Blehh...you guys have no idea how hard this was for me to write, like I have the images in my head, but I had a hard time putting them in words. So forgive me if it's not that great.

I had 2 songs as my muse for this chapter.

Fever Ray- Concrete Walls, 1st part (This is an incredible song, and I see it as Red's mother's theme song if you listen to the lyrics carefully, it just gives off that amazing vibe I want her to have)

Sam the Sham & The Pharoahs- Little Red Riding Hood, 2nd part

Enjoy


Chapter 19

"Pied Piper.." Bigby said out loud while going up the elevator of the hospital. before heading out to the Woodlands Bigby went to the business office and hit the books with the help of Bufkin, from the evidence of rats and the small slip from Red, they quickly got the fables name. What they couldn't find was the home address of the guy so he decided It was a good time to go check on Granny while get some information from her about the guy.

Bigby knocks on the door and slowly opens it and let's himself in. "Snow, you in here ? " he asks out loud As he looks around the room, Snow was pouring some into a vase of fresh flowers before she glances up and crease her forehead.

"Bigby, how did it go at the apartment?" She asked in a soft tone to.

Bigby glances at the sleeping old woman thats hooked up to machines before walking up to Snow, "Got the guys name, but there's no records on where he's staying at, how has she been doing? "

Snow looks back at Granny and sighs, "She's out of the woods, but due to her throat she won't be able to talk much, perhaps a few words, but not full sentences"

"Shit..was hoping to see if she knew of the bastards whereabouts..." he cursed, after a moment he thought of a certain woman who could know as well, "Where's her daughter? "

"Well...she's...Bigby she's extremely upset, I don't think you should ask questions to her just yet..she's to her old self again, she blames you for this"

"When does she not?" Bigby scratches his neck before thinking for a moment, "I'll go easy, but I-"

The door creaked opened, making both Bigby and Snow pause and look towards the direction of the unknown visitor, they heard hushed voices at the door but just loud enough for Bigby's ears to hear and recognize the voice.

It was Red's mother holding a bouquet of flowers in her hand, She closes the door behind her while still eyeing the flowers in her hands, not noticing the new company in the room. Red's mother Is very kind and loving that reflects out of her emerald colored eyes, eyes that seems to pass down every generation seeing how Granny has the same eyes As well. However, when it came to her child, Bigby couldn't help but be cautious around the Auburn haired woman..

She looks up from the flowers and locks eyes with Bigby, a long moment of tense silence stood between them. Snow quickly got up and ran towards her.

"I know this looks bad, but please-" Snow started, but Red's mothers eyes became deadly as she ran towards Bigby.

He Quickly ran towards her to and stands firm on his ground, preparing himself for the impact, she throws the flowers to his face, distracting him as she pulls out a hidden dagger under her green coat and aims to stab him on the left side of his chest but Bigby quickly grabbed her wrist and held It tight, She leans in closer to his face while glaring green fire at him, revealing the protective mother she has known to be.

"What are you doing here Wolf!" She hissed out at him.

"Calm down Yvette, I'm here to help you" he spoke as even as he could.

Yvette has always been a gentle woman, but underneath it all she is a strong as well, learning how to fight and shoot a bow from her beloved husband, Hunter. Red's father was a Huntsman, a very skilled one at that; sadly passed away a few years after she was born, but before his passing, he has trained his wife the ways of survival, molding her the woman she is now.

"You may be the Sheriff now Wolf, but hiding in human form doesn't make you any less of the monster who devoured my mother and babe." She spat.

"Yvette please, I know what you're feeling but-" Snow tried to calm her.

"You don't know anything Ms. White! You don't know the dread, the terror, of having the child that you carried in your womb, ending up in the belly of the a monster!"

"You're right, I don't know what it's like. But everything is in the past, we all have had blood on our hands, we're all not the same person who we were in the homelands. We can all change on how we were, Bigby is living proof that! Now please, put away your weapon and just calm down. Whats more important now is your mother, not the past "

Yvette looked at Granny long and hard than back to Snow and Bigby before finally pulling out the dagger. "'Blood on our hands'...You come to me when you see a loved one covered In it from head to toe..."

"I'm here to ask some questions to Granny about the attack" He started

"As you can see Wolf, she's unable to-" Yvette started to speak until she saw the messenger bag over his shoulder, "That belongs to my daughter, where is she?"

"Before you go all crazy on me again mama bear, just know she's safe and taken cared for, brought Granny's clothes on her behalf" He answers as he hands it over

Yvette yanked the bag from his hands and digs through it, "I want to see my daughter, where is she? "

"I know you're worried, but just trust me when I say she's in good hands, she's a witness so Red is well hidden and have a guard securing the place shes staying at. Now since your mom is unable to talk at the moment I need you to answer me a few questions"

Yvette glared at him than handed over the bag to Snow than crossed her arms. "What is it you need to know, "

"Do you know of a man named Piper? "

"Pied Piper? the man with the rats, what about him?"

"Judging by the apartment your rat infestation came from the guy, have you or your mother ever got on his bad side on something? "

"We don't try to socialize with bad people if you haven't noticed Wolf, the City is full of scum. so we keep to ourselves the best we could"

"Really? So you never crossed paths with the guy?"

"Oh we crossed paths, the last time was-" Yvette paused for a moment while thinking back, after a second her face was painted with worry.

"was when? "

She brushed a strand of her hair out of the way before she continued, "One night, my daughter Red and I were getting out of work from the bakery...When I noticed him hiding in the alley across the street, he had a certain look in his eyes"

Bigby felt his fingers twitch by the words, "A look? What look?" Snow stepped into the conversation.

Yvette glances back to Snow and just furrowed her brows together, "It was a disgusting look of yearning, of..lust. it looked as if he was undressing someone with his eyes...than I realized he was staring at my daughter. "

Bigby fought the urge to clench his hands into fist, feeling anger rising "Why didn't you report this to me? "

Yvette glared at him "Because I don't trust you"

Bigby started to pace around the room and wiped his face with one hand while the other rested on his hip, "Dirty bastard" he said under his breath "Sounds like he was stalking her..If he was watching her than he was planning on kidnapping her or worse..probably grew the nerve to take action last night, but seeing that Red wasn't home he took it out his anger on Granny"

"I dunno if I should be thankful or pissed that she wasn't home last night. She always comes home.."

"It could be possible that she knew he was coming and decided not to show up, lay low" Snow suggested

"My Red? No, she wouldn't do that to her grandmother, to leave her alone if she knew. Red is up to her troubled self again I bet...That's the only reason I could think of, Silvie always loved running wild"

Bigby thought about last night, how she was sneaking around in that shithole Mad Hatter had under the café, as well as the night at the motel, where his primal side came out. He could tell her the truth about Red being with him last night, but he wouldn't dare say the entire truth.

"She was with me last night, " he said out loud, causing the two women to look back at him wide eyes. Yvette was about to pull out her knife again until Snow grabbed her arm and rubbed it to calm her temper.

"Why was she with you? " Yvette asked

"She was helping me with this case I have going on, bumped into her on the way to see Alice"

Yvette made a face and went to sit down on the chair next to her mother. "Alice...that troublesome girl, I hope she no longer in the drug dealing business"

Bigby raised his eyebrow at that, "How do you know that? "

"I know because she comes to the apartment from time to time, to drop off drugs to Mad Hatters customers. including Piper himself, that coke snorting maniac. I've heard people talking in the hallway that he owes money to both Hatter AND Georgie."

"Where does the rat bastard live?"

"I dunno exactly, all I know it's on the 5th floor of my apartment complex"

Oh that got him fuming, the idea of Piper living in the same building as Red got his blood boiling, "I'm going to pay a visit to Piper, in the meantime stay put and I'll have a security guard outside the room"

"I should be heading back to the Business Office, see what I can look up in the books" Snow said as she heads out as well.

"I got Bufkin still working on the books, you stay until I get someone down here."

"Wait a minute Wolf, I have to know where my daughter is at. I need to know. " Yvette said as she got up from the chair.

Bigby rubbed his temple and looks back at the worried mother, fuck it, might as well...

"Red is staying at my place for a few days" He finally told the truth, making her go pale as a ghost.

"You have her in your den? "

"It's not safe to go back to your home so you need to find a temporary place to stay as well" he said to her.

"But no one ever goes to the Wolf's den! She must be frighten, why would you leave her there!" she demanded.

"Same reason you just said yourself, no one ever goes to my place" He said as he heads out the door.

"Bigby!" Snow went after him, "Are you sure that's a good idea? "

"It is the safest place for her Snow, what else could I have done? " He said as he waits for the elevator door to open

"I know your logic on it sounds fitting, but you two do have a nasty history together...why not have her at my place? Where her and her mother can stay together" She said to him

Bigby thinks about it for a moment, he could do that. Red will be in the same building and she can be with Yvette if that's where she's gonna be staying at. Not to mention his place isn't exactly comfortable for her to stay at, he doesn't even have a bed for her to sleep at.

Yet his inner voice is objecting for her to go away, saying to keep her with him. Snow means well he knows that, but discovering his deep hidden feelings for Red just made him possessive over her.

"I'll talk to her about it then.." he half heartedly replied.

"Okay then. Good luck, and I hope you find the man responsible for this. "

And hopefully find an answer of why Reds been in The urban Wonderland last night, if Hatter has anything to do with this...He thought to himself when thinking back to what Yvette said, it was either a huge coincidence or another piece of the puzzle, whatever it was, it has something to do with Red and he can't have that.

He glances at the time on the wall and does a little math in his head on how long Red was in cuffs, if she hasn't kicked down the table for the keys yet, but seeing how fuming mad she was, it was more than likely she was free and breaking shit by now.

The elevator dings and Bigby made his way in than called out Snow, "Hey, do you know where to get french toast at this time of day? " he asked

Snow looked at him as if he was crazy and the for a moment, "Never knew you were a breakfast kind of person, but The Egg Man Diner should be the place. "

"Thanks, oh and if Red calls to check up on Granny, tell her to stay put and to trust me, she is safe there..for now" he said as an afterthought on what Snow said a second ago.

"Okay then, keep me informed on what you find" She says to him as the elevator doors close up. Snow was making her way back into the room until she saw Yvette rushing out.

"Did the wolf leave already? " she asked

"I'm afraid so, why what's the matter? "

"Mother just woke up and told me 3 words, words I believe is important"

"What were the words?" Snow asked with surprise

"It was hard for her to say but I understood it clear as day, she said 'Mundy at Apartments' "

XxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxX

"No good slimy bastard.." he kept muttering to himself as he lights up a cigarette while sitting in a booth waiting for his order to come out, to his luck, Bigby found the Pied Piper apartment, but it ran out seeing how the guy wasn't home when he barged in and was welcomed by scattering rats.

What he found was blood trails from Piper in the living room floor, judging from the blood spatter he had his ass handed to him last night, but from who is the real question. And whoever they were, they either took Piper or he ran.

"Somethings not adding up.." he said to himself as he flicks some ashes, Someone attacked Piper around the same time Granny was attacked as well, judging by the blood from the looks and smell, but was it shortly before or after Granny's attack, and why? if they were getting revenge for Granny, than why not take her to the hospital right away instead of the morning? But if He got attacked for an entirely different reason, let's say cause of the money he owes, than it could be The Mad Hatter and his crew...

"Order number 62, Sheriff Bigby, " called out the cook from the window as the waiter grabs the large plastic doggy bag.

Bigby puts out his cigarette and gets up with his two brown paper bags of groceries As he heads up to the counter.

"Wow Sheriff, if you got so much groceries why order food? " Asked the fable.

"Because I'm a shitty cook" he said to the young man while placing a bag on the counter and fishes out his wallet.

"So...why buy groceries if-"

"Just gimme the damn price already" Bigby interrupted

"Oh right, sorry. " he cleared his throat nervously. "An order of French Toast with sliced apples and strawberries on the side and a double bacon cheeseburger with fries, so your total will be.. 8.95 sir."

"Keep the change" he says as he hands over a 10 dollar bill and grabs the plastic bag along with the brown paper bag and starts to head out.

He arrives at his apartment and tries to pull out his keys while shifting the grocery bags in one arm, he inserts the key and pauses. Red was still here, He could hear his TV on with some Halloween special going on, more than likely shes pissed about the cuffs so Bigby unlocks his door and quietly entered the apartment.

"What the hell..?" What Bigby got when he arrived home was completely opposite on what he was expecting, His apartment was all clean and organized for once in a...well since he moved in if he's completely honest, he set the bags down on the table as his eyes continues to wander around the same time a new song comes out, and out of all the songs for Halloween...they had to play the one about them...

Hey there Little Red Riding Hood

You sure are looking good

You're everything a big bad wolf could want

Listen to me

Little Red Riding Hood

I don't think little big girls should

Go walking in these spooky old woods alone

Owoooooooo

"Hey Red" He called her out as he made his way to the small living room area of his apartment, "Red, can you turn off that-" Bigby froze on where he stood, Red was sitting down with her legs over The left arm chair while her body was somewhat facing the inside as her head was resting on the couch, her arms where crossed under her breast, causing the shirt to slip up, exposing more of her skin and ass to Bigby.

Look away, look the fuck away! his brain kept yelling at him but his eyes kept glued on to her small round backside, admiring the curves of her ass as they hang halfway out of her red lacey panties. Bigby forced himself towards her and leans down and gently shakes her by the shoulder with his shaky hand.

"Hey Red..wake up" he calls out to her, Red let's out a light moan as she shifts her body to face him, causing her right arm to hang out of the couch, but she still stayed asleep. Bigby felt his manhood growing hard as his eyes stares at her parted pink lips, fighting the urge to lean in for a kiss.

What full lips you have

They're sure to lure someone bad

So until you get to grandma's place

I think you ought to walk with me and be safe

"Fuckin song" Bigby quietly curses out at the lyrics, he gets up and looks around the couch for the remote to turn off the TV but with no luck. He looks back down at Red and sees it poking out from under her back.

"Red, wake up already" He shakes her harder, causing her to squint her eyes open.

"Mmm..What time is it?" She mumbles out

"it's 8:15 Come on, I brought something for you to eat." Bigby said to her as he heads back to the table and pulls out her plate, thinking about anything and everything to turn the switch off in his pants.

Red mumbles some more to herself and goes on a fetal position and turns around to face away from him. "it's too late to eat now, save it for tomorrow" she sleepily said to him.

"Come on Red, you haven't eaten all day. " Bigby continues to press on as he nervously pulls down the shirt to cover her. He scans her from head to toe as his white dress shirt hugs her curves beautifully, making him swallow hard.

"Why are you even wearing one of my shirts? I brought you clothes" He asked her, he was curious to know the reason, even though Red looked good in his shirt...REAL good..

"You only brought me panties and a flimsy shirt, you should have listened to me" she answers as she pulls the shirt down herself.

"Really? not even pants?"

Red didn't answer to that as she dooze off into sleep again, Bigby places the plate on the table lamp and grabs her by the shoulder and pulls her back to have her face him.

"Come on, eat while I look for something else for you to wear. You can go back to sleep when you're done"

Red yawns out while she stretches, she arches her back as her arms pull up the shirt, revealing her flat stomach and her hips. her joints pop, causing her to let out a sweet moan of relief that made Bigby imagen a dirty thought as he continues to fight with himself from staring.

Little Red Riding Hood

You sure are looking good

You're everything that a big bad wolf could want

"Alright then" she sighs out as she rest one arm behind her head while the other pulls down the shirt, looking very inviting to ravish her to Bigby's eyes "What's for dinner? "

Owoooooooo

"God damn this song! " Bigby grabs her arm and yanks her off the couch and on to the floor as he grabs the remote, turns off the TV and throws the remote across the apartment.

'What the hells your problem? You could have just asked for the remote! " Red snapped at him as she gets up and rubs her shoulder.

"Shut up" Bigby barked back as he heads to his closet and starts to raid in it.

"Damn Wolf..." Red mudders out as she takes her plate to the table.

"Here wear this" he hands her his black boxers to her. Red just stares at it and blinks for a moment before looking back at Bigby with her arms crossed and a dull look on her face.

"I'm not wearing your underwear..." She flatly said

"They're clean and you can wear them over yours"

"Come on, you don't have pants?" Red walks right up to him and gives him a hard elbow blow to his ribs for him to move out of the way as she goes on her knees and raids his drawers in his closet.

"Hey, get the hell out of my closet!" He scolds her as he rubs his ribs than goes down next to her.

"Why? You got skeletons in here?" She asks while still pulling out socks and underwear.

"No, I just don't-"

"Oh! My! God!" Red interrupted him as she pulls out his black underwear. "You have MAN PANTIES!" she says it out loud as she stretches them in front of her.

"Hey now, they are just plain underwear, gimme that!" he tries to yank them away from her but she pulls them away from his reach.

"They. Are. GLORIOUS!" She makes fun of him as she looks back and grins, "I assumed you were just a 'boxers only' kinda of guy"

Bigby growls at her and yanks them away before picking her up bridal style and sits her down on the chair in front of her plate.

"Just shut up and eat" He grunted out as he threw his underwear in the closet and sat himself down to eat.

He unwraps his burger and takes a bite out of it while he notices Red blushing as she looks down on her food.

"Wut? ah thught yuu like Fwench Toust" he said with his mouth full.

Red looks up at him and blushes deeper, "I do, it's just...You remembered and it's very nice of you.." She smiles as she cuts a piece of her food and takes a bite, she giggles and smiles in delight by the taste of the sweet bread, making Bigby swallow hard on his food and look away.

They quietly ate together until they were both done, Red picked up there trays and threw them away and started to put away the groceries in the refrigerator.

"Thanks for cleaning up the place." Bigby broke the silence as he takes off his black tie.

"I'm not done yet, still need to sweep and mop, which by the way you need to invest on."

"I'll ask Flycatcher to borrow one tomorrow" He replies as he collects the 2 full black trash bags and takes them out and throws them away. When he came back to the apartment he steals a glance at Red and smirks at his boxers that she's wearing, she still looked good for his eyes but at least he won't be staring at her ass every time she bends over.

"Okay, that's last of the groceries" she said out loud while closing the refrigerator door. She went to fetch her coat and started putting on her shoes when Bigby crossed his arms and stood in front of her.

"Where do you think You're going? "

"What do you think? I'm going home"

"I don't think so" he said as he grabs her arm

"You can't force me to stay here"

"I told you you're in the witness protection program, meaning you're to stay here and be protected"

"Fabletown doesn't even have that program, you made it up" she shook off his arm and puts on her coat, "Besides I have work tomorrow at the bakery"

"Why can't you just listen for once, you're staying here"

"Pfft, you Can't tell me what to do. Now move out of the way. " Red walks around him but Bigby picks her up and throws her on the couch chair As gently as he could. "Can you cut the crap of throwing me around like some rag doll?!"

"Nope" he plainly said and sat down on top of Red on the couch and pulls out a cigarette.

"Oh god! not this again!" Red grunts out as she tries to push him off, "Bigby! Get off of me! you weight a ton!"

"Yeah and you're light as a feather" he casually says as he lights up his smoke.

"Did you just call me fat?!" she paused her hands and waited for the reply, Bigby can practically FEEL the back of his head burn by her hot gaze, making him grin in amusement, of course to him Red weighed almost nothing since she was small framed young girl, he just enjoyed pressing her buttons. "You did didn't you! " She starts hitting his back with her good hand.

"go a little lower, my lower back is killing me from picking you up" He makes fun as he blows out smoke.

"Shut up! " she smacks him hard while blushing in embarrassment

"Alright, enough fooling around Red, What kind of trouble are you in with The Pied Piper?"

Red stopped with her beating and went quiet, making Bigby glance over his shoulder to her face. she was staring at her hands as she has them against his back.

"it's none of your business Wolf..." she replies to him but lost her bite.

Bigby looks forward and takes another drag of his cigarette, holding it in for a moment before breathing it out, filling the small area with its smoke.

"Red.. you are my business...always my business..." The sweet feminine musk that radiates from her changed from anger to an emotion She's been trying to hide for a long time, an emotion shes been trying to mask away. Hiding it from the world, But Bigby always saw right through it..no matter what.."hate me as much as you like, I'll still protect you..no matter what..."

The silence stretched through the small apartment, feeling like an eternity for her to say something back. The orange glowing amber of his cigarette burned halfway, leaving a trail of ash that was like a crumbling sideways pillar until it was no longer able to hold its weight and collapsed onto the wooden floor the same time Red wraps her arms around him from behind.

"Promise me you will...you'll do just that? "

"I promise Red, I'll do whatever it takes to protect you..." he replies while holding the cigarette between his lips. Red clutches the front of his shirt on that, shaking with nervousness until Bigby holds her hands in his.

"He wants to ruin me Bigby...threatens me for money...For my body...he'll break me.." Red rest her forehead against his back, swallowing down a sob. "if I don't give him what he wants...he'll kill the ones I love..."

Bigby puts out his cigarette in the ashtray next to the couch and scoots down off of Red and onto the floor, he rested his elbows on his knees and looks up at her. feeling his heart ache by the sight of her whimpering face.

He reaches for her hand and gently pulls her down on to his lap, and wraps his arms around her, pulling Red closer to his chest as he buries his face in her Chestnut colored hair; he breathes in her scent and sighs out before he spoke.

"That's not going to happen Red, I'll make damn sure on that" He said to her as he starts to nuzzle in her hair than down to the crook of her neck.

Red looks up at him with eyes full of hope, but then looks away with worry. "I don't want you to.. to get involved..I honestly have no idea why I told you what I-"

Bigby interrupted her by bringing her face up by her chin, he starts to caress her lower lip with his thumb while staring into her eyes and leans in, just enough for his lips to brush on hers before Red pulls away and gets up.

"i uh..I'm gonna go rinse my mouth and head to bed, work tomorrow.." She nervously said to him as she starts to comb her hair with her fingers, a little habit she has when she's out of her comfort zone.

Bigby looks away and lights up another cigarette before waving her off, Red rushed to the bathroom while he just sat there in silence, just thinking about the need he has to feel her lips on his..


Welp, that's it for this chapter, sorry again for the blehness of it. I had the idea of posting every Monday and Thursday, but due to the trouble I said earlier I just spent most of my free time drawing and derping around. Sorry.

Speaking of drawings! I got some of my art up on my Tumblr: LaNellyxD of Red and Bigby, yay! Go check them out, I drew a pic of Red panty raiding Bigby's closet xD. I'm thinking about drawing a random scene of each new chapter like a sneak peek or something so follow me to keep an eye out for that if you are interested

Omg! You guys blew up my fave and follow buttons, thank you so much for the love and support guys, really. I'm like so..I don't even know lol, I'm just happy x3

Don't forget to fave, follow and review if you haven't yet. I love to hear from my readers so don't be shy!

And I'm done rambling, until next time

PS.

Expect something BIG in the next chapter, it's gonna get messy and good real soon ;3