TWs: Harassment, woman getting shaken by her shoulders and yelled at, guns, people getting shot at, fighting with mentions of blood and lost body parts.
The taxi ride over to the Pudding N' Pie was one of the most uncomfortable in Sunny's life. She was seated between Bigby and a still, very annoyed Snow. Thankfully, the ride wasn't that long. The moment they arrived at the club, Bigby and Sunny jumped out of the cab.
(Without realising they left Snow to pay the cab driver).
They wasted no time. Bigby kicked open the door. They found Georgie in the main room on the phone.
"No, it's nothin' you need to concern yourself with. I don't think so, at least. Shit. Hold on," Georgie looked up at them. "Sheriff, Deputy, is there something more I can help you with? Decided-"
Sunny pushed past Georgie with so much force that he nearly fell to the floor.
"Hey! You can't just go in there!" Geogied screamed at her.
"Stop me then!" Sunny snarled.
Sunny, Bigby and Snow all walked into the dressing room. None of them spotted Georgie talking into the phone again. "We have a problem."
Sunny slammed open the door. Immediately seeing Crane violently shaking Nerissa's shoulders.
"Tell me who did it! Just tell me who did it; I know you know!" Crane screamed at her.
"Mr. Crane, please, she can't help-" Vivian tried to tell him.
"I know you know what the plan is. I won't be held accountable for this!"
"I can't-I can't-I'm sorry, I-" Nerissa cried. The mascara was running down her face.
"You both know what's going on; just tell me!"
Sunny grabbed him by the shoulder. Twisting him around and giving him a scowl.
"Oh, my god!" Crane gasped.
"Give me one good reason-" Sunny gritted her teeth.
"Wait, don't!" Snow stopped her.
"I-I didn't do anything, I promise you, I didn't do anything! These girls, th-th-the girls-they'll back me up, I j-just have to get this stupid ring working, that's all! They can't talk because of that spell, but once this ring gets through, I'll know what's going on, and this whole thing will be over! Crane stuttered.
"The ring won't work. Greenleaf sold you out," Bigby told him.
"What? No! This will work, I assure you! I-it must!" Crane tried to run over to Nerissa, who was standing over by the door with Vivian, but was held back by Bigby. "Damn you, c'mon! Please! Tell me who killed her!"
"...My lips are sealed," Nerissa stared sadly at the floor.
Crane looked around the room with wide eyes. He collapsed to the floor and started crying his eyes out.
Should Sunny have felt sorry for him? The thought didn't even enter her mind. All she wanted to do was yell at him for what he had done. The way he was hurting Nerissa like that… Sunny felt no sympathy for this pathetic excuse for a person.
"How long?"
"W-what?" Crane sniffled.
"How long has this been going on?!" Sunny repeated a bit louder. Making Crane flinch.
"T, too long," Crane looked up at Bigby. "But I didn't kill those women, please, I had nothing, nothing to do with that. I just-I-I just... Oh, god... "
Sunny took a deep breath. It was taking all her willpower not to slap Crane. In a vain attempt to calm herself down, she looked away from Crane and to the ladies in the corner. 'Are you hurt?"
"I'm fine," Nerissa muttered.
"We found the photos of you and Lily," Bigby glared at Crane.
"I know, I know, but-but," Crane floundered. "No one was ever supposed to know! It wasn't… I'm sorry. I've always been the fool I just wanted-"
"Don't you dare try to justify yourself!" Sunny snapped back around. "This sick fetish of yours? Twisting my family's history around to make yourself the hero?
"I just thought… it could be different with you," Crane whimpered.
"YOU DON'T EVEN KNOW ME!" Sunny shouted. It caused everyone to flinch.
"Sunny," Snow said in a concerned voice.
Sunny was shaking with rage. Crane crawled back into a ball as he cried.
Sunny stared daggers at him. He had created this fantasy version of her in his head for his own entertainment. It caused a gut-turning feeling to run through her body. She hated that she knew this feeling. She hated the way people like Crane saw her.
But as much as she wanted to throw him down that Witching Well, the smarter part of her brain took over.
"Bigby," Sunny turned to him. "I don't think he did it."
"What?!"
"It's just… Things aren't adding up. Why waste time going to Greenleaf's and getting a truth ring when he could have skipped town? There's no point in trying to get them to tell the truth if he did it."
"You believe me? Thank-" Crane started to say.
"Quiet!" Sunny snapped. "I'm not talking to you."
"What do you mean? You don't think he did it at all? If you'd seen the room…"
"That's another thing: Why leave all that evidence in the hotel? Why go to the effort of getting rid of Lily's body if you're just gonna leave the blood, and book and… everything there?
"I agree with Sunny," Snow said. "This man… He's a disgusting coward, not a murderer."
"There's a lot he has to answer for." Bigby looked between the two.
"And he will," Sunny nodded. "But we still need to find who really did this."
"I can't believe I'm hearing this. Did you see how he was acting when you showed up?" Vivian shouted.
"Oh, trust me, he's gonna answer for that too," Sunny gave Crane a warning look.
"But why would he even come here if he wasn't covering his tracks?" Vivian questioned.
"He thought he was being framed," Sunny answered.
"And maybe he is." Snow backed her up.
"This fuck-up knows more than he's saying," Bigby pointed out to Sunny.
"I don't! I don't!" Crane panicked.
"He does," Sunny side-eyed the crying man. "There's something bigger going on here, Bigby."
"Okay," Vivian interrupted. "But if Crane didn't kill Faith and Lily, I'm sorry, but who the hell did? Y'know, when I saw you come back here...I thought this was over."
"I don't know, but-"
"If the killer's still out there, I wanna know who it is," Vivian told her.
"This whole thing is bigger than Crane," Bigby thought out loud. "He wouldn't have the stones to send the Tweedles after me. Somebody else is involved."
Vivian's eyes widened in surprise. "Well, shit."
"I didn't intend for any of this to get so-" Crane tried to beg again.
"Get off the floor," Sunny told him. "We're not going to kill you. So just stop with the crying."
Crane stood up with shaking legs. He stared at the floor with the tears still in his eyes.
"Ichabod Crane. You are under arrest for the misappropriation of Fabletown funds and suspected involvement in the murders of Faith and Lily. You have the right to counsel... The right to depose witnesses. But as of right now, you're coming with us.
"You are extraordinarily lucky Ms Fei was here to save your ass. Because if it were up to me, I'd have your head swinging from the Washington Bridge," Bigby threatened.
"Okay, you two, that's enough," Snow scowled at them. "This can't be Greenleaf again and again, behaving however you like," Snow looked to Bigby and then Sunny. "Acting without constraint. Taking whichever side suits you at that moment."
"You're doing this now?" Sunny questioned. "Can't we discuss this back at the office?"
"No, this can't keep going on! You two have to respect this office, and you have to respect me as its leader. Starting now."
"You think...you have what it takes...to run that office?" Crane wiped away the tears. "Do you think I didn't make sacrifices? I've made sacrifices. And you won't be in that chair one minute before you have to give up something you care about just so the wheels don't fall off the goddamned wagon."
"You really are delusional," Sunny cringed. "Everything they said about you was right. You can try and trick yourself into thinking otherwise, but you're no leader… just a pathetic stick of a man."
"I, I," Crane babbled again.
"Face it, Crane," Bigby said as he grabbed him by the shirt. "We're better at this than you are."
The group left the club without another word. Practically dragging Crane out the backdoor into the ally. Sunny let out a sigh as they walked out into the raining backstreets.
"Okay!" Crane shouted as Bigby shoved him out the door. "Stupid girls and their preposterous schemes-"
"Excuse me?" Sunny frowned at Crane's muttering. He just looked at her in fear. Once again, shaking nervously.
The group walked down the ally. Only to see two cars pulling up and blocking it. One of the cars started moving forward, forcing them back a bit.
"Shit," Bigby growled.
"What now?" Sunny hissed.
They tried turning around and to the next block over. Only to have cars pull up again. Out of the first one popped the Tweedles. Followed by a mystery woman with dark hair and red highlights out of the second car.
"Hi. Whatchya got there?" The woman smirked at them.
None of them said anything. They were just forced to stand there as the Tweedles aimed their weapons at them.
"Look, it's recently come under our attention that you're...how shall I put this," The woman mused as she fiddled with a revolver. "Attempting to claim what is the personal property of the Crooked Man."
Everyone kept giving her dirty looks as she talked. "He's about yea high, a hundred and twenty odd pounds...pissed his sheets until he was fourteen...sound familiar?"
"I haven't told them anything!" Crane shouted. Hands up in defence.
"Not now, not now," She shushed him. "The grown-ups are talking… Guys? Speak English?"
Sunny glowered as Bigby stepped forward. "If I were you, I'd get out of the way."
"No, no, no, no, no," The woman tisked. "That's not how this works. How this works is, you are going to walk Crane over here...like a good doggie."
"It wasn't my fault!" Crane weep. Only to get a harsh shove from Sunny.
"How many times-" Sunny snapped around and hissed at Crane.
Snow stepped forward. "You're interfering with official Fabletown business. Step aside."
The woman gave them another cheeky smile. "Tweedle Dee, what's the, uh, y'know, that thing the mundies call me?"
"Oh god," Sunny muttered to herself.
"What?" He said in confusion.
"My nickname," She glared at him. "You know what I'm talking about."
"Uh... Bloody Ma-"
"Bloody Mary, that's it, thank you. And do you know why they call me that? Because some of them, they think it's funny to have their little sleepovers and go into their little bathrooms and say my name five times in the mirror. They find it less funny when I actually show up and feed their lungs to the family dog. Arf!" Bloody Mary barked.
Sunny wasn't impressed.
"And I do that for a hobby. Like golf, to relax," Mary continued to explain. "This is my job. I like my job. So think about what I'm gonna to do to you, your girl, and the rest of your friends if you don't hand over the sockpuppet now."
"He's in custody, so move your car," Bigby demanded.
"I told you they'd never just give him up," Dee told Mary. Only to get another glare.
"Fuck it," Mary sighed. Making her way back to the car as the twins took aim.
The first shots didn't manage to hit. One narrowly missed the side of Sunny's head. She stumbled to the side as the twins kept firing. She couldn't focus due to the ringing in her ears from the near miss.
They kept firing. Sunny shook her head and opened her eyes to see Bigby slumped against the wall. Bleeding from dozens of bullet holes.
"Bigby?" Sunny whispered in horror.
The sheriff let out a low groan. His eyes opened to reveal dark red irises. Sunny watched with a mix of concern and astonishment as Bigby stood up. His features were starting to become more wolf-like.
Sunny's shock was interrupted by the twins reloading and taking more shots at Bigby. The buckshots kept hitting him, but he pushed forward. Dee and Dee shook nervously as the wolf got closer. Bigby took the opportunity to grab a nearby dumpster and toss it at them.
The twins dodged it but stumbled to the ground. Bigby took the chance to charge at them. He got his claws in Dum and started slamming him into the ally wall.
Dee aimed his gun at Bigby's back. Without really thinking, Sunny raised her hand up. Much like at the funeral, large weeds shot out from between the cracks of concrete. Wrapping around Dee's arms. He struggled to fight against the plant's grip.
Bigby threw Dum to the ground. Turning his sights on the other brother. He grabbed him by the shoulder and threw him right at Bloody Mary. Who avoid the flying man with ease. The disturbed smile never left her face.
Dum stood back up. Brandishing his gun like a baseball bat. Only to get whacked in the face by the same prickly weed that just had his brother trapped.
"Dammit!" Dum cried before Bigby grabbed the gun out of his hand. Slamming it on the ground. Dum once again found himself getting slammed against the wall.
"Fuck...you...Wolf…" Dum wheezed as Bigby pressed against his neck.
Sunny couldn't bring herself to look away. The man she had been working with the last few days was unrecognisable. Twice his size and covered in dark grey fur. It was like she was staring at something right out of a movie.
It caught her off guard when Bigby glanced over at her. Despite the fur, the teeth and blood-red eyes, he still gave the same sympathetic look he had given her a few times now.
The look turned to one of pain. Bigby collapsed to the ground. Sunny stood up suddenly. Chastising herself for not paying better attention to the bloody witch.
"It was a good show, but, you know... It just didn't know when to end," Mary smirked as she lowered the gun. She made her way back to the car. Dragging out a familiar axe.
Mary stood over Bigby. Sunny rushed forward and grabbed at the axe. The two women stood there wrestling for it.
"That's sweet. Looking out for the little puppy," Mary mocked.
"Fuck off," Sunny hissed.
Mary let out a laugh. Reeling her head back and slamming it against Sunny's forehead. Sunny slipped back a bit. Quickly regaining focus, she kicked Mary in the leg.
Mary winced a little but seemed more amused than anything. "You know, you wouldn't think silver bullets would work on anything but a pure werewolf," Mary teased. "But…as it turns out….that's just not the case. Right. Wolfie?"
Sunny growled at her. Feeling a sudden rush of adrenalin, she ripped the axe out of Mary's hands. Mary let out another cackle before she jumped at Sunny. Grabbing at her and scratching her neck, leaving a sizeable gash there. Sunny pushed her back but froze as he heard a loud bang.
Sunny felt a dull ack coming from her right hand. She looked down to see a lot of blood. To her horror, a few of her fingers were missing.
All of the sudden bravery Sunny felt was slipping away. Reality had hit her like a train. She started shaking as she held her bleeding hand.
Mary circled around her like a vulture. Picking up the axe again and lifting it over Sunny's head. "It's been fun."
"Wait! Stop!" Snow cried out. She stood there for a moment, contemplating what to say next. "Just...take him, okay? Take Crane. Just stop. Please."
Things started blurring together for Sunny. There was so much blood. People were talking, but Sunny wasn't listening. For a moment, all she could hear was her own heart pounding in her ears.
"Oh, and just between us girls, Crane ain't no killer," Mary told Sunny as she grabbed Crane by the ear. "I mean, look at his face. Couldn't stick a pig if his life depended."
Sunny tried standing up again. Only to get her wrist grabbed by Mary. Causing the pain in her hand to spike.
"Kinda like your boyfriend here. Too pussy to ruin a Tweedle's day," Mary told her. Tightening her grip before shoving it away. Sunny swore she heard a faint cracking sound but didn't realise what it was.
"Well, this is gonna be...a beautiful relationship we have with you guys. Really. I mean it. I'm jazzed about it. Out with the old... In with the new. Hey Deputy? I'm sure we'll be in touch."
"See ya 'round."
Sorry this is a day late! The internet was being weird so I couldn't post at the normal time.
Mmm, notes for this chapter? I am enthralled with the idea of a sequel vignette where Mary gains this fascination with Sunny and tries really hard to become her friend, but it's just an idea at the moment. (Don't try to tell me Mary is canonically dead. I can't handle that emotionally /j)