The beauty of Wifi, c: this one's shorter than usual but I hope you enjoy!

Muse for this chapter: Diamond Eyes- Break From Reality


Chapter 17

What am I doing? She asked her reflection as she stares in the bathroom mirror, her heart couldn't stop pounding against her chest; her stomach fluttered like mad as if she had little butterflies trapped when Bigby looked at her with those eyes. Eyes that were always so cold and threatening were so warm and smiling, something was happening to her and she was afraid of it.

Red starts to freshen up a bit, washing her face, rinsing her mouth and combing her hair with her fingers; once clean enough she reaches in her coat pocket to add some lip gloss on until she felt the card in her fingers and pauses. She pulls it out and starts reading the location of the Tweedle brothers over and over, thinking back on the deal she made.

Today is the last day to collect the money, after she turns it in Piper can leave her family alone...for a while, with a heavy sigh Red puts down the card and starts to rub her face with her hands, knowing that even though she'll give the money he'll find another excuse to harass her. Red starts to rip up the small thin wash cloth and ties them up together to make a makeshift bandage, finishing up in time when Bigby called her out.

I gotta get the money soon before my time flys away...she thought to herself as she grabs Bigby's hand in hers, she quickly started to wrap up his burned fingers than reaches up to his shirt to finish dressing him up for him.

"What's wrong? " Bigby asked as he reaches for her hand on his tie, she forced herself to keep her head down as she went to get the room key.

"We need to make sure you're checked out and I have something to do today..." Bigby was trying to make her talk but she quickly interrupted him and walked out of the room with haste.

After she returned the key she started to walk back to the room until a black car pulls over beside her. " Red? is that you? "

The familiar british voice caught her attention, she peaks into the open window to the passenger side and sees one of the Tweedle twins on the wheel, "Tweedle...Dee?" She asks with uncertainty.

"Dum, but I give you an A for effort. So glad to see you dear, we heard what happened and were worried. " he said to her, "thank god You're alive, did he try to eat you? "

Red pushed back last night's memory of Bigby feeling her up and shook her head, " No, your friends drugged him though.!"

"For good reason, the bastard threaten to kill poor Alice if she didn't tell him what he wanted. hop in, I'm heading to the Office with some paperwork." he gestures at the passengers seat with the three large stacks of vanilla colored folders "I'll give you a ride so we can get your paperwork out of the way. "

Red looks back at the motel room and hesitates, she wanted to take Bigby to the hospital, but she needed to do this quick and get it over with. She finally nodded and jumped into the back seat of the car, and fasten her seat belt As Dum drove them away. Bigby seemed fine just now...He can wait until I get this done

arriving at the office, Red was greeted by Dee who was filling Some folders in a file cabinet. " Red, it's good to see you in one piece love, here for the paperwork then? "

"Yes, if you mind please...have a hectic day today" She lies as she stands in front of the two desks, she Didn't work on a Sunday so she has the day for herself, she just wanted to get this over with and get.

They both looked at each other and grins, "Let's see now, today is the 26th so we'll be expecting the first payment on a Wednesday of next month darling" Says Tweedle Dee as he pulls out some papers while Dum opens up a safe box in his desk.

Once everything was prepared Dee hands over a red pen to Red and starts pointing her on where to sign, "Remember Red, once you sign this contract there is no turning back" Dum told her as she rests the pen point on the paper, she pauses for a moment and stares down on the red ink drop on the white documents before swallowing hard and signing in her name, 'Red Riding Hood'.

it's done, I finally have the money, now I can sleep at night with no worries...She thought to herself as she stares at her name before handing over the documents.

She quietly gives back the pen while Dum gives her the money in her hand, "Pleasure doing business with you Red, say hello to your granny for us."

"I'm sure she'll be pleased to see you" They both said to her with huge grin on each of there faces, making her loose the relief and filled it with dread. Something about the way they said it made her get an awful feeling in her stomach.

Red left the building and started heading home, wanting to get the money as fast as she could but with the awful feeling that's growing inside, she couldn't help but feel her feet go heavy. Everything's gonna be ok now...she thought to herself as she got out of the cab, until she saw an ambulance in front of her apartment complex with the words 'Knights of Malta' on the side.

Red saw every fable residents of the building Looking at the commotion from there windows while others were outside, Red saw Gren pacing back and forth outside of the building while Holly was telling him to calm down, due with the hand gestures she was doing, both worried of what's going on until Gren stopped and looked at Red with his eyes. She ran towards him without breaking eye contact, something happened, something terrible.

"Gren! " she calls him out, not even caring for the eyes on her. Gren raises up his hands to stop Red from going into the building.

"Don't go in there Red," he said to her.

"Why, what's happen?"

"Red, just calm down and listen okay hun" Holly spoke

"What happened!"

"Silvie! " Red's eyes locked on her mother's green ones as she slams the cab door and runs towards her. She had her house keeping uniform on, and her wild auburn hair strands coming out of the unwell kept ponytail she had on, she came straight out of The Open Arms hotel by the looks of it. "Where have you been last night! You were supposed to be home! "

"Mother, I'm sorry! I'm so sorry! I know I-"

"We'll talk about this later, where is she? " She asked the fables around her.

"Mother please tell me what's-"

"Everybody make way, move!" the paramedic As they roll someone out.

Red froze, eyes wide open by the sight of the person they were rolling out. Bite marks and scratches were all over her face and body, her night gown torn and bloody; She had a mask on to help with her breathing, but judging by her throat it wasn't enough.

Oh dear god! No! "Grandmother! "

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

What's going on Red? Are you in some kind of trouble? why can't you tell me what's bothering you, I can help you...He kept thinking about the questions he wants to ask her in his head, questions he needed to know, he saw it In her eyes, he felt it in her actions, something was up and shes refusing to say anything.

Bigby left The motel and went to search for Red at the Tweedle Brothers office; following the only lead he had on where she ran off to, well more like drive off in a car with another person. But once arriving There was no one to be found, after that Bigby headed to the business office to see if the mirror could be of any help, until Crane blew up in his face.

"Where have you been Sheriff?! You can't just be coming and going anytime you want!"

"I was out working all night, there's a drug ring going on an-" Bigby tries to report to the prick until he shuts him up.

"I don't have time for your excuses! While you were out doing gods knows what, a fable citizen has been attacked! "

That got his attention right away, "Who got attacked? "

"Her names Suzette" Snow answered as she walks in with a file in her hand, "But she simply goes by 'Granny'..and everyone knows her as Red's grandmother.."

That dropped the bomb for him, Bigby knows perfectly well how much Red loves her grandmother, everybody in Tabletown knew, she would do anything for her. And hearing the news going to crush her, Something was definitely up if they tried to get her where it hurts. He rubs his face with his hand and starts to pace. "Is she..."

"No, she's still alive. but it doesn't look good" Snow hands the file over to Bigby "She's in the ER over at Knights of Malta hospital, Doctor Swineheart is doing the best he can to keep her stable"

Bigby opened the file and saw the pictures of Red's grandmother, her face was in terrible condition and her neck was clawed and bitten to the point of tearing a hole in her throat, the claw marks caught his attention right away, they were far too small for a human to have done it, they were claw marks of a rodents of some sort. it was too gruesome to continue on so he just closed back the file and returned it to Snow. " Where's her daughter? "

"She's in the hospital with Granny, she wouldn't leave her side" Snow replies

Bigby knew if the mother was in the hospital than for sure Red is with her as well, The thought of what Red is going through right now with her grandmother in the hospital bothered him, imagining her crying her eyes out and becoming a nervous wreck. " I'm going to investigate the apartment, see if I can find any clues on what happened"

"About time you do your job, Sheriff. I have enough trouble with these useless imbeciles all around me, don't need to entire people of Fabletown to be running amuck!" said Crane as he heads towards his desk.

That pissed him off, Bigby has been doing his job, but he's still only one man. He can't do everything by himself, Bigby was about to give Crane a piece of his mind until Snow stood in front of him and shook her head.

"Call us if you find anything? I'm gonna go to the hospital and see what I can do to help with the situation" She said to him In order to remind him of the main objective.

Bigby glared at Crane before walking away and out the door, "Take care of them Snow, and tell Red and her mother that.." he paused for a moment as he stands at the door, thinking of the right words to say. "Tell her they're in my thoughts" and with that Bigby walked out with determination to get to the bottom of this.

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

Bastard! That no good lying, disgusting, little bastard! Red kept raging in her head as she ran up the stairs, she told her mother that she would catch up with her to the hospital after she picked up some clothes for her grandmother, when in reality Red was heading to the 5th floor to confront the only man that had done this.

She arrived outside of his apartment door and started banging on it as hard as she could. "Piper! Open the door! open the damn door! " she banged again until she lost patients and twisted the door knob to discovered it was unlocked. she barged into the apartment, not caring of the rats in her way. Red stood in the middle of the living room and looks around, hoping to see the no good man. "Where are you Piper! Come on out! "

"You've come to apologize? " said a cold low voice across the dark room, Red gasps by the sudden question, not expecting him to be in the same room without her noticing. He was sitting down in the far corner of the living room, a way from the lights that leaked through his boarded up windows.

"How could you do this to my grandmother? You said 3 days, 3 Days! I had one day left and you attack her! How dare you for lying to me, for hurting the ones Love! " She yells at him as her eyes grow teary with anger.

"Really now, were you really going to pay the money you owe? cause I was under the impression that you were going to back down on the deal, and I don't like being played a fool Red, nor be threatened" he hissed back

"What are you talking about? of course I was gonna pay you if you left my family alone! But now I'll do no such thing! I'm going to report you for this, you are not getting away from hurting my grandmother Piper!" Red threatened as she heads towards the door.

"I don't think so Red, You're granny got what she deserves because of you and your little boyfriend"

Red stopped at that, confused on what he was talking about. "What are you saying? "

Piper slowly started getting up and limped his way towards Red, exposing himself In the light, she gasps and covered her mouth by the sight of him. His face was unrecognizable, he stares back at her with blood shot eyes out of his black eyes, a busted swollen lip, a twisted nose and bruises around his neck, someone beat him to a bloody pulp and judging by his angry swollen face, he blamed her for it.

"You did this to me, by sending your mundy boyfriend after to beat me." he hissed at her as he starts to tremble in rage.

Red became white as a ghost by the mention of mundy, and sudden image of the only mundy who is capable of doing this came into her head.

"Travis.." She whispered out in horror.

"He came last night, telling me you sent him to drop off the money. But when I told him I wanted you face to face rather than your pet he barges in and starts beating me to the ground"

Red's eyes snapped down to her feet, automatically locking her gaze to the blood on the wooden floor, imagining how everything happened. She followed the trail of blood to the dark corner where Piper came out of as he continued

"he kicked me like a damn dog, and threatened to kill me if I ever went near you again" Piper started to laugh then, grinning at her with a blood red smile, "Your mundy lover has no idea who he's dealing with.."

"No! Please, don't hurt him! Please! " Red begs as she stares back into his cold eyes, fearing for Travis' s life.

Piper's grin grew wider at her pleads, "I'm not going to kill him" he says to her, "But you're going to pay me for my silence Red"

"H-how much do you want? "

He eyes her for a long moment before heading back to his corner before speaking again, "ten thousand dollars" She felt his heavy swollen eyes through the shadows as she backs away from him, fighting every urge she had to not run, "and 10 thousand dollars for my silence, and your body for my pain and suffering, you will come to me every night I choose"

"You're insane! I'll never-"

"Never what? save your loved ones and yourself? If you don't do this Red, I will kill your family, I will expose you to the Fabletown authorities about your little mundy lover, I will enjoy the sight of you begging and screaming as they drag and push you down the witching well. And I will kill everyone else you love when they least expect it, and I will enjoy every single moment of it..."

Red just stared at him through the darkness as she slowly backs away to the apartment door, she than quietly opens the door and starts to head out before she paused for a long moment, deciding on the decision to make.

"Don't think for a second I won't do it, you saw how my friends left your grandmother, you don't want to make them finish the job. " he said to her as he starts to pet a rat that crawled onto his lap.

Red stood there, quiet and still, until she finally gives him an answer "Understood..." she whispers out before closing the door behind her and made her way to her apartment.

Red steps into the mess of her home dodging each thrown furniture as she made way to her room, as soon as she walked into her broken down sanctuary and closes the door to the outside world she collapses on the ground and begins to cry..


Thank you for reading, hope you enjoyed it.

Wanna thank ChronoMitsurugi, Avalanet, and guest for your reviews on the last chapter and The-Manga-Goddess, and drecklyn for the lovely reviews for my previous chapters as well, thank you lovelies for the support.

Be sure to check out Their other fan fiction of The Wolf Among Us here, drecklyn's 'Yours to lose' for Snow/Bigby and The-Manga-Goddess's 'The Wolfs company' for her version of Bigby/Red paring, they are worth the read trust me.

Till next time guys

XOXO