On the Mend

That'll Do, Pig

 "Colin." Bigby poked the pig that was lying beside his TV. "Get the fuck up."

Colin's eyes fluttered open, adjusting to the light escaping through the blinds of the tiny apartment. "Mornin'."

"Yeah," Bigby buttoned his shirt, leaving a couple buttons undone at the collar like always.

"Any breakfast?"

"Made eggs," he replied as he loosely tied his tie around his neck. "Your plate's on the

kitchen floor."

"Hey," Colin grinned. "As long as it ain't pork, I'll eat it."

"Gotta get to work." Bigby placed a cigarette in his mouth before grabbing his trenchcoat and keys. "Don't fuck up the place."

"Bye, hon." Colin oinked. "I'll miss ya."

Bigby slammed the door on his way out, leaving Colin to inhale the eggs left for him in the kitchen.

"Man, Bigby, your cookin' is shit. Now that breakfast's done..." The large pig trotted to the door, standing on his hind legs and leaning on the door with his front legs. He placed the doorknob in his mouth, turning it with difficulty. Colin had managed after a few attempts then trotted out the door, careful to stay out of Snow's way.

Meanwhile, on the third floor, Jack had put on his denim jacket, careful to not undo the bandages on his face and arms. He looked at himself in the mirror, pursing his bruised lips. "Man, Jack... lookin' good for a bee stung stud."

He grabbed his keys and opened the door singing a tune to start of his morning. "Clickity-clack, get in my sack, man oh man, I wish I had that bag back."

Jack nodded a hello to Boy Blue and Pinocchio as the roommates left their apartment probably to go to Nod's Books across the street. They had just left when Colin rounded the corner, having taken the stairs so nobody would see him.

"Jack, ya good fer nothin'!" Colin oinked.

"Colin, baby!" Jack grinned as much as his bandages would let him. "What's shakin' bacon?"

Colin glared at him trying to look as threatening as possible, but his threat soon turned into horror as Colin took in his face. "The fuck happened to you, Jack?"

"Some bees and I got up close and personal... Red fixed me up though."

"Red?" Colin shook his little piggy head, remembering what he came up there for. "I don't know what you and Red are doin', but leave her the fuck alone!"

"Hey, we're not Romeo and Juliet," Jack walked to the stairs with piggy following behind. "As far as I know they're knocking boots in the underworld, or limbo, or some shit. We're not there yet."

"Is there a chance ya might?"

Jack's hand paused on the door to the stairs. He looked down at Colin, sighing, wondering if he should say this and ruin what little friendship he was developing with Red... but Jack was never one to keep his mouth shut.

"We went out once to make B-dubs jealous."

"Oh yeah?" If Colin could grin as epically as The Grinch, that's what he would have been doing now. So all was not lost when it came to Red. He wouldn't let Bigby know though. Those two had to work on their own shit, but he might just give them the push they needed... with Jack's help, of course. "Interesting..."

"Is uh... Kingy around?" Colin asked, referring to King Cole.

"Nah, he's downtown at the MoMA. Don't know why he's still Mayor. Snow does all the work. She must be pissed as hell."