After Bluebeard's arrest (which inevitably led to his release by King Cole and an agreed requirement that he hand over any and all magical weapons), Bigby seemed to almost move into the Mortar and Pestle, much to Helen's pleasure. She did not offer his shirt back and he did not ask for it, a half understanding having grown between them.

Everyone with any amount of extended exposure to them was more than a little aware of the spark between the Fabletown sheriff and the bartender. Everyone except them.

Jill was one of these less fortunate people who happened to be stuck with them quite often. While she rarely if ever missed Jack, she knew that nothing would cause Bigby to clear a room faster than bringing Jack into it. The constant flirting and lack of any momentum was driving her insane.

That day's topic was mundy life.

"Well I don't see how knowing so much about cars is helpful if you can't operate one," Bigby was saying, smiling at Helen wryly.

"I can't operate one because we don't have a status with the Mundy government that would let me! And it's better than not knowing! You've lived here for hundreds of years!"

"And in those hundreds of years cars are relatively new! I mastered horses and carriages and then everything changed."

"Calm down, old man. I'm only talking about the kinds of knowledge that would allow us to be successful in this world."

"So you think we should go out and live mundy?"

"I don't know if I'd say that. But we could own more than a handful of businesses. We could do better than relying on a man who stabbed you to finance our way of life. And if we refuse to learn anything new, we can't move forward."

"You sound just like Snow," Bigby teased.

Helen froze and he knew instantly that had been the wrong thing to say. He did not know why it was wrong, but as he watched her walk past Jill, tell Jill she was going on break, and storm up the stairs to her apartment it was very clear that had been the wrong thing to say.

"Damn, Bigby," Jill said from where she sat. "That was top-shelf stupid."

"What did I say?"

"Seriously?"

He just glowered at her so she threw her book down and walked over to him.

"Why might she not like being compared to your last flame?"

"Snow's not my..."

He faltered at the withering look Jill was giving him.

"Fine. But I don't understand why she should care."

"Because Snow is a lot of things Helen isn't. And it would make anyone insecure."

When Bigby didn't reply Jill decided she didn't have the patience for this anymore.

"Gods almighty! She's into you, Bigby! Helen doesn't like being compared to Snow because she's the last person you liked and she might still be competition!"

Bigby stared at her. Inwardly, he felt like fireworks were going off in his chest, but he had long since gotten used to hiding how he felt from others.

"Just promise me you won't fuck this up?! I don't think I can survive that!" Jill exclaimed at his blank expression. When he didn't reply she simply threw up her hands and stormed back to her book.

About a week later, Blue was sorting out repairs for the street in front of the Mortar and Pestle with Jill.

"And how do you find our good sheriff's constant presence at your place of employment?" Blue teased.

She gave him such a dirty look he laughed aloud.

"They need some help getting started?"

"They need something!" she huffed. "She wasn't like this when you two were together."

"Well, in her defense that's probably a good sign," Blue mused. "I haven't seen her since then but Bigby certainly seems over the moon about her."

"That is an understatement. I just want them to hook up and be done with it!"

"I think there's something I can do to help there," Blue grinned, turning back to the schematic spread between them.

That night, Helen was surprised to see Blue drop in.

"And what brings you here, stranger?" she asked grinning.

Bigby was dismayed to see him half climb over the bar to plant a kiss on the corner of her mouth.

"Rogue," she teased, pushing him away from her. "You stay away for, what, fifty or sixty years and all the sudden you show up here looking for sugar?"

"You are the sweetest thing I could ever want, Helen," Blue said, oozing charm. "And to be fair, you stopped coming by the Business Office at about the same time."

"Fair enough. What'll it be?"

"Nothing at all. I'm just here to see your lovely face."

"Bullshit."

"Not at all! I was talking to Jill about the repaving and you came up and I had missed your gorgeous face so here I am!"

Bigby was fighting the urge to punch him. Somewhere in the back of his mind he knew Blue had a fling with someone in the 20s, but it had never occurred to him before that it would be Helen.

"Awww... How sweet," Helen replied in monotone. "How are things down there? I imagine Snow's a better leader than the kinky pervert before her."

"Heard about that?"

"My favorite customer handled the case," she replied, and Bigby was pleased to scent the genuine emotion behind the statement.

"Favorite?" Blue mock pouted. "Anyone can show up here everyday and sulk. However, I could also show up here every day and offer a bit more... See if that doesn't change your mind about your favorites."

And Bigby was back to wanting to hit him.

"Maybe I like sulking."

Bigby could almost hear Helen's pulse racing, could sent the pheromones she was giving off, and could feel the flush that crept over her cheeks.

"Come on, beautiful. Once you go for boyish good looks you never go back. Or do you like haggard too?"

"Will you stop talking about me like I'm not here?!" Bigby half shouted.

Helen's eyebrows shot up and her mouth pressed into a hard line. "Excuse you?"

It was not hard to realize he had made her mad, but he was too tightly wound to care. "Forget it. I'll leave you two alone. Clearly that's what you want."

"It is if you're going to act like a child!" Helen shot back.

Bigby gave her a horrible look and stormed out of the bar, the door slamming behind him. If she expected him to just stick around while she flirted with someone else, that made her more heartless than he could have ever guessed. And he knew, better than anyone, that she had been excited about what was happening. She had thrilled in a way he had not seen from her before.

He slammed into Mr. Web, apologizing as he pushed on his course. Why had Jill told him Helen liked him if it wasn't even true? But even angry he knew that was not true; Jill had absolutely believed every word she had said. And he had really thought, in the week that had passed, that she was right... Whatever, he thought. She could have Boy Blue if she wanted him. See if he cared.

Back at the bar Helen felt as if she had been kicked in the gut.

"Goddamnit, Blue!" she shouted at him, dropping her head onto her arms. "Damn you to hell!"

"Don't worry, Helen the lovely. It's all part of a cunning plan."

"I don't care!" she said, picking her head up and glowering at him. "It's taken ages to get him in here everyday and to get him to unwind!"

Boy Blue grinned even more widely. "So you meant it? You do fancy our sulky sheriff?"

She rolled her eyes, trying to hide her embarrassment with annoyance. "Yes..."

"Then let this take it's course. Bigby is set and it's hard to budge him. But jealousy... That will not sit well with him at all. If he thinks someone else might catch your attention, it may push him to action."

"You're assuming he has any interest in me."

Blue simply stared at her, one eyebrow quirked. "Really?"

"Fine," she sighed. "But you should have asked me, Blue."

"Would you have hinted at how you felt if I hadn't forced it?"

She didn't reply but played with the end of her braid, her attention sliding to the painting that hung in her bar.

Blue reached over and caught one of her hands. "Trust me."