Chapter Twenty-Eight: The Hunt Is On

"Are you certain that I can't change your minds to stay?" Granny asked.

The Doctor and River were just about to start preparing for bed when she approached with this question. "Yes…No…Both," answered the Doctor. "You could change our minds, but we'd still have to insist on leaving first thing in the morning."

"Yes, we must find our 'magic box' as soon as possible." River added, smiling at the Doctor upon uttering the term "magic box."

Granny sighed. "Well, I'll definitely miss your company. It's been a long time since we've had guests like you around here. I think even Red had started to warm up to you especially, Doctor." After making that statement, she saw the look of despair on his face and sympathized with him. "I'm certain Red will forgive you for being protective of her. In fact, I commend you for telling her what I've been saying all along about going out at night, even to see that young ruffian of hers."

"I should probably tell her 'goodbye,' if I happen not to see her in the morning." The Doctor suggested.

A smile emerged on Granny's face. "I'll go with you, in case she starts up a fuss again." She then led the Doctor and River into Red's room, finding her resting in bed with her red hood draped over her body and obscuring her face. As they entered the room, the first odd thing Granny noticed was Mary's absence. "Where's Mary?" Red did not answer, prompting Granny to approach her bed. "Come on, girl. Get over this fuss of yours. The Doctor's leaving in the morning, and I need you to help bar up the doors. If Mary's not back by now, she best take her chances."

When Granny forced Red to turn her body to face her, it was not Red's face that was looking at Granny – it was Snow White's (Mary's) guilt-ridden face. "She's in no danger," Snow quickly and calmly assured her.

Granny was obviously shocked to see Snow in Red's place, but there appeared to be another reason for her reaction in the horrified way she asked Snow, "What have you done? Where is she?"

"No, it's okay. She's with Peter." Snow informed. "I know you don't like him, but that's really beside the point."

"You stupid, careless, ridiculous girl!" Granny scolded.

Surprised from her words, Red sat up and eyed both Granny and the Doctor, who both looked none too pleased. "No. You don't understand." She was more trying to convince Granny than the Doctor, since the latter was the one against Red leaving in the first place. "This is just going to be difficult to accept, but you're gonna have to trust me."

"Trust is earned, not forced!" The Doctor exclaimed. "And if you and Red both trusted me, then Peter's life wouldn't be in danger right now!"

Snow blinked rapidly in surprise and confusion. "What?"

Granny had the same reaction towards what the Doctor said. "You mean you've known this whole time?"

The Doctor sheepishly looked down. "Yes. I wanted to tell her, but…"

"Wait. Tell me what's going on." Snow demanded.

The Doctor stared at Snow long and hard before he finally said, "Peter's not the wolf…Red is." His revelation stirred mixed feelings in Snow; he knew that she would ask for a further explanation, but he knew there was no time in giving one. "We need to get out there right now and find them both. Let's just hope Peter's a fast runner, once he sees what she really is."

"She has him tied up." Snow blurted out, much to the immediate alarm of everyone.

"Granny! Get your cloak!" The Doctor brazenly exclaimed.

With the sonic screwdriver leading their path as both a flashlight and detector for tracks Red left in her wolf form, the Doctor rushed through the forest with Granny, Snow, and River following close behind. Snow was still trying to process the fact that Red was the werewolf the entire time. "How can she be the wolf?"

"Her mother was one, too, before a hunting party killed her." Granny revealed. "I thought Red didn't get it, but it wasn't until she was thirteen when it started."

"And you bought her a magic cloak to wear to keep her from turning from a wizard named Rumple…"

"Don't say his name!" Granny warned the Doctor. "How the hell do you know so much about us, Doctor? Is that the reason why Red distrusts you so much?"

The Doctor stopped and turned to her, seeming as if he was going to give her a direct answer; however, he was stopped by the call of a wolf nearby. Directing his sonic screwdriver in the direction of the wolf call, the Doctor soon realized how close they were to where Red and Peter should be. He attempted to inform the others of his findings, but Granny appeared to be one step ahead of him with her crossbow ready.

"Granny! Wait!" The Doctor cried. "There's…"

"I don't need your magic wand to tell me Red's here, Doctor." Granny retorted. "I used to be a wolf myself…and even though I've lost the power to turn, I still carry enough powerful senses to track." Indicating her crossbow, she added, "A silver-tipped arrow will drop her."

Snow slightly squealed, but Granny shushed her immediately. The Doctor was beyond surprised to see how intense Granny was, even sharing his reactions to River. "I never expected this version to be so…is 'hardcore' the right word?"

"Do you people have trouble grasping the concept of stealth? Be quiet." The others did as they were told while Granny started to lead them. "We're approaching from downwind so we have a chance. Doctor, you'll probably want to extinguish the light from your wand."

Following her command, the Doctor shut off the sonic, which put the group in the dark and kept them shadowed (just the way Granny preferred). Slowly, they moved out into a large clearing and found a very large wolf chomping down on what appeared to be the carcass of a human being. The sight was deeply sickening to Snow, who did her best not to cry out, gasp, or make any other sounds that would draw attention to the wolf. Unfortunately, Snow did not count on the twig that lied in her path as she stepped on it with a loud snap.

The wolf clearly heard the sound of the twig snapping and turned its attention to the party that was "hunting" her. Immediately, the wolf lunged their way, but Granny's lighting quick reflexes saved them, unleashing the silver-tipped arrow from her crossbow and striking the wolf. The wolf dropped fast and hard in the snow, landing right at their feet. As soon as the creature was unconscious, Granny called to Snow, "Cloak!"

Snow swiftly removed Red's cloak from herself and placed it over the body of the wolf. The Doctor looked over to the human carcass that the wolf had been chewing prior to their arrival, knowing exactly who it belonged to. "Peter…we were too late." Hearing this, the others looked to Peter's remains in despair.

"Too late for what?" They looked down to where the cloaked wolf once was, seeing Red emerge from beneath it.

The Doctor and Granny helped the dazed Red get to her feet all while Granny sternly instructed to her, "Get up, girl. And get ready to run."

"Please, Red. Do as she says." The Doctor encouraged, trying to keep her from seeing Peter's remains behind her.

"No…wait…what's going…?" Red tried to gather herself, noticeably fighting to find out what was happening. "Where's Peter?"

"Never mind, girl. Don't you hear them coming?" Through her heightened senses, Red heard what her grandmother heard – and soon what they all heard: the hunting party approaching.

River became unsettled from the nearby sound. "If they find us in this spot with the boy's remains…"

"Remains?" Red cried with perplexity and distress.

The Doctor shot River a cold stare for her blunder, while trying to keep Red from turning around. His attempts were futile; Red turned and saw Peter's remains scattered and attached to the tree that she bound him to, believing him to have been the wolf. While she stared with wide eyes, she heard the voice of the Doctor say to her from behind, "Peter wasn't the wolf, Red…you were."

Looking away from the remains, the distraught Red looked to the Doctor and then to her grandmother. "Granny…you knew?"

Granny seemed prepared to accept the blame for not informing her of her "situation," but the Doctor spoke up first. "I knew." Her focus centered back on him, just as he intended it to. "I was the only one that knew the whole time I've ever known you. Your transformations are the reason why I could never take you with me."

Granny, River, and Snow were surprised by how willfully the Doctor accepted the blame. Red stared upon him with mixed emotions. "You knew?"

"I'm sorry."

"You knew!"

Anger and betrayal immediately took over as Red charged at the Doctor and began to slap him repeatedly. The Doctor did not retaliate, accepting every blow Red gave him. It only took the power of Snow White to tear her away from him. Tears poured from Red's eyes; she wept uncontrollably while Snow tried her best to comfort her. Hearing the hunting party grow closer and even seeing their torches through the trees, Granny urged Snow, "Go now! Take her away from here now!"

Snow acknowledged her instruction and led the despondent Red away into the forest, heading in the opposite direction of the hunting party. After all that just happened, the Doctor deduced, "We have to get away, too."

Granny nodded. "That'd be for the best, Doctor." She then added with a hint of gratification, "And what you did there with Red…I…thank you."

The Doctor smiled. "She has your full trust now. Watch her…protect her."

"I will." Granny confirmed. "Now, go!"

River and the Doctor quickly departed from the glade, disappearing into the forest just as the hunting party arrived. Granny glimpsed over Peter's remains once again, preparing herself for whatever suspicions or questions that would come her way because of the boy's unexpected death.