filling her with a little more confidence.

"Then we'd better find out who is."

By the time Snow got back to the Woodland's she had played over every horrible reason Blue might have committed this foul deed but none of it added up. The only logical reason would be self-defence and if that were the case, Blue would have come to them directly. It was still early but she had to get Blue now, the suspense was killing her.

She knocked on his door and waited, unable to hear any signs of life from the other side of the door. Her palms began to sweat in a panic when she knocked again, louder this time until she heard a definite grumbling from somewhere in the apartment he shared with Flycatcher and Pinocchio.

The door swung open and revealed a small boy with a very grumpy expression on his face. "What do you want Miss White? Trouble with the Wolf?" She rolled her eyes and folded her arms across her chest. "Please Pinocchio; I need to speak to Blue. It's urgent." He scowled and headed back into the room and she waited, tapping her foot nervously until a dishevelled Boy Blue appeared at the door, trying to look presentable in his pyjamas.

"Miss White? What...What are you doing? Is something wrong?" He said nervously under her troubled gaze. "I need you to get dressed and come with me to the Business Office and erm...could you also bring your trumpet?" He did a double take and shared a confused glance with Pinocchio, but obeyed and rushed back into his room to get dressed.

"So...you're looking good Miss Deputy" Pinocchio drawled as he lent against the door frame while she waited, leaning against the wall of the corridor. "Shut it matchstick. It's 4am and I don't have time for your mischief." He waggled his eyebrows at her, but eventually just shrugged and muttered, "Suit yourself" as he shuffled back into the dark room.

Finally Blue appeared and was trying to flatten his blond hair with one hand, and gave her an odd smile. "This is an odd time for a music recital Miss White" he joked as they walked down towards the lifts. She smiled a little and inhaled through her nose, trying to pick up any foreign scents on him. She couldn't smell blood which was a relief but she could definitely detect a hint of cleaning products which made her feel a little tense. What's the point of super senses if they don't tell you anything! She though crossly as she slammed the lift button a little harder than she should have.

"Am I...in trouble?" Blue asked nervously as they descended in the cranking lift, and his fear suddenly flooded the small enclosed space, making her feel sad and guilty all at the same time. "I'll explain it all when Bigby gets here." She said gently and finally the doors slid open and they headed into the Office together.

They were both sipping their coffees in silence when Bigby burst through the door in a rage. "I am going to kill Bluebeard the next time I see him! Almost put me Mundy jail! That stupid bastard!" Snow and Blue sat wide eyed for a moment, watching as he through his rain coat onto her desk in a temper. Resisting the urge to laugh at him she stood and carefully unravelled his coat and hung it on the back of her chair, quickly inhaling his scent before getting back to business.

She approached him slowly as he huffed and tried to light up a cigarette with shaking hands. Taking the lighter from his hands, she flicked it and held it steady as he chuffed away. "What happened this time? I thought you were just going to question her?" He stomped off and began pacing around her desk, pausing momentarily to inhale some more of his smoke.

"Well I get to the address on this stupid little business card he gave me and it turns out I'm at the home of a very exclusive hooker!" Snow exhaled a steadying breath and took her seat next to Blue, who was rather enjoying seeing Bigby at odds and ends. The sheriff continued to pace around and then stopped to glare at them both, "I barged my way in and told her I was a Private Eye investigating Bluebeard and she confirms his alibi." Snow raised her eyebrows and nods a little, "Well that's something. At least we know Bluebeard's not involved and his timeline is accurate." She glanced briefly at Blue and then back to the Sheriff who was lighting up his second smoke already.

"Oh yeah that's great!" he snarled sarcastically, "That's perfect, right up until the place gets raided by the cops!" Snow and Blue both gasped simultaneously and Bigby continued growling. "I was stuck them trying to explain I was a P.I. until I finally managed to get away. I swear Snow, I am going to kill that smug asshole, and this is the last straw I swear!" Snow heaved a sigh and rubbed her temple. The caffeine hadn't made her feel anymore awake and instead given her a dull ache in her temples.

"We'll deal with him another time Bigby. He does bankroll this community remember?" Bigby looked set to interrupt but she held up a hand. "Perhaps we should tell Blue why he is here instead?" Blue shivered a little under their gazes but straightened up a little as Bigby approached. "Yeah sheriff, what's going on?"

Bigby finally managed to adopt a more professional stance and stubbed out his second cigarette. "There's been a murder kid. And our only witness is credible...as much as I hate to admit it." The colour in Blue's cheeks faded a little but he remained casual. "So what's that got to do with me?" Bigby sighed and glanced at the trumpet case sitting at Blue's feet. "Can you open that up for us?"

Blue nodded and lifted the case up to the table. "The evidence is pointing at you. We found a trumpet that looks the double to yours in the crime scene. If you have yours then we have no problem..." Bigby trailed off and Blue flicked the latches on his case and swung the case open. "If it's empty..."

There was a problem.

It was 9am and they were still sitting in the Business Office. Bigby's creased shirt sleeves were rolled up around his elbows and his hair was mussed up from constantly running his hands through it and he was sitting quietly in the seat opposite Snow's. She had her hands buried in her hair, and she was staring at the statement on her desk, Blue had written up for them. Blue was sitting next to the sheriff, his eyes a little red and his face oddly pale.

"Just go over it one more time." Bigby muttered and all three of them sighed with exhaustion.

Blue leaned back in his seat, rubbed his face and looked between the two of them. "I last had my trumpet yesterday evening. I played a gig in the Jackson Lounge; I finished at 10pm and hung around a bit to have a few drinks. I got chatting to this girl for a bit then ended up leaving alone at about 11:30." He took another deep breath and continued. "I bumped into Cinderella on the way in to the Woodlands but I don't have a clue what time that was, but she was one the way out to a party or something so I wished her good night, came home and went to bed. The next thing I know I'm being dragged down here by Miss White."

He sounded frustrated and she gave him a sympathetic look. "This is a good sign. We need to find that girl and Cindy is a good witness too. Once we get a timeline from Swineheart it should be very simple to clear Blue's name." Bigby stood up from his seat and stretched his legs a little, and Snow detected a hint of doubt in his usually comforting scent.

"Why didn't you check your trumpet? I thought it was important to you?" He spoke quietly but the hint of accusation was deafening. Blue rose to his feet and glared at the Bigby, "It was late and I was distracted! It's not like I was making a conscious effort to create an alibi last night! It was a mistake!" Blue shouted and his normally gentle demeanour cracked under the Sheriff's intense stare.

"This is a set up! Can't you see it? Why would I leave something so obviously linked to me at the murder of a man I don't even know?" Blue's cheeks were covered in angry blotches and his balled up fists were shaking with rage. Suddenly the Sheriff grinned.

"Exactly! Boy Blue, I'm arresting you on suspicion of murder!" Bigby grabbed Blue's arm and dragged him out of the Business Office, passed the growing queue of Fables who had come to complain to Snow. Snow stood nonplussed by the door and Bigby began shouting as loud as he could that Blue had the right to remain silent and the Fables in the line began murmuring with interest as they vanished out of sight.

Ten minutes later Bigby returned and managed to usher Mrs Webb, formally Miss Muffett, out of the office, shutting the door behind her. "What on Earth are you doing? You think Blue is being framed so you arrest him?" Snow hoped he was picking up the scent of rage from her as she glared at him, but frustratingly he just grinned more. "Naturally. If he's being framed we need to know by whom. Arresting him would be the next part of the real killer's devious plot, so I say we go along with it. Any questions?"

Snow opened and closed her mouth a few times in an attempt to argue with him but found herself unable to find fault in his theory. "Well you could have told me" she muttered quietly as he stepped a little closer to her, his hands running gently up from her hands to her arms, eventually enveloping her into a fortifying hug. "Jerk" she muttered into his shirt as she wrapped her arms around him gratefully, as he placed a kiss onto her temple.

Their little reunion was interrupted by a knock at the door, and Swineheart let himself in as they broke apart. "Ah you're both here...good." Swineheart said quietly as he walked over to Snow's desk and propped his briefcase open, pulling out a folder. "What's the news doc? Is he one of ours?" Bigby said taking the file from the doctor.

"Well yes and no" Swineheart began, "I do believe he is a Fable, but he isn't a regular. I think he may have come from the Homelands or one of them at least." Bigby and Snow shared an alarmed glance and looked back at the Doctor to elaborate. Before he could continue however a great shattering was heard a few bookshelves away. "That's probably Bufkin...excuse me while I deal with him." Snow gave a pained smile and made a start to hunt down the whirlwind on wings but suddenly they saw him soar above them and swing from one of the rafters.

"Bufkin! Get down here now! And if you're drunk I'm going to be very cross with you!" Snow hollered which cause Bufkin to fall into a fit of giggles. "We might need your help down here? If you help us, you can have the whole morning off!" She could smell the booze on his breath from the ground thanks to her heightened sense of smell, and as he swooped lower it only got stronger, making her wonder how many bottles he had consumed in the few hours he'd been in the office.

"Oh fine. I have to do everything in here" he muttered as he swooped and tumbled down towards them, landing very ungracefully on the back of Snow's chair. The doctor handed Snow a few images of the body and said, "I noticed a strange symbol on his arm, perhaps Bufkin might be able to find it in your library?"

Snow, Bigby and Bufkin all peered at the picture of the strange symbol Swineheart had taken a picture of. It was a small circle with what looked like a backwards three in the centre. It meant nothing to Snow and when she looked at Bigby his expression matched her confusion. They both looked at Bufkin who had a rather strange expression on his face, his eyes rather unnaturally focused. "Do you recognise it Bufkin?" Snow said gently and he nodded slowly, his eyes not leaving the photograph.

"He's from The Land of Oz..."

Ok very quick here! I am assuming that people reading this have read Fables and are aware of the other worlds. Also I will be making references to the spin-off Cinderella: Fables are Forever so although you don't need to have read it for this story to make sense it might help! :)