A/N: Okay, Red-Handed time! This is immediately after what happened with Red and Snow. I wanted to make it longer, talk about how the two started to grow closer and Red began to deal with the wolf inside, and even maybe bring Rumpelstiltskin into it, but I just decided to end it here, so if you wanted more, I'm sorry, maybe I'll redo it when I'm not so tired (or if I get some encouraging reviews). Enjoy!
Disclaimer: I do not own any of the epic characters (and David/Charming) in the television series Once Upon a Time, those belong to the creators, writers, and ABC. these characters were brought to life by the amazing actors that play them (and Josh Dallas; just kidding) :)
The snow was everywhere, clouding the two women's vision as they ran, or rather, as one was dragged by the other.
Red's sobs hurt Snow to the core, but she had to get her out of there, had to save her from the others.
Peter's mangled body was still fresh in Snow's mind, the others right next to Red's cottage, and it took everything in her not to wretch or break down into a heap herself.
No, she would have to be strong for Red, she would be her rock as she dealt with this crushing realization. If they didn't find somewhere soon though, away from this blizzard, Snow wouldn't be of much help seeing as they would freeze first.
As if by her sheer thought, a small cabin appeared out of the blizzard, seemingly abandoned, possibly safe.
"Come on, Red, just a little farther," she tried to murmur over the shrieking of the winds, but Snow was certain over the sounds of the storm and her wracking sobs, Red didn't hear.
Dragging the girl the next few yards, Snow kicked the door open with her foot and dragged Red out of the cold, shutting the door with her foot. Behind her, Red was once again reduced to a heaping pile of red cloth as she continued to sob.
"It...was me. Oh...Peter, I-I, oh no," the girl moaned, completely unaware of her surroundings or even her company.
Snow really had the right mind to shake the poor woman out of her stupor, help her scrounge up a fire and settle down, but it was late and Red had been through enough in the past hour alone.
So for tonight they would just rest. Snow draped her cloak over herself and left Red to her anguish. For now she will let her cry, allow herself to comfort her, but tomorrow Snow knew that the real challenge for helping Red regain her mind would be a very difficult challenge indeed.
Moving towards Red, Snow put her arms around her and stayed all night with the woman weeping in her arms.
Dawn light slanted through the dusty windows, waking Red from her slumber.
For one split second she believed that what had happened yesterday was in fact some dream from a very high fever, and she would be in her bed, Granny snapping at her to wake up.
She knew this was just a fantasy as soon as the cold hit her and she felt someone hugging her tightly. Slowly so as not to wake Mary, Red withdrew herself from the woman's embrace and, wrapping the cloak tightly around her, she ventured outside.
Snow covered the ground, icicles hanging on the limbs of frozen trees, Red's breath frosting around her.
Last night was a complete blur, but the parts Red did remember were not at all pleasant. Her chaining Peter to the tree, talking about how they would run away together and how she loved him. And as the moon rose she grew so scared of what might happen, but what did happen was far worse than she ever could have ever imagined.
Waking up enveloped in her hood, seeing Peter's mangled body, the hunting party coming after her and then...nothing. It took everything in Red's heart not to fall apart and wallow in her despair.
Her love for Peter, her betrayal to him and what she was...was just too much.
Feeling all her emotion begin to build again, Red held it in until she couldn't any longer, letting it boil and grow, repressing it until she might burst.
With all that pent up emotion, she let out the fiercest shriek she could. The sound was so animal it frightened her, but it felt so good she continued to do it without stopping.
The anguish, the despair, the complete horrific realization of what she was, who she still is, kept her screaming and yelling, not caring who or what might hear.
Red fell to her knees, again her body too limp to hold her up any longer. She slammed her fist into the hard snow, the pain from the frost compelling her to do it again and again, all the while her screams never lessened.
Soon she couldn't hold it any longer and just sat there, her cloak soaking from the snow, her entire body frozen numb except for the pain. Why is it when everything else was gone, the pain remained?
Red froze, hearing the soft pad of someone approaching. She relaxed when she realized who it was. She didn't even bother looking up when she said "You should have let them kill me, you know. Save everyone from the big bad wolf."
"I couldn't do that," Snow answered, her voice sympathetic.
"Why not?" Red countered, her burning blue eyes turning up to meet the kinder, simpler ones. "Just yesterday we were talking about offing it ourselves. Well," she said, standing up and throwing her arms apart. "Take your best shot."
"Red..I," Snow began.
"Just do it!" Red yelled, walking up to Snow, clamping her hands on the small woman's arms and shaking her. "Just kill me! Be the big hero! You saw what it...what I did. I'm a monster. You want to know how to help me? Than take a knife and stab me through the heart."
Red's words hung in the air, as cold as the winter wind blowing between the two.
Snow looked at her, panic in her eyes as she saw the mania in the others.
"You're...you're hurting me," she let out, and Red pulled her hands away, pulling her red hood tighter against herself.
"I've hurt a lot of people." she said plainly, the reality of it transforming her into a different person, grief and fury teeming like a physical being around her.
Well how else is she supposed to act, Snow? She just had her entire life ripped apart from her, Snow thought. Unsure of how to approach her, Snow just stood behind her, uncertainty clouding her face. "I know that this is hard, Red, but this is-"
"Is what?" Red asked, her tone menacing. "Different? How? Because I'm the nicest, kindest person in the world? Because I seem incapable of hurting a fly?" She turned towards Snow, her eyes cold and hard. "You barely even know me. We met what, yesterday? So do everyone in my village a favor and kill the monster that killed so many others."
"Red, you didn't even know, you weren't in control," Snow said, trying to make the woman see reason. But she just gave a small laugh, but no humor was in it.
"Right, I can't be accountable for the death of dozens of people simply because I 'didn't know'." Her tone was mocking, and Snow wished she could make her understand that this wasn't the answer to the problem.
"Look, we're in this together now. There was a reason you found me in your chicken coop. Maybe...this is it. Let me help you, let me help you find yourself again, Red. This isn't who you really are, you're not the beast. I will help you and in turn, you could help me too."
Confused and still angry, Snow gently sat Red down and told her her story.
After she was done, Red had calmed down somewhat. She had stopped sulking and began to listen to Snow's tale.
After she was done, Red seemed, if not better, than slightly more sane than before.
"So your stepmother is after you and you're the Snow White," Red began, trying to sort out the long tale.
Snow gave a small nod, tears threatening to spill from her eyes. It didn't matter how many times she would tell this story, she decided, she would never be able to say it with a straight face.
Red seemed to be digesting her story, slightly distracted from her own problems.
"So that means what exactly? You're just going to be on the run your entire life?" Red asked, concern seeming to cloud her eyes.
Snow was actually a little shocked that her plan had worked so well. Maybe all Red needed was someone else to help, a reason to be who she was, and Snow planned on being that person. But Snow also realized that she had no clue what she was doing. She had been stealing from farms, sleeping in the woods, but all the time she was afraid of Regina finding her, making her pay for what she had done.
Tears now spilled from her eyes. "I don't know," she said hopelessly, throwing her hands up in exasperation.
Red moved towards her, all anger seeming to have disappeared.
"Maybe you're right, Mar- I mean Snow. Maybe...we can help each other," Red said, sadness clouding her eyes again.
Snow looked up at the woman's face, someone she had met only the other day...was now her only ally.
"I hope so," Snow gulped, grasping Red's outstretched hand, binding them as personal allies and friends, a relationship that would carry on for a lifetime.
A/N: Good? Not good? Needed to be longer or was it long enough? These are the questions that need answered my friends. Hope you liked it even if it was short. Read and review.