Hey guys! Thank you for waiting! In this chapter, FP finds out that Henry's been keeping a lot of secrets from her...And others might be a part of that secret all while also discovering that Fabletown is starting to live up to its name. Enjoy!

Chapter 5 Facade

It's been a week and I was at my wits end with Henry. I was seriously debating on going out tonight just to see if I could find where he had been working at because Gods knew he'd never tell me, no matter how many times I asked, no matter how many times we fought with one another he would constantly evade the situation, but it was as plain as day, every other morning or afternoon he'd come home with glossy blood shot eyes, sniffling, and antsy as all hell. I don't know what happened within these couple of days, but it was like dealing with Dr. Jekyl and Mr. Hyde, one moment he was home, drowsy, irritable, but attempting to smile and put on a face to tell me he was just over worked, the next he was out the door without a word, and if I asked, he'd become more erratic if I pressed too much. He was doing exactly what I had known this whole time, and here I thought this was suppose to be the change to something better. At this point, I really am alone. I was starting to feel overwhelmed by it all, what he was doing behind my back, lying to me, and not even bothering in the slightest to be open with me. Even worse, he was becoming verbally abusive now, saying how I only made it this far because of him, that without this job he had I'd be in the crack house. But he was wrong, I put myself in rehab with help. None of it being from him. In fact, he was nowhere to be found far as I remembered. I-, I had no idea where he went while I was away. Now it's been a few days since the last time I've seen him and a big part of me was starting to believe that I was going to have to do what my family friend had suggested to me. I was going to have to leave him.

How did it come to this?

Still, having to come up with rent and somehow pay for essentials, and school was going to be taking every ounce of my time now. Luckily the school counselors and aids have been understanding with my financial situation and even referred me to a few commissioners, but none the less, with just my paintings and the money from the bar getting me by I was starting to realize I was going to have to go cheap with my painting supplies in the mean time.

Well, at least I had a bar of decent people to come to during my shifts. They really were helping in a way that I don't think they realized yet. Coming to the Trip Trap was like coming to another home for me. The family was a no bullshit kind of family and I was okay with that. Even when I came in I was always greeted warmly by the regulars. I had to admit, it felt good.

And yet, something always stuck with me every time they would conversate about the Woodlands. Usually they'd talk about the state of the town itself of how the higher ups wouldn't help them with certain issues, they were just swept under the rug. They shake down the community in order to get information on someone by going to every fable they could get their hands on and did what they did. That's where the real mystery began for me, with the Fables. The names of the people I kept hearing around me. They were all, oddly enough, named after fictional characters.

Jack Horner.

Snow White.

Ichabod Crane.

Rumpelstilskin.

It should've been the obvious, but I'd assumed they were nicknames of the townspeople. Now, I wasn't so sure. Maybe they were, but sometimes the way the others talked about certain people was very peculiar. Strange. I'd been so busy with the move and with Henry ghosting me lately that I hadn't considered a why.

I couldn't lie to myself, this peeked my interest while I was at the library one afternoon. I needed to research some famous painters for class and while doing so I'd covered the half of the table with various books pertaining to folklores, fairy tales, and I had just finished the story of Little Red Riding Hood by the time the early morning was slowly turning.

After I had finished, I read a few dozen others. At some point I fell upon the story of the Billy Goats Gruff, and when I began to read it I realized something that caught me off guard. The name of Holly's Bar was named after the sound of the goat's walking across the bridge in the story. Now, either this was a coincidence...I must be going daft. Really, what am I doing? I sighed looking out the window next to me. I'd lost track of time, but looking up all these old stories I had longed forgotten had me wondering why they'd called only a small portion of Manhattan, Fabletown. I asked some people in the library if they knew anything about this, but no one seemed to know what I was talking about, not even the ones from my class or the ones around that lived near the Bronx. No one knew what I was talking about. It felt as if I'd fallen into the twilight zone!

I soon became enthralled, going deeper down this rabbit hole with vigor curiosity, even going so far as to question Grendel's name, considering it was also unique. Very uncommon. I had to know, and so when I asked the librarian for names under that name she led me to a poem and a story named after him, "These are the only books I could find on a 'Grendel'. I hope you find what you're looking for." Well, I certainly did. After scanning through the poem I planted my elbow on the table and leaned my mouth into my hand, knitting my brows together while I imagined Gren changing into beast towering in some shape or form with teeth and claws. The book portrayed him as a 'hairy beast, 'ugly as sin', and 'reeking of death'.

And yet, I still didn't care, I always had a soft spot for monsters. Hell, I had a whole stash of comic books under my night stand that pertain to certain details...with dragons and monsters...And girls. Was that a bad thing? I always questioned whether I had a problem, but so far I've shrugged it off and never thought about it again. People had their kinks, this just happened to be mine. Shit. Now I was completely distracted by monster porn.

Exasperating, I shook my head on what I begun to believe was maybe a waste of time and decided to call it a day at the library. I had a million other questions buzzing though by the time I'd left the place. Even though this was obviously me having an overly hyper imagination, I started to think back to when Henry had brought up this place. He was very vague about it, only saying that it's the only place that they could start over, that they could build themselves from the ground up. I scoffed out loud and squinted my left eye cringing at the words he used. Matter of fact, he was pretty insistent...Almost desperate to move here. Actually, now that I thought about it, he didn't need directions to get here. He said he had already memorized it...I don't know how much of that was true, in fact, I was starting to doubt everything. I don't know what he was thinking, or what he was trying to do, but I was suspicious all the same. It was set in stone now, I was going to find out what he's been up to!

I walked the campus admiring the florals blooming around the brush and greenery all the while thinking of everything looking back up at the facility and then the sky, watching the birds pass by and fly away to somewhere unknown, and for a moment, I wished I could've joined them. I didn't want this. I didn't like playing investigator. I mean, I even didn't want to believe that Henry was doing something way worse than slinging. But, I couldn't sit here in the dark either, I needed to know why he wanted to move to Fabletown so badly.

By the time school had ended I only had enough time to grab my art supplies for the week at a nearby craft store, and then headed home to get ready for work to which I thought would be good for the fact that maybe I could get some more information on...My bizarre-, whatever this was.

I felt extremely uneasy when I got home, nervous to say the least knowing that if there was some kind of foul play, I was going to have to prepare for the worse. I expected to find a whole other girlfriend maybe, something pertaining to a double life. I guess there was only one way to see. I knew he was in Fabletown still that much was clear, but if I had to pin point where, I'd have to check the lock box up in our bedroom closet. I know, it seemed random to think about it so suddenly, but it was the only thing of Henry's that held sentimental value. Plus, what better place to hide your secrets than in a lockbox?

I carefully grabbed the object as if it were a fragile thing and placed it on the bed. This was a box I'd never looked at twice, until now. I went under the sink to grab my tool kit, hoping to use paper clips to make shift lock picks in hopes of opening it. When that didn't work, I used a hammer to get it open. It took several hits, a few injuries to my fingers and a line of curses, but after the fifteenth strike it broke apart. I held my breath as I put the hammer down and removed the remains, leaving me to only open it. Yet, I hesitated. I stared at it, nervous, and afraid of the mystery inside. I tried to take a big deep breath to try to steel my nerves, lifting the lid to peek inside. In it I found numerous photos of females and their names, addresses, and much more. Letters from the same person whom had his hands in everything it seemed. Georgie. He had been asking about painting fences, which I thought that was a little odd. Georgie may have had his hands in a lot of things, but I don't believe it was in painting fences. Was it code for something?

Unfortunately for me it'd become apparent how much I had been played the fool. I'd been looking the other way without knowing it, and now I didn't even know what to do with the information I had. I couldn't even make a coherent thought.

I then found myself picking up a bunch of black and white polaroid photos. They were old and nearly over 50 years old, filled with different people, girls, and of a man that looked exactly like Henry. Must be his grandfather. It could happen, right? I put them down for a moment, scanning some odd papers made of cotton. I knew this because during a class my teacher had mentioned the different types of papers made for canvases. Cotton paper was one of them. However, the paper I was over hundreds of years old, feeble and close to ripping written in a language that was way passed its expiration date. I took it out and unrolled it gently, my heart racing a mile a second as I ran my fingers through my hair trying to make sense of all this.

It looked like a birth certificate, but I was only able to read the first part of the name among the gibberish:

Aegeus II αγόρι που φώναξε λύκος

Unwittingly shaking my head I was completely speechless by what all of this was. It didn't make any sense to me, but as I thought back to the name of Fabletown and everything I had learned today, I set the certificate aside with such a fluent motion that I almost hadn't registered it.

Clips of written debt, a booklet full! Debts that were under the name Aegeus, all IOU's to Georgie Porgie or someone under the initials C.M. I decided to go back to the photos again to see if any of them could give me a clue to what the initials stood for, but as I went through them all I find was that Lily and Faith were right along side a slender skinny man with a shaved head, a bowler hat and covered in tattoos from face to sleeves. Henry was standing next to him. They all looked genuinely happy, to a degree, but whoever this man was in the photo it wasn't the Henry I've known. In the pictures he looked absolutely confident, prideful, glowing with hope. You could almost mistaken the two boys for good friends, that's how happy he looked. The Henry I knew had become harsh, impatient, distant, irrational, and aggressive. A heavy cloud hovered over him, and it's been showing for a long time. Well, until recently. He was beginning to look more hopeful, but I see now it was farce.

Suddenly, looking down at every one of the girls I noticed that all of them were wearing the same purple ribbons that Lily and Faith wore. I've asked them before about. Still never got an answer. I was beginning to get a headache from all this, an overwhelming sense of confusion taking over my mind as I looked at an old scroll of a young man. A spitting resemblance of Henry in greyish green robes, an older man standing next to him with a woman and an older boy standing next to her. It looked like a family portrait, almost like a page ripped out of one of the fable books I'd been reading from. In fact it looked just that.

With a final look into the box I felt my heart drop when I found something familiar, made out of the same cotton paper as before, but this held a resemblance to the symbol inscribed in the hannah tattoo I had on my hands. Henry had given it to me, with a meaning to go along with it. At the time I thought it looked beautiful and after everything we'd gone through I thought it would've been a great meaning to a new start. With that was another letter, this one, talking about me. It wasn't a long letter, but it mentioned about bringing me to Fabletown if he wanted to jump back in.

I couldn't take my eyes off of it, I read it at least five times just to be sure. Now there was definitely more to everything. I was in deep fucking shit! Whatever Henry was doing he had me smacked in the middle of it. My hands were trying to stay still when I'd found a list of places, items, amounts of money, and directions in places that pertain to the Manhattan area and one of them being exactly where we previously lived before all this. Where I had met him. At this point, my hands couldn't stop shaking as my eyes tried to go over everything. I was on the verge of wanting to vomit, and...A little heart broken.

Henry had been lying to me this whole time. He always said he wanted to take me away, but I didn't think this was it, not at all!

It's become clear to me that the way he was going to clear his debt was with me.I could only assume that I was a payment of some sort. Maybe, I don't know, at this point I was taking shots in the dark, and I was completely terrified. The worst of it all was that Lily and Faith were in on it too, and probably knew why he'd truly brought me here.

As fight or flight kicked in, I put everything away the best I could, all while attempting not to burst into tears at what I had come to realize. Henry is from Fabletown. He left maybe because this debt he owed and left finding me, and decided to make me his meal ticket. Everything else with the name, and the old papers I had no idea what those were about but they all referenced to him.

Once he came back, he would've known I'd obviously been through his things, and with that he'd have to make a decision. Soon. I didn't know if that scared me more, but I wasn't going without writing down that language at the end of that name. I needed to know what it said. He could be home who knows when, so I had to act. A part of me was screaming to get the hell out of dodge, but I had no where to go, and no money after the move.

It was Friday though, which meant I was getting my first pay check of the week! It wasn't going to be a lot, but it may be enough to get me out of the area, and away from him. Screw looking for him at this point, that would be ludacris!

I grabbed a bag from my side of the bed and debated on whether to leave. It should've been an obvious thing to do, but when my sixth senses kicked in, I froze. If had gone through all this trouble to get me here, what made me think he'd let me leave so freely?

Paranoia began to set in my bones, and my attention immediately went for the front door. I ran to it and locked it putting the chain through the latch. I then went to my window, and hunched down on hands and knees. I'd left he blinds slightly open and while I was scanning the streets I saw nothing. I couldn't really say that a man sitting in his car was out of the ordinary, but...What if there was two of them? And one was them was staring up at my windows? I had looked around the street for anything, any movements, and when I'd begun to look at the parked cars there they were. I assumed I was just seeing things, but I had to be sure. I crouched down as far as I could go as not to cast any unnecessary shadows and swiftly making my way over to where my canvas sat to get my binoculars. I then came to the bottom right of my living room window again, carefully snuggled myself into the corner, and peeked out searching for the car I had seen before. I went from car to car, until I landed on-, I couldn't tell what kind of model, but it was a black car with a lighter bottom. A small spoiler on the back of it, and two men talking to each other as one of them looked up right at where my apartment was and pointed. At me. I dropped my head down instantly, even though it was unlikely they saw me, but I couldn't take that chance. Again, I may have been acting a fool for all I knew, but after what I had found I was feeling myself slowly starting to spiral. I wanted to call my friend back home, but I knew he wouldn't be able to help. He was too far away, the most he'd be able to do is call the cops.

The police? Well, how fast were they willing to get here for someone claiming to be stalked or killed by a man who probably wasn't even using his real name? I didn't know what to think other than, I should just go to work. If I leave they'll just follow.

I needed to come up with plan to get home tonight, without Henry being able to get to me. A good place to hide may be a storage unit. Maybe I could live out of a studio if I'm lucky but I didn't have the time to do that. All I could think about was the money that was waiting for me at the Trip Trap. So, after taking a brisk shower to spruce myself up for work I put light blue jeans, a backless halter top that draped at my neck and opening in the front to give my girls a bit of appeal. I then brushed my hair and put in some light scented gel to give it some bounce.

My outfit was completed with a silver chain and opal studded earrings. When I was done, I peered into my reflection only to find my complexion paled and sunken in. I looked like I had seen a ghost. Shit. I hunched down under the sink to get the make up box, and powdered my nose to give a more natural glow. I not only needed to look cool and calm, I needed to act it. Once I was done I took a good long look in the mirror closing my eyes after a minute and took the deepest breath I had ever taken in years. I hadn't felt so dreaded, so suffocated, so afraid, so utterly sick to my stomach since...No, this wasn't the time, not now.

Level heads prevail My dad use to tell me. Now I was telling myself that glaring into my reflection in hopes those words would resonate. After what felt like forever of trying to find sanity I grabbed a bag and stuffed it full of essentials, then put on my boots and jacket on before I made my way out. I locked the door with clumsy hands and felt them start to tremble all on their own. My arms felt like noodles so I stuffed them in my coat to play it casual as I usually did heading down the hall. In the mean time I was telling myself to stay calm and pretend those men were in the car.

I rode that elevator down as if it were to be my last time. My heart felt as if it were scratching at the walls of my chest trying so desperately to get out, but I took another breath again, looking up at the light above me, and closed my eyes, "I'm just over reacting. I have to be. I have to be." The double doors opened on que and I curled my fingers around my keys squeezing tightly at the sound of the bell chiming loudly in my ears. I walked out with heavy steps and I gazed over to manager to see he hadn't notice me, so I continued out to the main street. When I did I made sure to make eye contact with my car, nothing else, but kept an eye on my surroundings as I opened the back of my trunk and threw my sack in with a lazy toss. I closed it up and then I slowly took the opportunity to look both ways, pretending to be oblivious as I made my way across the street. I could still see the two people sitting in the car, but it was already getting dark and the reflection on the window shield had made it impossible to see inside.

Damn.

Feeling as though I was walking into a trap, I made my way across the street as if nothing was amidst trying to keep my face from looking stiff. and upset. When my foot hit the sidewalk I nearly started to pick up my pace, I was right in front of the bar and made it down the stairs when suddenly the door slammed open. I jumped and gasped so loud that I startled the person in front of me. Jack. I could only laugh when I realized that I'd probably blown my own cover, "Jack," I pressed a hand to my chest in an attempt to still my heart from exploding, "I'm sorry, I wasn't expecting that."

"Me neither! Big surprise to me, a nice a surprise!" He winked impishly grinning. H getting me to chuckle a little but I was still so shaken up that he must've noticed, "Hey everything okay? You look spooked."

"Yeah! You're already leaving before the parties started?" I tried to change the subject hoping it would work and to my luck, it did.

"Don't worry, I'll be back. You can't get rid of me that easily!" He laughed and pulled on his denim vest grinning making me genuinely smile as I made my way pass him and through the door, but not before suddenly feeling the urge to ask him a question, "Hey Jack before you go, do you wear a glamour?"

"What? Ha ha! No not me, I don't need one. This is all me baby! Only peeps like Holly and Gren need'em, I mean considering what they are and all..." His chuckles and his laugh suddenly fading when he squinted at me curiously, "Why do you ask?"

"Just curious, everyone mentions them so you know, I had to ask."

"You talkin' more shit over there Jackie boy?!" I heard a familiar voice from behind me, and turned to see Grendel leaning over his stool to get a better look over in our direction. To that I looked back at Jack seeing him cringe and chuckle nervously as he waved and made his way up the steps, "Got to go!"

"Bye Jack." I had to admit meeting Jack at that moment eased my mind and helped me adjust into the bar as I looked around to see Holly, Gren, Woody, and Lily, "Well if it isn't our favorite little bartender!" Woody called out in my direction getting the rest of the bar to follow, including Lily who waved, smirking at me. Being on autopilot I just automatically smiled and waved, but on the inside I wanted to give a piece of my mind, I can't believe you I wanted to tell her, How can you sit there and smile at me after-, what you know?

"Excuse me?" Holly scoffed crossing her arms as she looked at Woody with a scowl getting him to lower his head and shoulders, "I-I mean our other favorite, Holly, I swear."

"Whatever. Good to see ya, kid." She said looking over to me with a lazy smile.

"Likewise." I replied walking around the pool table to see the bruises become more apparent on Woody's face, "Who did that to you?" He chuckled and rubbed his neck, almost embarrassed, but shrugged saying, "Eh, that fucking wolf."

"Wolf? I-is the city running ramped with wolves now? I didn't realize we lived on a reserve." I was merely jesting knowing he couldn't have been serious about being attacked by an actual wolf, but it had to have been impeccible timing when he gave me a flat expression, his lower lips pouting out a bit that I couldn't help but resist a giggle, "Sorry. not trying to make light of the situation. Are you going to be okay?" His frown arched into a small smile and as he turned back to his drink he lifted it to his lips, "My pride's a little wounded but I'll manage." Then drank it.

"Right. Um...I'm sorry, so then who's the wolf again?"

"Bigby." Everyone replied back in unison, causing me to simply, "Ah." Right back before making my way around the bar, and asking Holly to go retrieve my register. She pointed to the back and I gave her a small wink before switching them out.

I realized while I was in the back that this was my chance to really find out a little bit more about this... Fable situation. They called him Wolf as a nickname. Or what it a last name? If it was fairytale related the only wolf I knew of was usually that one that tried to eat everybody. How would that work exactly? Were they the same wolf? "You're heart beat is drilling into my ears here!" I was abruptly brought out of my daze when I found myself counting the money in front of the bar shaking my head to come back to my senses and see Grendel frowning and eyeing me suspiciously, "The fuck's goin' on with you?"

"What? Nothing. I mean-, not-, entirely..." I stuttered so hard I couldn't even get my words out, doing a double take when I noticed his left eye was completely pale white. I froze pointing at it suddenly blurting out, "Your eye!"

"How observant of you." He grumbled back, dead pan, but that didn't stop me from leaning in to get a closer look, "It's not polite to stare!" He snarled and I nearly jumped back.

"I'm sorry! I didn't meant to!" I looked at him full of remorse, not wanting to offend him, "I-I guess I hadn't noticed it before. Or was your eye always like that?" I asked in a ramble.

"It's a cheap glamour. They don't call it cheap for nothing." He then set his forearms on the table and leaned in to give me a slow intimidating smile, "My form is far, far bigger. I don't think you'd be able to handle it." I started to think back to the books, and tried to play off my intimidation with coyness. I turned around to grab a rag, proceeding to soak it and wringed it before wiping down the counters, "Don't be so sure about that." My reply came out so casual I didn't catch what I said until it was too late. My eyes widened just as his did, and as my mouth drop to say something nothing did. To that, his mouth arched into a very mischievously grin and with every second his chuckle grew into a laugh, "Well that's a tempting thought isn't it?" I felt my cheeks redden and with a smack of my face I groaned in shame, "Not what I meant."

"Really?" His said with a sultry voice, "And for a second there, I thought you were." Even though I'd been laughing out of embarrassment, a part of me began to realize something weird was happening, right in front of me, and I was going to have to save face by smiling, but the second I did, my lips began to quiver, "You sure you're alright?" I moved my hand away to see Gren glaring at me with concern and annoyance, "Everything's off about ya, I can tell. Your blood pressures through the roof, you're sweating through your clothes, and you're breathing harder than usual. Not to mention you got that look in your eye as if you're about to be eaten, and I know eaten." I thought he was joking about that earlier and I actually let that go over my head expecting it to just...go away. But here I was, "What's really goin' on?" Everyone had turned their attention towards me now. When did that happen? I couldn't help but tense up and tighten my hands into a ball. A habit I had when I was on the spot, "I...I can't right now. I'm in the middle of work."

"Fuck work. What the fuck's bothering you?" I almost didn't know what to say to that, but in defense I bit my lip unable to say anything. And yet, an idea came to mind on the spot, more out of fear but, I knew there was always that possibility that Grendel and the rest of them could've been in on Henry's little plan too, but as I leaned in closer to get him to do the same, I looked into those hard tired eyes and had a feeling he might not even know. But, I had to be sure some how, "Maybe...we could talk about it on my break? Over a cigarette or something?" I said it with a soft tone, hoping he would drop it.

"That bad huh?" I nodded trying to hide my discretions behind a smile.

"It's personal, so..."

"That's what this bar is for hon, venting out our bullshit." Holly said pouring me a drink. I hadn't expect her to hear my whisper, but as I took it without a second thought, I shifted my gaze to her and tried my hardest not to look at Lily, who was just out of my peripherals. Trying not to see her looking right at me though was nearly impossible, "I-, I think I'm just being a silly...But-," I didn't want to come out forthright with everything I just found, due to the obvious. So I improvised, "I think I'm being followed." Was all I could think to say, my face etching into what I was truly feeling.

"Really? By who?" I shrugged my shoulders at Holly who asked me, and then crossed my arms as I felt a chill run up my back, "What makes you think you're being followed?"

I had to think of something fast, so I licked my lips as I rubbed the side of my shoulders, "Henry's been collecting debts from people...People that might be following me to get to him." I lied gazing back at them to see the others surprised by what I'd told them, and of course Lily, who took a slow drink from her cup as if I hadn't noticed stayed quiet.

"Are you fucking serious?! Well where the fuck is he?! Henry, I mean!"

"Work-, probably-, I don't know any more. There are so many holes in his stories I just don't trust him, or who he's with." I tried not to glare at Lily, knowing that I still wondered why she ever invited me to work here with her sister if she was working for Aegeus, but I couldn't be sure, so in great desperation I looked to Gren with shame, "Is there any way...I could-, pay you...to-, you know-, help me out?" It was the only option I had to try to stop this alleged kidnapping of myself from happening. My parents were gone, the only people I knew were too far away, and I couldn't go to anyone without proof. The only proof I had were a bunch of old photos and papers.

"Fuck no. Do I look like Mr. Hero to you?!"

"Please? I'm scared of my mind about this."

"Uh, did ya ever try going to the Woodlands? If it's a Fable should be a walk in the park for the wolf." His remark was full of snide but I believed it was towards the Sheriff.

Never the less I shook my head being honest on that part, "I-, um...I've never dealt with them in this sort of situation. I wouldn't even know how to go about it." I said.

"Easy, you wait for forty-five minutes, you write up a report and then they say they can't help you and kick your ass out." I couldn't believe Lily replied. I looked over to her suspiciously, wondering where she was getting with this. Gren looked over as well but for a whole other reason, "Are you for real? I'm not going to be her bodyguard! What do I look like?!"

"It's a waste of time Gren and you know it. Just do the girl a favor, huh? You're getting paid for it, what do you say?" I must've been making one ugly looking face when I started to cock an eye brow at her. I was sure she was in cahoots with Henry, but then she does something like this and I'm left baffled to wonder, Why are you helping me? I don't understand, are you trying to trick me? Throw me off? I was about to reply, when suddenly, I noticed the expression on Grendel's face. In the moments that he was quiet with apparent shock and surprise, he soon fell annoyed. He then hummed as he looked on at me as if angry at some point, and for a second I thought I may have just done that. Until he sat back in his seat, stewing on it, or, deciding to keep staring at me like I was an idiot. I wouldn't have blamed him. I wasn't quite sure, but either way, I had to put on my most convincing puppy eyes, and awaited him. He immediately rolled his eyes and gave me one more long contemplating stare, along with an overly exaggerated groan, "How much we talkin'?" He mumbled rubbing his entire face with a hand.

"Fifty to start, I can always raise it if you want, I don't care. I just-, really don't..." I didn't know how to say it without coming off as childish, but in the moment I quickly began to care little about that, "Want to be alone." He smirked at that, and leaned over the table a bit, his whole frame seeming wider from my point of view, "Does the offer you gave last week interfer with this?" I looked up thoughtfully, considering I was hoping to bounce tonight, but now that I've had a mili-second to calm my nervous (to a degree), I started to wonder if it was really a good idea to leave on my own, knowing they'd follow...Probably not. So, I looked back and shook my head, "No. That's still on the table if that's what you're asking." I couldn't look him in the eyes when I said it. But suddenly I was startled by a finger being pointed in my face, "Fine. I'll do it! But! Let's get one thing straight! I'm doing this for the money. The rest of this shit you got going on with this idiot, that's all you. Are we clear? I'm nobodies fuckin' therapist!" I didn't know how to react to that. I couldn't help but feel a little insulted, considering what I got out of his reply was he wasn't doing it out of the kindness of his heart. Why would he, right? After all, just because I helped him once doesn't mean he owes me anything. He really didn't.

He was also right about the rest of this situation falling on my shoulders, I did pick him after all. I scoffed burying this sudden urge to slap him for the unwarranted bluntness by pushing his hand away from me and moved it at arms length out of my space with a dead pan expression, "Crystal." I then took a look over to the others to see Holly smiling for some strange reason, and when Grendel noticed as well he yelled over at her, "What? What did I say?!" He arched his palm up in a gesture. Holly didn't give a shit either way and rolled her eyes, chuckling just as he had to me prior, "Well, if it doesn't work out with him, you let me know. I sure could use the money." I heard a painful grunt as I looked over to Woody nursing his arm and frowning, Lily smirking and pushing against the big guy, "Well, now that that's settled. Anyway I could pay for a round? Seriously, who doesn't need another with this mess."

"Right...Things are looking awfully grim. I don't know if I really should." I said trying to keep my bite at bay. It worked up until Gren made a sound with his mouth, "If I have to babysit your ass, you're gonna have a drink. You're jumpier than a fucking hare." I felt an urge to give a piece of my mind, but remembered that I was at work still, on the clock...Anything that I said or did could be used to get me fired, so I bit my tongue and nodded curtly, knowing my face must've looked tense, "Fine, one more. But that's it, please?"

"What, you're with me angel, you could get as drunk as you want and no one would fuck with you. Even your fucking boyfriend."

"Ex boyfriend." I corrected immediately causing him to double take. I didn't react, but all I could do was shrug my shoulders, "I'm not staying with someone who's putting me in danger. It might already be too late for that, but...It's over." I then grabbed all the shot glasses and began to pour, "Are you paying for everyone?" I asked Lily trying to smile, but it was obvious my facade was starting to break, "Are you...gonna be okay, sweetie?" She had a look on her eyes, one of guilt and remorse all in one, but it was obvious that she knew I had information on Henry. I just refused to say it here...And just like that I nodded again and poured the drinks, "I'm going to be." I said as confidently as I could before taking my glass into my hand, and raised it with broaden shoulders, "Cheers to a better night."

"Cheers." We all took the shots and sat the glasses down stimenteously. After the second shot, I had to say I did feel a little more relaxed, and less shaky, but I made sure to make that my last drink, "Thanks for the drinks. I really needed it." Was all I could think to say at that moment getting Lily to chuckle, "Ain't no big deal. Listen, I can't stay long considering I have a job to do, but do ya mind if we talk later? There's something I've been meaning to talk to you about, and-, well, you know."

"Yeah, I do know." I disguised my comment as understanding but in all reality I was giving her a hint. She knew what I meant and merely smiled almost sadly. And for some reason, that angered, "Matter of fact we can talk about it now. Maybe in the back?" I pointed to her sisters back room, "If Holly's okay with it, I mean."

"Wh-right now?"

"Yes. Please." I stared at her long and hard, almost to the point I was starting to get tinkles between my eyes and a tighten my lip.

"What's going on?" Her sister asked, now shifting between the two of us.

"Nothing Holly. I just wanted to ask her about the painting she did. You said you'd still hold it right?" Lily was holding my gaze just as steady before she turned to smile at her sister.

"Oh yeah. That's it?"

"Well, obviously not. Maybe it's a little more private? Not everyone needs to know about it." In the midst of Lily weaseling her way around her sister, I watched intently all the while thinking to myself, What is your end game, Lily? What are you doing?

"Whatever, just make it quick! I didn't hire her to hide in the back!"

"Oh shut up, it'll only take a minute. Come on." I followed her, already on edge, wondering what she'll say to me, or what was she going to do. Was she going to take me through the back door? Force me out? I actually ended up looking back towards the others for a second before balling my fist, readying myself for any kind of ambush. But...It never came, surprisingly. When I stepped inside, she closed the door for us, and gave a small, short sigh, "So, How much do you know?" I turned around to face her, seeing no expression in her face this time, but very serious steel blue eyes looking right back at me, standing out among more than ever.

None the less I had no reply to that, instead I stayed silent, glaring at her. In response she rolled her eyes at me and glared back, "Listen, you can be mad at me all you want but the fact of the matter is I gave you an out by bringing you to my sister. Whatever you call him? Henry, right? He's fucked up royally around here, and now we're the ones tryin' to clean up his mess."

"So why aren't you talking to him? Why are you talking to me and trying to help me? You're acting as if I knew what he was doing. I just wanted an apartment to start over my relationship!" I whispered harshly looking back at the door, "I moved here thinking he was going to get an honest job, how was I to know he was...I don't know-, I don't what the fuck is going on, but I know... I know half of you have the weirdest fucking names, my presume to be ex boyfriend has been lying to me about everything, and now I feel like I've just taken a load of acid. What the hell is happening, Lily!" At this point I had broken down every question that had been plaguing my mind, "Who are you people?!" I asked harshly still trying to keep my voice down. I may have looked mad, even out raged, but Lily never even budged, only sighed and looked at the door for a moment before she looked back to me, "You wouldn't believe me, even if I told you." She paused, only to say, "But I have a feeling you already know. You're smart, and they way you research shit at the library? You don't miss a beat from what I can tell. I swear, we don't give you mundies enough credit. Even if you have horrible taste in men..." I couldn't even retort with a reply, I was in literal shock, shaking my head in order to register that she had followed me to the library and watched me 'research'. I was livid now, and I, out of impulse, pushed her back nearly losing my balance doing it. For a woman that was my size she felt like ton! And I wasn't trying to insult her weight...Something was off about her. This bar. Everything in between felt like it was turning into a new world, "Stop playing with me, Lily! I found a box up in my closet filled with fucking weird shit, including pictures with you and Aegeus." I said his real name to be sure she knew I knew, and that definitely caught her attention, "So who is he? Huh? Who is Aegeus!" Suddenly Lily took my arm that I had at her chest, and grabbed it hard enough to lead me to her sister's cot and sit me down as if I were a child. She gave me a glare so deep that I felt my blood run cold and a frown just as atrocious that I nearly lost my breath. I would go so far as to call it a snarl. It was mean, a whole other side that made a chill run down my spine.

Compare to her, I felt small and insignificant. I watched as she barred her teeth at me...her non-human teeth. Her two bottom canine's surfaced, big, blunted, and crooked, while the rest of her teeth were sharp in their own right. Her skin around her face began to glow a bright neon green that nearly blinded me until I saw horns start to protrude from her jawline, and her feature began to become distorted, and...troll-like. In a very low harsh voice, I heard her growl under her breath, "Don't push your luck! You aren't exactly suppose to be here if you haven't noticed! Fabletown ain't for your kind! So do me this solid here, and don't say shit. Got it? Just do as I say and we'll be golden." My throat closed up on itself while my mind wanted to scream out in utter terror, but I just couldn't. I felt all the color in my face drain away and my eyes had to have been the size of saucers by the way she was looking at me.

In a soft shaky voice, all I could ask was, "So..." gulping, "What exactly am I suppose to do, being that you're basically telling me that I'm stuck in a town full of...Of-,"

"Fable's? Ya got it sweet pea." Once she noticed I wasn't going to make a move, the horns and the illuminating glow began to dissipate just as soon as it was there, "But I can't explain here."

"Why...Why not here?" I said attempting to raise my voice, "In fact, from the sound of it your sister doesn't know about this, right?" She was silent at that, but kept her eyes on me intently, " What are you getting at?" She pressed, but it was obvious she knew what I was about to say. Never the less, I said it, "What if I told your sister? Or Gren...About Aegeus?" I countered to see how far this went, how many people knew, but from the way she reacted to the question, they had no idea.

But she was prepared for it already, having throw the ball back in my court, or more or less in my face, "Go ahead. She'll definitely chew my ass out, even disown me...Maybe...But it won't compare to what they'll do to you...if they find out your a mundy. Imagine the look on their faces?" She took a gaze over towards the door, hinting at Holly and the others and by her tone she was making, it was as if they'd assume I'd let myself in! (Although that could've been me being irrational due to the circumstance) I knew how may look, but she could have been serious. I wasn't going to stand for it, "That's not-!,"

"Technically, no mundy has ever entered into Fabletown." She gave a fake sigh of disappointment, "Gren and Holly would off their glamour at the sound of that." She then leaned in, almost close enough to have our noses touch, "Gren especially, he'd have a conniption fit if you even so much as mention you're a mundy, and then... You can kiss your little protection goodbye." I gave a long hard gaze at her, still freaked out of my wits. And yet, I was almost fascinated.

So I had to ask one more thing at least, "You still haven't told me why you're doing this. If I'm not suppose to be here...Why haven't you thrown me out or given me to Henry?"

Before she could form a reply, the door swung open with a bang startling us both.

And that's where I'm ending it! Fascade has a part II coming up and it's already almost finished, yay! I hope to put it out in the next couple of days, MAYBE this weekend at the latest, so updating real soon! Thanks for reading! Stay safe and clean!