Saving Snow // The Wolf Among Us (SnowXBigby)

Part 25: Regret

Woody went to see Bigby in the afternoon.

"Have you seen Holly?" he asked as soon as Bigby opened the door.

Bigby sighed and grumbled. "Have you checked the most obvious place?"

"The Trip Trap's locked and she's not answering her apartment," Woody said. He noticed Bigby's bloodshot, crusty eyes but just assumed he'd been drinking again, judging by the strong smell of liquor on his breath.

"Well, I don't know," Bigby said irritably. He looked like he wanted to slam the apartment door shut in Woody's face.

"Okay," Woody said. There was an awkward pause and Bigby rolled his eyes and closed the door. As soon as it closed he rested his forehead against it. Fuck. Fuck. Fuck. What the fuck was I doing last night? Was I drunk? How many of them did I kill? What would Snow ever think ... What will Fabletown do to me when they find out ... Fuck fuck fuck ... "Fuck!"

Bigby smashed his head against the door so hard it created a crack. He didn't care for the pain that knawed through his skull; in fact, he needed more pain. He slammed his fist into the wall repeatedly until his knuckles went raw. Then, when the fire in him extinguished, he lay crumpled on the carpet, helpless, scared, full of regret. When he lifted his head up, his eyes were yellow.

**

"Holly? Holly, are you there?"

Woody.

He was pounding on Holly's apartment door, sounding really desperate. "Holly, I'm sorry, okay? My behaviour was disgusting, I know that ... Can we just talk about it?" Holly gritted her teeth and stood silently, praying for Woody to go away. She'd have to talk to him at some point - but right now she wasn't in the mood.

After a bit Woody sighed and there was soon quietness. Holly let her shoulders relax. Her head was hurting like hell - a sick, aching pain that made her eyesight blur, as if she'd been the one drinking all night instead of actually trying to track a lead. Honestly, Snow could be in far more pain than her - and Holly seemed the only one who cared.

She decided to go to Bigby's and give him another serious talking to. If he wasn't out fighting again. Or fighting himself. For some reason Holly found that ludicrous and a downright lie.

Rubbing her temple, Holly staggered into her living room and picked up the remote to turn the TV off. She realized it was on the news. Just as her finger was about to press power button, it suddenly froze in mid-air when she saw the TV.

The news reporter was talking, but the picture at the top right corner of the screen seemed to swallow his words. It was a picture of a wolf. The picture was fuzzy and it had been taken at a hasty shot - but the wolf was as clear as day. A wolf about the size of a bus with glinting yellow eyes shining straight at the camera. No wolf ever that big. Holly's hands started shaking and the remote dropped to the floor with a clatter. No. No no no.

"The wolf was seen at around midnight, though people have been saying they have never seen a wolf like it. A picture was managed to be taken a few seconds before the wolf fled and miraculously disappeared, after roaming the streets and killing five people, leaving them torn apart in the road ... This has been one of the most brutal animal attacks ever existing ..."

Holly's trembling hands went to her mouth. Bigby. Why? What was he doing? Why? What's going to happen to him now? Is he going to be banished from Fabletown? Thrown down the well?

The phone started to ring, making Holly gasp. She grabbed it and in a trembly voice, she whispered, "Hello?"

"Holly!" It was Woody, and he sounded just as panicked as she. "Have you seen it?"

"Yes," Holly whispered, closing her eyes.

"We have to go see Bigby. Warn him. Help him get out-"

"Why should we?! It's his fault!! He's a fucking moron - murderer - idiot!"

"You know you don't mean that, Holly," Woody said gravely. "Bigby's our friend and Snow's still our priority."

"Woody," Holly whispered. "Bigby killed five Mundies."

There was a silence.

"I know," Woody finally said. "But forget that. Forget what happened last night. Forget everything. We need to get Bigby and leave."