Home is the Hunter

Chapter 3

We break up our first kiss (that I can remember) and despite being the son of the North Wind, for the first time in my life I feel breathless. I can tell she feels the same.

I rest my forehead against hers and breathe deeply.

"I knew you'd give in eventually."

She smiles and slap my arms.

"Don't get cocky, now, Mr. Wolf. I have plenty of time to change my mind."

"That's not funny." But despite my best efforts, I can't help but smile.

"Rose Red is waiting for me," she says still holding onto me tightly.

"Go. I have a lot of reading to do," I say. "I'll see you when it's time to see the kids."

"Yeah, I should probably prepare them for this. They've been waiting so long."

I frown.

"If I hadn't been so hard to find I could've returned sooner."

Snow quiets me with a kiss.

"That doesn't matter anymore. I'll see you soon, Bigby."

I watch her leave down the same path she first came, and once she's out of sight I sigh and head back in the direction of the cave.

Why are you sad, Daddy?

"I'm not sad," I say. "I just missed her, that's all."

I missed her too.

"Come on, Ghost. Let's go read up about your siblings."

He lifts me up playfully and whizzes past ahead of me.

"Wait up."

The cave is a lot more depressing now that Snow is not here with me. The lantern casts a dim glow over everything, bright enough to allow me to read.

I start with the letters. There are hundreds of them. Some are only a few sentences long while others go on for pages. I can tell pretty soon which of my cubs take after their mother from the way they write.

"When are you coming home, Daddy? We all turned five today, and I was hoping you'd come visit. We love your gifts though. We've all been trying really hard to control our shapeshifting so that someday we can leave the farm. I'd like to come visit you, so I'm going to try my very very best to be good and look like a human girl"

"Hi dad. Boy Blue was telling us all sorts of stories about you today. Is it true you saved Fabletown from a bunch of wooden soldiers? I wish I could have seen that. I hope I grow up as strong and brave as you. I wish you were here to teach me how to fight."

There were also the replies Snow had forged and sent to them, God bless her.

"Dear Blossom,

I'm glad to hear you are trying to control your powers. I'm incredibly proud of all of you, kids. I'm sorry I can't be there for your birthday, but I'm thinking of you everywhere I go.

Love,

Dad"

"Daddy, I'm starting to think you're never coming home. Mommy says I need to be patient, but I have been patient my whole life. I love mommy, but it's hard work keeping us all in check. Not all of my brothers and sisters are as well behaved as I am. And I think she misses you. Sometimes I hear her crying when she thinks we're all asleep. She shows us pictures of you all the time, but I want to see you for real. Pleaseeee come home.

Love, Therese"

Why are you crying, Dad?

I hastily wipe the tears I hadn't noticed rolling down my face, though there's no point because they keep coming.

I'm sorry that you had to be alone all these years.

"I wasn't alone, buddy. I had you."

Before that cursed camping trip I spent most of my life alone, trying desperately to numb my desire for Snow and the pains of my job. Now I have a whole family... one that I had to abandon for years due to Fabletown's bullshit laws.

"I'm just happy we'll finally be together soon."

The other cubs will be so happy to meet you.

"I hope so." I sigh. A soft breeze ruffles my hair, Ghost's unique version of a hug, and I wish I could hug him back. "I'm not really sure how to be a dad."

That's not true. I think you're the best father a son could ask for.

"Thanks, buddy. Let's finish unwrapping these presents so we can get out of here."

It takes me a couple hours to get through everything, and a few extra hours of Ghost quizzing me over who gifted me what for what birthday.

Isn't this lying?

"Maybe a little," I say. "To be fair I didn't know about it. Your mom just didn't want your siblings to think I didn't care about them."

So why didn't you let people find you? If you stayed in Fabletown mommy could have visited you and you could have gotten the letters yourself.

I sigh and look at the little wolf rag doll Winter made for me when she was four. It doesn't really look like a wolf, but loving shitty art is a big part of being a father, or so I've heard.

"It was too hard to stay around, Ghost. I just wanted to escape, I guess."

Frankly I don't know if I would have done anything differently. My bitterness was something I could only deal with away from other people.

"And when Snow refused to run away with me... I guess I decided to run away on my own."

Well, we get to all live together now, Daddy.

I smile. "Yes we do."

And you finally got all the questions right.

"Your dad's pretty smart, son."

Sure...

I roll my eyes. "Come on. Let's go."

I set up camp near the cave. I don't really need a shelter, not that I'd be welcome on the farm, so I find a nice clearing in the woods to catch a few hours of sleep. I fall asleep holding my wolf toy like I'm a little kid myself, but it smells like my daughter, so I don't care how dumb I look.