On the Mend

Fly Kisser

 "Are you going to talk to me?" Red asked, walking up beside Bigby as he stalked down the street with a cigarette in his mouth. Apparently he had decided to forgo a taxi and walk in the fresh air. He didn't seem tired, but Red sure did and she was getting fed up with his silent treatment.

"Fine, then at least hear me out." She let out a nervous sigh as she started playing with her hair.

"What I told you in your office is true... I forgave you. It's not just about the Compact, because that's just a piece of paper, and it's not just about forgiving you for my own peace of mind. Through the years, I heard about you doing anything you could to mess with the Adversary's men. It got me to thinking that maybe you weren't so bad. I tried to find you, you know... maybe you were avoiding me back then too."

"You shouldn't have tried to find me," he finally replied. "I tried to eat you, Red."

"But you didn't and I'm still alive today."

"Red, I can't--"

"I see how hard you try everyday for this town and how all these shit heads don't appreciate that. It's always 'good for nothing Wolf' or 'fucking B-dubs'--"

"I guess that one was Jack," he muttered.

"--but here I am trying to tell you I forgive you and appreciate what you do and you shoot me down! Does my forgiveness really mean so little?"

No, it didn't. Actually, it meant the world to him to know that she forgave him. It was bliss, but just the possibility that he could hurt her even worse than he did before was gut wrenching. He had lost control with Tweedle Dum, how did he know he wouldn't with her? 

Couldn't she see that he was trying to protect her? He just needed to get things back to how they used to be. With him silently watching over as she got on with her life.

"Red, I'm trying to--"

"Sheriff? Miss Red?" called a dapper british voice as they passed the Open Arms Hotel and came up to the old Pudding & Pie.

A tall gaunt man looking to be in his early forties approached Red with a slimy grin on his face. He grabbed her hand, pressing it gently to his lips, ignoring the warning growl from the man beside him.

"Didn't think I'd ever see you with this brute 'ere, love."

"Who the fuck are you?" Bigby growled, flicking the cigarette in the strange man's direction.

"Why Sheriff, it pains me to know that you don't recognize my voice, mate."

Bigby stepped up to the man who was at least two inches taller than him, eyes narrowing as he searched his face for any distinguishing features. There were none, but Bigby picked up the faint aroma of pond scum.

"Toad? Finally got a glamour, hm?"

"O' course. You think I'd be down here from the Farm without one?"

"But..." Red stepped up to both men. "I thought Snow wasn't budging on the Farm issue."

"Well she did," Toad grasped the opening of his old suit jacket. It looked like he had that for ages. "Been callin' 'er up ever since we were sent up there, begged 'er to let me and me boy back. She agreed a couple days ago, but we needed to get glamoured right away with the money you gave us. Never touched it in three years. Kind of hard to buy anythin' at the farm."

"I wanna know why she agreed in the first place." Bigby asked.

"One o' my new partners pulled some strings. Said she needed my business expertise." Toad shrugged. "Anyway, found out me job as landlord has been taken up by Mrs. Cratchit's boy, Tim. Can't blame him. I been away for three years already."