Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

"Special Research Section, Dr. Swineheart speaking." A calm voice spoke in a tinny over the rotary phone.

"Hello, Doctor, it's Ms. White."

Snow could hear the deep and tired sigh in response.

"What did he do now?" Small tings of what sounded like metal instruments were heard in the background, the doctor already packing a bag to bring to patch up the town's resident sheriff.

"Colin just informed me that Bigby's… lycanthropy… runs deeper than what was led to believe. Apparently, he turns against his will every full moon, and after everything that happened with the Crooked Man, he seems more out of it than normal. Colin said he hasn’t seen him this bad in a long time. I went to check on them, but I was told I had better not."

Swineheart was already stepping into a cab, silently listening to Snow and thinking of every possible treatment he may need to give to the reckless wolf.

"I understand," Swineheart double-checked all his equipment was in top shape for whatever Bigby had for him, "I'll be there shortly. Hopefully, only a handful of strong painkillers will help, but knowing him…"

"Yes, of course, thank you, Doctor. See you soon." Snow hung up abruptly, most likely already on to the next thing needing her attention as the new Deputy Mayor. The doctor could relate. At this point, he should just start giving Bigby weekly checkups.

The old doctor had been around for a very long time and had seen just about everything in his line of work, including a moon-drunk werewolf. After an average full moon, Swineheart knew Bigby seemed almost completely normal. It was the 'almost' part that needed a closer view, the small things a normal person or Fable to completely miss. The bloodshot eyes, the pure exhaustion that seeped into every part of the old wolf, especially the sharp cramps that wracked throughout his body.

Bigby was strong and didn't call for help unless it was something completely necessary… and even then he didn't out of pride. To be called in by Bigby's oinking roommate and the Deputy Mayor, the doctor had some cause for concern.

===

'If I'd have to deal with this for five whole days as women do, I'd kill myself,' Bigby grunted lowly, curling around his aching abdomen on the disgusting chair in his apartment, the smell of old blood making him nauseous. Normally, a full moon meant a forceful and painful shift into his werewolf form, the sound of cracking bones and pained whimpers heard throughout the small space. Bigby was used to it after all these years, the pain a dull nuisance at this point; he would shift and pull himself together, downing handfuls of painkillers and liquor to forget it all until the next full moon.

However, seeing as the full moon was only 4 days away from the Crooked Man case, he knew he wouldn't have it in him to hold it together this time. He had just made it back home to see Colin trying to open the case of beer he took earlier. A beer with a friend sounded exactly like what Bigby needed and as he easily ripped the plastic packaging off the cans, a sharp cramp struck him, making him grunt and bend slowly. He shook it off, thinking one of the many wounds he had received over the past couple of days was still healing. It wasn't until he had finished one drink that he noticed the ache was different than the others, deeper in his body as though his bones weren't in the right place. A pain familiar to him and one he didn't want to deal with. But, like with everything else, he didn’t have a choice. He had enough time to see the glimmer of the moon's rays shine through the window and warn Colin before he shifted quickly. His body hadn't been ready, each wound ripping the stitches that had been healing him. The silver bullet wounded burned and his body was shaking with wave after wave of pain.

"Bigby? You alright?" Colin hesitantly crept from underneath the table to softly nose his friend's fur-covered arm.

Bigby seemed to grimace and curled his giant body to protect his stomach and bullet wounds. A whine escaped his mouth when even that felt like he had gone through another fight with Mary. Colin typically left the apartment on nights of the full moon, not wanting to test any limits against his friend during such a stressful time. Bigby hadn't slept in days, hadn't eaten anything in days, took too many bullets to count, and now this. Colin didn't want to turn a blind eye to this, not now, so he made the painstaking trip to dial Snow's phone number with only his hooves. Thankfully she didn’t push the matter of seeing Bigby and she sent the doctor. Colin and the doctor did not see eye to eye, but Colin knew he would be able to do something in this situation, even if it was just to knock Bigby out to sleep through the night.

===

The doctor didn't even bother knocking, he barged into Bigby's cramped apartment and immediately noticed the shaking form of dark fur in the corner, splinters of wood from the infamous recliner that broke under the werewolf's frame. Swineheart carefully made his way over, stepping over large pieces of wood to avoid stressing Bigby out. In the corner of his eye, the doctor saw the pink of Colin peeking out from under the kitchen table.

"Mr. Wolf," Swineheart gently sat his bag down and crouched next to Bigby's face who was hiding behind folded arms, "Mr. Wolf, it's Dr. Swineheart, can you understand me?"

A grumble was heard in response and a pair of yellow eyes peered from over large arms. They were glassy and unfocused, but some form of recognition could be seen. Swineheart slowly extended a hand towards the frightened wolf for him to smell; Bigby seemed to have been taken over by the werewolf part of him, but the pain of all his various injuries kept him down. A low growl rumbled from Bigby's chest as a warning and Swineheart could hear Colin fidget behind him. The doctor slowed his approach more and stopped his hand near Bigby's nose. The wolf narrowed his eyes but sniffed the air anyways. The smell of leather and antiseptic filled his senses, connecting the smell to a name far in the back of his mind. He was too far gone to remember the name, but he knew the approaching human wasn't a threat, possibly even an ally.

Bigby lowered his eyes and went back to shivering, turning his head and neck away from the doctor in a show of trust. Swineheart would never betray that.

He took a quick stock of what injuries he needed to treat right away, immediately noticing the torn stitches of the silver bullet wound as well as the slow trickles of blood from the smaller bullets. From Bigby's position, it seemed the cramps known to come after a full moon shift were accelerating the pain from other wounds as well as adding to the parts that weren't even hurting before.

"Alright, old boy, let's see what I can do," The doctor quickly got up to wash his hands and got to work. He needed Bigby to unfurl for him to reach the silver bullet wound. He carefully and gently placed his hands on Bigby, the wolf jolted and a loud snarl had the doctor moving back. He looked straight into yellow eyes, a resignation coming over him. He couldn't work on Bigby as a werewolf and he knew what he needed to do to get him to change back.

The doctor moved closer to Bigby and began gently petting him. Running fingers through dark fur, he whispered encouragements for Bigby to change.

"Easy, son, I know it hurts. I know you can hear me, it's time to change back. I can't help the hurt go away if you don't." Swineheart ran fingers through unruly locks on Bigby's hair and scratched behind pointed ears. Bigby tensed at first, whining from a sudden assault, but as no hurt came from the human hands on him, he slowly let them continue. The cramps and pain still coursed through him, but the old dog couldn't remember the last time someone had touched him in any way that didn't hurt. He was the Big Bad Wolf and no one wanted to be near him. He knew this human wasn't a threat now and he let himself sink into relaxing slightly. After almost an hour had gone by, finally the sound of shifting bones began. Bigby whimpered and began to squirm, but Swineheart held him through it, methodically rubbing Bigby's back as he went through the painful shift back. Thankfully, the shift didn't take long and what was left was the heap of the exhausted sheriff.

"Good job, Bigby. Now, let’s get these wounds taken care of. I'll be as quick as I can."

The sheriff groaned, "….'octor…"

The doctor gave a soft smile, "It's me, don't worry. I need to clean and restitch these, I need you to lie back and stay still, can you do that for me?"

Bigby scrunched up his nose as each breath he took felt like shards of glass, but he slowly was able to roll back to reveal the jagged holes from each wound. They had, thankfully, stopped bleeding.

"Good, thank you." Swineheart gently began cleaning each one, clearing away bits of wood and dried blood. He pressed a wet rag of alcohol to each wound, telling Bigby what he was doing before he did it. The man just gritted his teeth and let the doctor work, even though the alcohol burned his nose and made his body feel like it was being electrocuted.

"Alright, I'm preparing the needle to stitch these up. You know I can stop if you need me to, just say the word." Swineheart threaded the needle and placed his hand on Bigby's side in preparation. Before he began, he cocked an eyebrow up at Bigby, "Am I good to continue?"

"Urg… hurry… the fuck up…" Bigby dug newly formed claws into the floor and was refusing to look anywhere near the doctor's needle. Swineheart just nodded and got to work. Each movement of thread pulling against his skin made Bigby feel nauseous and he shallowly began to breathe, trying to imagine anything else besides such an uncomfortable feeling.

Swineheart made quick work of the bruised skin around the open wound, sewing it closed in only a few minutes. He didn’t need to use stitches for the others and taped thick gauze around each one to protect them and let them heal over time.

Swineheart sat back, "We're finished. Can you stand up, Bigby, if I help you?"

"Uh…yeah, I think so…" Bigby breathed deeply and slowly.

Swineheart got behind the wolf and grabbed him under his arms.

"Up we get!" And with Bigby's shaking legs, the doctor was already beginning to sweat lifting the sheriff who was all muscle. The two fumbled and tripped to the small bedroom that contained only a creaky cot and stale bedsheets. Colin went ahead of them and silently pulled the single sheet back for his friend to be settled. The sheriff had already passed out from the feeling of tension in his stitches and a long, long week catching up to him. The doctor huffed but was able to put Bigby onto the cot as softly as he could. He let the pig bite the edge of the ripped jeans still hanging onto Bigby and pull them off so the wolf could sleep more comfortably. Swineheart swung heavy legs onto the cot and into a comfortable position, pulling the thin sheet over Bigby to his chest.

"Just a moment." Swineheart left Colin to grab his bag, pulling out a needle and vial as well as a few pills. He held those in his arms and filled the least dirty cup with fresh water. He hurried back, keeping an eye on the haul he carried. He set the water and pills on the small side table together. He uncapped the new needle and pulled out a clear liquid from the vial.

Colin had been quiet the entire situation but questioned what the doctor was doing then.

"What's that?" The pig narrowed his eyes and stepped protectively in front of Bigby's sleeping form.

Swineheart glared down at the filthy roommate, "Just a painkiller sedative. It will lessen the pain as he sleeps, so he can heal properly. Is that alright with you?" He asked icily.

Colin just glared back and scoffed, but stepped aside for the doctor. Swineheart focused his attention on his patient, gently gripping Bigby's jaw to move his head to the side. He stuck the sheriff quickly, plunging the medicine into his veins to soothe the aches deep in Bigby's body. Bigby grunted in his sleep, jerking his head away from calloused hands.

"Easy, it's okay," Swineheart discarded the needle and vial and smoothed wayward locks of brown hair that were plastered to Bigby's face. He watched as the furrow in Bigby's brow lessened and the wolf lost himself in the medication, sinking deeper into sleep and finally relaxing completely, "You did well, son. Let's hope I will see you next in a better circumstance, hm?"

"Will he be alright?" Colin nosed a hand hanging on the side of the bed. Swineheart packed his things and gazed back at the two in the room. His hard glare drifted from Colin to Bigby's prone form, his chest rising up and down steadily, and his gaze softened.

"He will sleep soundly and as long as he stays off anything strenuous, he will be okay. I will talk to Snow about letting him take time to heal. Keep him out of trouble in the meantime. The pills will help when he wakes up. Until next time, Colin." The doctor spared one last glance to Bigby and swept his way out of the apartment. Closing the door behind him, in the silence of the hallway, he leaned against the door and took a breath. Swineheart had many patients every day and even had the job of autopsying, but no patient made him more nervous to treat than the Big Bad Wolf. Not because of his reputation or gruff attitude, but because he never knew if each visit was the last he'd see the wolf. He had been there since the beginning when Bigby could barely stand as a human and couldn't speak without growls and howls. Snow had been there of course, but over all the years, the doctor could see how much Bigby has changed, how much he cares, and how he thinks of himself. Bigby wasn't evil or bad and Swineheart held a soft spot for the grump, still remembering the days when Bigby was younger. Swineheart caught his breath and stood tall to demand Bigby be given a break to heal. He would be damned if he had to see his son, er, his patient next time covered in blood and pain again.

===

In his sleep, Bigby dreamt of being a pup again, playing with a human that smelled like old leather and had kind eyes. A father much better than the one that left Bigby. A soft rumble similar to a purr started up, causing Colin to shoot Bigby's body an odd look, but decided against questioning what was happening. Some things Colin didn't want to know the answer to. Bigby was probably just happy about the medicated sleep he was finally getting after weeks.

'He deserves it,' Colin thought as he dragged an old pillow into the small room and lay next to the bed, keeping an eye on Bigby. When the wolf would wake in the morning, nursing a raging headache, the pillow would be gone and Colin would never bring it up nor the soft look he saw Swineheart give as he swept the hair from Bigby's face softly.

Chapter Text

Holly had her usual troop sitting around her as she cleaned some new glasses, Gren with his head on the counter just enjoying the breeze of the new fan installed, and Woody tallying up points from a game of Darts. No one spoke and they didn't have to. The three of them had come to this new home together a long time ago and didn't need to speak all the time to understand each other. Holly finished cleaning and glanced around at her friends, her family, and felt content for the first time in a while. The pain of losing her sister still lingered, but she wasn't completely alone. Gren and Woody were rough around the edges, but they all cared for each other and stuck together. Lily would have wanted Holly to be happy… and to rip whoever made her unhappy a new one.

"You know what, I'm feelin' pretty good!"

Gren and Woody jumped at the sudden noise but calmed at seeing their friend so happy.

"Yeah?" Gren sat up and stretched, "What for?"

"Yeah, what's goin' on?" Woody looked up from the doodles he began drawing.

"Can't a girl just be happy, Jesus," Holly lifted up the board in front of the bar, "I got something a little special actually, let me grab it real quick."

The bell above the bar door chimed and the ominous sound of heavy boots was heard coming closer and closer.

"Uh," Bigby came from behind the corner slowly, "I can go if I'm interuptin' something…"

The trio had a moment of panic, normally the appearance of the sheriff meant trouble, but the moment passed just as fast. Bigby had helped Holly when no one else had and the least she could do was see him in.

"No, it's alright," Holly went back behind the bar, "What can we do for ya?"

Woody didn't say anything but didn't push the sheriff away either.

"Hey, Wolf," Gren greeted politely enough and leaned back to get a look at the man.

Bigby seemed somewhat out of his element, he wasn't glaring at them or puffing his chest obnoxiously. He went up to the bar in between the others to face Holly.

"I, uh, finally got some cash in my pocket," he rummaged around his pockets and pulled out a worn wallet, "I have enough for the drink… and the glass… and some extra." He dropped a wad of cash and slightly pushed it to Holly, glancing once into her eyes before dropping his gaze, respectfully.

"…I'm sorry… about that night, Holly. I shouldn't have let everything get so hectic. There was just a lot happening during that time, but we're trying to do better. I'm trying to do better."

The three were stunned. Here was Bigby, the Big Bad Wolf, apologizing for his actions and paying back for the trouble caused.

Gren was shocked but narrowed his eyes. "What, did the princess tell you to do this? Tell her little pet what to do and you listen like a good dog?"

"Gren." Holly warned, crossing her arms. He scoffed but backed off. Bigby just pulled up a chair and buried his face in his hands, rubbing his tired eyes and sighing.

"No, Snow didn't tell me to do anything," He dropped his hands and gazed into Holly's eyes, dropping his shoulders slightly, "I… I wanna do better for everyone. I know it won't change too much, but I owed you money for the drink and glass I broke. And some extra cash for the whiskey I'm ordering now if that's alright."

Holly stared back, studying him intently. Whatever she saw had her relaxing and reaching for the new glasses to pour in the whiskey, "You're right, it won't change everything…but it's a start and it seems to me like you need a place to go when the princess gets a little too much." She placed the full glass down in front of him and placed new drinks for the rest of them as well.

"I can stay?" Bigby perked up with the smallest inkling of hope almost like an excited puppy.

Holly tried not to laugh and stifled a smile, "Yeah, you can stay. As long as you don't break anything this time."

"I'll try my best," Bigby smirked and downed his drink.

Woody and Gren glanced at each other and just shrugged. Holly normally knew how to handle things and if Bigby started anything, the two of them would finish it.

"So, what’s with the long face, huh?" Holly questioned, sipping on her own drink.

Bigby blinked and shuffled slightly in his chair. "What do you mean?"

Holly gave him a deadpan look.

"Isn't a bar owner's job to listen to customers' issues?"

"It's nothing you guys need to worry about, don't worry about it," Bigby stared into his drink with the utmost concentration, hoping to avoid any serious conversations.

"Ah, ah, ah," Grendel put his foot on one of the rungs of Bigby's chair and nudged, "You wanna stay in here, then you spill. Holly asked a question and I won't lie and say I'm not interested in the answer, too."

Bigby glared down at the boot on his chair. "It's just some office drama, I guess. No big deal."

At the word drama, Grendel and Woody leaned in closer, always ready for ammo to make fun of the wolf and cause mischief. Holly kept quiet, so Bigby would continue.

Bigby saw all three staring at him and sighed tiredly.

"Snow and I have known one another for a long time. I thought she and I were friends, but now? Everything seems so different. She calls me Sheriff now instead of my name. She won't even look me in the eyes for too long and I don't know what I did wrong. The case was… rough… and she saw me in some heated moments. I'm trying to do better, but I think I… I think I scared her." Bigby winced and looked away, "And now she's always sending me place after place, I barely see her! She sends me to run errands and answer phones just in case it's something 'the sheriff needs to handle' and the paperwork! The paperwork is exhausting. Everyone thinks I can do whatever I want all the time, but no one ever stops to realize that I am the only one doing this job for Fables that either hate me or are scared of me, and none of them respect that I have a job to do! I want to help, but how can I when no one is helping me help them?" Bigby rubbed his eyes, "I just needed a moment away from all that. If she calls, say I was here answering a call that turned out to be a false alarm, please."

It was quiet for a moment, the trio absorbing all the information Bigby needed to get off his chest.

"I suppose I never saw it like that," Holly started.

"I would not want your job ever," Woody shivered just thinking about working in such corporate bullshit.

"Yeah, at least we have our own place here, but you?" Grendel whistled lowly, shaking his head. How Bigby handled all of that stress every day was confusing, to say the least. Bigby seemed to realize how much he talked and the smallest of blushes appeared on his cheeks.

"Sorry. It's not important, just stupid job things. It's nothing I'm not used to." He swirled his drink, fidgeting with the cup, "These are, uh, nice cups, Holly."

She smirked and refilled his cup, "Courtesy of the Business Office. Snow has a good eye for décor and whatnot."

Bigby didn't respond. The trio eyed Bigby, not used to seeing him so quiet and downtrodden. All of them were considered monsters in some way. They all had done some horrible things. Their lives weren't perfect, but when they came to this new world, they had something they never got before: a new chance. Holly made the bar for anyone who needed a strong drink and a calm place. All Grendel wanted was some quiet. Woody wanted some peace. None of them realized that everyone had gotten a new shot somehow, someway… except the Big Bad Wolf. The one appointed 'sheriff' only because no one else wanted to do it. The sheriff woke up every day (if he even slept) and went out to solve other people's problems. He was right, most people were scared of him and hated him for it. Even still, he solved a murder case. He found Holly's sister and he tried to get her body before Crane did. He didn't rip off Grendel's arm even though he could have easily. He was forced to make a huge decision during the Crooked Man trial and he did what he thought was right. If any of them had to make that choice, the town would probably be in shambles. And now he's still being treated like shit by Snow White of all people while dealing with everything else the town threw at him.

The boys kept quiet, but they snuck sympathetic glances every now and then to Bigby. Holly knew that what Bigby was wanting wouldn't happen anytime soon, but that was someone else's problem. Bigby was rough around the edges like the rest of them, but he tries. He tries so hard, it almost hurts to watch. She wanted to let him know that she understood. Other might still give him shit, but Holly decided then and there that Bigby Wolf would become another member of their little gang. Someone needed to keep an eye on him and it may as well be Holly especially if Snow was too busy.

Just as she was going to place her hand on his arm, the phone rang. Bigby already looked resigned and tired.

Holly answered it and, lo and behold, it was Snow asking if she had seen the sheriff.

"Uh, yeah, he was answerin' a call from me about some missin' money, but it was a false alarm. Turns out Woody borrowed some to get more ice. He said he'll be there in a bit. Yeah, bye, Snow." Holly hung up.

Bigby gulped down the last of his drink and pushed his chair away from the bar.

"Well, thanks for the drink, Holly. Guys," He nodded to each. Before he left, he pocketed some of the branded matchbooks, "I'll probably end up running all over the city, I'll be sure to drop these where people can find them."

"Thanks, sheriff."

"Bigby's fine, you know." He rubbed the back of his neck, "See you around, guys." The sheriff made his way out, leaving the trio in silence. Grendel and Woody looked at each other and then up at Holly.

Grendel huffed, "I know that look, Hols. Don’t tell me you just adopted a new guard dog?"

"You mean 'we'. And cool it with the dog jokes, alright?" Holly still smiled and cleaned up the now empty cups and counter, "I respect Snow and all, but even I couldn't be stuck in that building all day following every rule thrown at me. Bigby needs somewhere to go when it's too much just like how you and Woody come here. Maybe the only reason he's so grumpy is that everyone is always mean to him. After everything he's done for me, for us, he deserves a chance for once. Apparently, the town never got the memo that EVERYONE got a new shot at life when we first got here."

Grendel grumbled and Woody stayed out of all of it, but secretly they didn't mind Bigby joining their circle. He looked like a kicked puppy when he was recounting Snow's treatment of him.

"Well, I guess you better start buying those cigarettes he always smokes like training treats. Remember that time we got that stray cat to like us 'cause we were always feeding it? I bet you he can eat dog biscuits like chips!"

"Gren, shut the hell up." Holly tried to be stern but laughed nonetheless. Woody started joining in with more dog jokes, but none of it was in malice. They all wanted to keep Bigby in their group and the best way to show affection was through joking around… at least to them.

Later on in the week, when Bigby came in exhausted and with a bloody nose, no one had said anything, but Holly had his whiskey ready. And when Grendel slowly slid a small bowl of dog biscuits down the counter while looking away from Bigby, Bigby ignored him. None of them turned when the sound of soft crunching came from the Sheriff. Woody wondered if he should start buying chew toys. Grendel was almost gasping at the joy of knowing the great sheriff had willingly eaten dog biscuits. Holly just sat content, nursing her drink, knowing she now has three reckless boys to look after and they had her back no matter what.

Chapter Text

"Where are they?! WHERE THE FUCK ARE THEY?! COLIN!"

'Oh, God, now what?' Colin painstakingly made his way to the small kitchen where a crazy Bigby was rummaging around.

The sheriff had woken up normally, if not disgruntled from the blaring alarm clock. He shuffled past Colin to the kitchen for his normal cup of black coffee and a new pack of Huff n' Puff cigarettes. The coffee was as good as it could be and Bigby was feeling slightly more awake and ready for the day. The earlier in the day, the less he needed to smoke to block out any unwanted smells, but he didn't want to take any chances. It was easy for the smells and noises to build up quickly, so he made smoking an early habit with his coffee. He opened his fridge, not expecting anything different than his boxes of cigarettes. What he saw was not normal.

An empty fridge. Nothing in it. No drinks, no food. No cigarettes.

Bigby promptly shut the door and took a second to process. He opened the freezer. Nothing. He opened the cupboards. Nothing. Each spot looked through, Bigby grew more and more flustered and frenzied.

"COLIN, GET THE FUCK IN HERE NOW!"

Colin stepped in and saw his friend on the floor, sticking his head into the cupboards under the sink.

"What's the matter?" Colin sighed. Bigby jerked his head out and stared at the pig with a crazed look in his eyes.

"Where are they, Colin? If this is some prank, you've had your laugh, now hand them over!" Bigby stood and stomped into the living room and started throwing apart the entire apartment. He tore open doors, tossed everything aside, moved the TV, opened up his old chest, and started throwing everything out.

"Where's what? I didn't touch anything," Colin hesitantly followed behind and was forced to dodge the items Bigby threw behind his back.

"My cigarettes, Colin! I smoke them EVERY DAY!" Bigby growled and turned his attention to his roommate, "Where did you put them? They don't just get up and walk away!"

Colin huffed, "I didn't touch them! I can't even open the fridge, dumbass!"

Bigby growled and was about to look in his room when someone started knocking on the front door. Bigby sniffed the air, "Fuck, it's Snow."

Colin perked up, "Hey, but you like Snow, maybe she can help you. Just go out and buy more cigarettes if it bothers you so much."

"No, you don't understand," Bigby leaned down, "She's gonna make me run around all over the damn city, I NEED my cigarettes before then."

"Sheriff," Snow called from behind the door, "Open up, we have work to do!"

"Fucking hell," Bigby ran his hand down his face, "Colin, if I don't have my cigarettes sometime soon, I'm gonna come home in a shitty mood. It might be best if you're not here whenever I get back." Bigby got up and was about to adjust his tie to look a little more formal, but he simply did not have the energy. He ripped open the door with a grumpy, annoyed look on his face. He normally loved basking in Snow's presence, but without his smokes, the smell of her perfume would kill him sooner or later.

"Oh, Bigby, we have to…" Snow paused, seeing the deep glare normally reserved for criminals. She cleared her throat, "A call came in about a noise complaint at the Pudding n' Pie. Hopefully, none of the girls are in trouble."

Bigby sighed and massaged his temples, "Yeah, alright, I'll check it out."

Snow made to leave but paused.

"Are…are you okay? You look a bit more rough than normal."

"Uh, yeah," Bigby looked away, "Hey, do you know if I left some HPs in the office or something?"

"Your cigarettes? I threw them all out."

"… You what?"

Snow put her hands on her hips, "Bigby, after your fight with Mary and all that, you need to be focusing on your health more often. I know this job can be rough on you, but you don't need anything adding to it!"

"So, you went into my apartment and threw away all of my things?!" Bigby glowered.

"Don't give me that tone, it's for your own good," Snow glared back and swiftly began walking away to the office, "Please take care of the complaint at the Pudding n' Pie and file a PROPER report afterward."

"Fuck my life." Bigby harshly grabbed his wallet and keys and left for a really shitty day.

====

By the time the taxi dropped off the weary wolf, a migraine started assaulting his senses. The worn seats were covered in who knows what and the driver smelled as though he himself had slept in the cab. Bigby knew he couldn't stop working in the middle of the day and he for sure wouldn't be able to stomach Snow's lecturing if he did. But just standing on the sidewalk in front of the club and smelling thousands of weird smells was almost enough to make him want to turn tail and run home.

He sighed and painstakingly made his way to the front door. A new woman Bigby's never seen met him halfway, all long black hair and cunning dark eyes in a leather ensemble.

"You must be the Sheriff. Mayor Snow called ahead and said you were on the way," She cocked a hip and crossed her arms, looking him up and down, "Name's Charlotte. You can call me Lottie if that's more your speed."

Bigby reached into his pocket only to find no cigarettes to help diffuse any awkwardness he may bring. He's been around for a long while, but talking sweet was not a skill he carried well.

"Uh, Charlotte is fine," He glanced away and kept his hands in his pockets, "I was told a noise complaint was filed. Do you know anything about this or why the call could have been made?"

Charlotte seemed to blink out of a daze as she stared at the sheriff, but quickly schooled her expression.

"Yes, I do. If you would please join me inside, I can tell you what happened in a more proper setting." Bigby narrowed his eyes and subtly sniffed for any hidden messages, but found none. She smiled and led him into the neon-covered building and down the hall. He could already hear the dull beat of music and laughter. It seemed his growing headache began matching the heavy beats.

"Carla will be able to explain some things as well, we just got some new management. She can help with any official paperwork if you need that kind of thing."

Bigby stayed silent and Charlotte took it in stride. She reached the closed door and glanced his way, "Please excuse the mess, it's been a wild night." She smirked and opened the door.

===

Numerous howls and whoops roared as the door opened to reveal Charlotte leading a very handsome and rugged man. Pink and purple strobe lights danced over the large number of women dancing on the stages and with each other. Glitter and streamers flowed through the air, covering the girls in waves. Short dresses and tall boots and dainty perfume danced passed Bigby, making his eyes and head pound more forcefully.

'Of all the days to lose my cigarettes,' Bigby cried in his head, seeing too much smooth skin and smelling too many sweet scents. It's been a while since he's had a guest in his bed (or vice versa). The building migraine and loyalty to his job as Sheriff kept him down and calm.

"Lottie, just who did you bring with you? Is he gonna be our performer tonight?" Another woman, much smaller and curvier than Charlotte pranced over with a seductive smile on her lips. Her cinnamon brown hair had a few silver strands, revealing her older age, and her light brown eyes shined with the gleam of soft pink lights around them.

Charlotte smiled and stepped aside to present Bigby, "Carla, this is the sheriff Ms. Snow called about. He's here about the noise complaint."

Carla dropped her smile and a light blush spread over her cheeks. She glanced at Bigby and then back at Charlotte, "Oh, my, okay. Thank you, Lottie, you can join the other girls now, I'll be with you all in a bit."

Charlotte nodded respectfully, "Yes, ma'am." She turned back to the sheriff and laid a delicate hand on his arm, looking at him through thick lashes, "It was a pleasure meeting you, sheriff." A bright smile was sent his way and she walked away to meet with the giant group of women on the stage. Bigby had to take a few seconds to not follow her form with his eyes.

He cleared his throat and pushed his thoughts and migraine away to focus on the task at hand.

"Alright, I just need to know why the complaint was made, is anybody hurt, that type of thing," He pulled out a small notebook from his back pocket and worn pen to take notes.

Carla nodded and led him to a small booth away from the noise and smells, making Bigby lose some tension that was building.

"Firstly, I would like to apologize for having the complaint bother you, sheriff, none of us meant any harm." She sheepishly told him, "As well as how I acted earlier, I wasn't aware you would be here so soon."

If Bigby didn't feel like absolute shit, he would have laughed it all off, but a faint shrug was all he could give.

"It's alright, don't worry about it. We already got some information from the person who made the call, but I'd like a full account if you could." He slightly leaned onto the table, feeling slight nausea from staying in the room this long.

"Of course. As I'm sure you already know, the… prior… events that took place here led to an abandoned space, so I took it upon myself to buy the building and fix up the place," Charlotte gestured to the new and improved space with pride.

Bigby scribbled some notes, the scratch of the pen on paper sounding like nails on a chalkboard to him. He paused and glanced up, "I've never seen you before in Fabletown before now, how did you know about that?"

Carla smiled and quickly shifted form, her brown hair curling into brown orange wisps, eyes turning a golden yellow, ears tapering off in a point, a fluffy orange tail curling around her on the seat, and small canines flashing a grin.

"A pack of vixens kept in contact with me while I was exploring outside town. We are able to shift forms, but it is a lot more comfortable not having to hide."

Bigby thought she looked amazing, but the instant smell of fox invaded his senses, hitting him like a truck. He winced and saliva flooded his mouth, but he quickly swallowed it down. It was probably best if he hurried up. He didn't want her to think she was bothering him.

"Yeah, for sure," Bigby prepared himself to hear more pen scratching, "Please if you could continue, I don’t wanna take all your time…"

Carla shifted back and the smell of fox lessened, but didn’t leave completely.

"Well, after I bought it and fixed it up a bit more, I started hiring new employees. A lot of the girls worked here before and had nowhere else to go, so that helped with getting reviews back up. The noise complaint was because we wanted to throw a party for the new place. I decided that, even with the location, the girls deserve better. We have better background checks, more security measures, better dressing rooms, and even some rooms for those who need a place for the night. I'm afraid we all had a bit too much to drink and some male dancers came earlier to entertain, so the whole street heard us going wild. I already told the girls we needed to simmer down after the call we got. We are all truly sorry we had to bother you over a little party, Sheriff." Carla became a little fidgety but looked sincere. She was right, Bigby hadn't heard or seen anything that would warrant another complaint.

Bigby cleared his throat and shifted in his seat, trying to breathe out the many smells and push down the rising pressure of bile in his throat.

"Uh, yeah, don't worry about it, you all aren't in trouble," He hastily finished his notes and crammed them into his back pocket, "I'm just giving you a warning this time, try to keep the excitement contained next time, okay? And, uh, here's my card, if anything gets out of hand around here, just give me a call."

Carla beamed and grabbed his hands to shake as they stood up to leave.

"Thank you so much, Sheriff! I'll be sure to tell the girls how kind you've been," Her vixen features started leaking through, dainty claws lightly scraping Bigby's hands and fluffy tail wagging behind her, "Please, let me walk you out or the girls will try and jump you or something." She giggled.

Once again, the thick smell of fox forced its way through Bigby's senses, making his stomach revolt and eyes pulsing in time with a migraine getting steadily worse by the second.

"No, it's fine, I should let you girls get back to it, have a nice night…" Bigby snatched his hands back and shuffled away, trying to keep from embarrassing himself in front of so many beautiful women. Just as he almost reached the door to the hallway, a hand quickly found his wrist. Bigby's nerves were beginning to snap and fray and he prayed he could keep it together long enough not to scare any of the girls.

Charlotte held onto his hand and pushed a folded-up paper into his palm. Numerous eyes and hungry stares lingered on the sheriff in interest.

"Sheriff, this is just a little thank you for your time," Charlotte's body shifted forward closer, cleavage pressing closer. She flashed bright blue eyes and shifted into the form of a were-coyote and lightly scraped growing claws down Bigby's forearm, "We wanted to give you something if you're ever in the neighborhood again." The thick musk of coyote and lust wrapped around Bigby and the saliva he tried keeping back returned full force, forcing him to swallow continuously. His body felt weak and shaky all of a sudden, the neon lights above him seemed to swirl and smear, sharp cramps racked through his stomach, and he knew he had mere moments before he became sick on this poor woman. He had no time to worry about hospitalities and he growled menacingly, baring long fangs. Charlotte flinched and let go of him quickly, confusion and hurt leaking through the lust Bigby smelled.

He took the chance to run away, almost ripping the door to the hallway off its hinges and running out to the street outside. For a moment, the fresh air caressing his face felt heavenly, until the sounds of car horns honking, people arguing across the street, the sizzling of pans of food, muted music from hundreds of places, the smells of rotting trash, sex from the run-down motels around him, the smell of the odd mixtures of liquids on the ground beneath his feet, fox and coyote smell covered his clothes-

Clawed hands gripped the alley wall as Bigby bent over and violently hurled up what was left in his stomach. His nose burned from the smell and it triggered more and more bouts of vomiting. Bile made his throat feel raw and his nose began running, eyes glowing and watering from the pure force his body was pushing through. Small splatters of sick hit his boots. With each bout, the migraine pounded behind his eyes and he could feel his stomach convulse harshly.

After a long moment, it seemed his stomach had no more to give and he dry heaved roughly, coughing out drool and spit. He finally had a moment to catch his breath and he leaned heavily against the wall, legs shaking and weak. There was no way he was going to make it back to the apartment in this state. If he was lucky, he could make it to the next best thing. He hoped Holly didn’t have a lot of customers tonight.

===

Holly wished the last customer a good night and went around straightening up.

"Gren, Woody, get in here and help out!" She grabbed every spare glass lying around and easily maneuvered tables and chairs back in place. She slowly started washing dishes, waiting for her boys to come out. Normally, they came running out with crude jokes and pretended to clean while they played darts. Holly huffed and left her post to yell at the man-children she kept an eye on.

"Now, I know you can hear me all the way in the next room over, just what are you two doing?" Holly pushed open the door, thinking she'd see Gren and Woody snoozing or joking around. What she wasn't ready to see them in the alley behind the bar huddling around something.

Holly sighed and made her way over, "You boys leave that poor cat alone."

Gren finally glanced up and scoffed, "I don't think he'd like to be called a cat of all things." He moved over and Holly gasped. Woody was busy taking care of the sheriff, throwing his arm around his shoulders to carry him inside. Gren went ahead and held the door as Holly began prepping the spare bed.

"What happened this time?" Holly grabbed some water and new sheets. Woody sat Bigby down and quickly moved out of Holly's way.

"We heard something weird out back so we checked it out, and we found him throwing his guts up in the corner." Woody shifted uneasily at the thought of someone getting sick.

"His legs gave out on him after, and that's when you found us." Gren scooted over an empty mop bucket beside Bigby's legs. Holly wrung out some wet rags and sat next to the shaking wolf.

"Careful, Hol, he growled at me earlier," Woody moved closer in case anything happened.

Holly rolled her eyes but gently placed her hand on Bigby's shoulder.

"Alright, what happened tonight? You gonna be sick again?"

Bigby dug his shaking palms into his eyes and leaned forward, trembling hard under Holly's touch. He was breathing heavily and she could see him swallow hard occasionally. He mumbled something under his breath and Holly took the risk of getting closer to hear him.

"Bigby?"

"…too much…" Bigby hunched forward, a pained growling whine leaving him. Gren and Woody tensed at the sound, ready to take him down if push comes to shove.

"Too much what? Have you been drinking?" Holly grabbed a rag and so delicately began dragging it across Bigby's forehead and the back of his neck.

"…no cigs…" Bigby then leaned forward, gagging, holding on to the small bucket for dear life. Throwing up all night had left him empty, dry heaving harshly. Woody looked away quickly with a slight green tinge to his face. Gren grimaced in disgust. Holly was used to sick drunkards at this point and rubbed comforting circles along his back. Holly's mind was working overtime, trying to apply the Fable tales she knew and the limited knowledge about wolves to her newest member. As a Fable herself, she sometimes had to use her stronger liquor to combat the different noises and smells that accompany working at a dingy bar. For someone like Bigby, a wolf under a human disguise who chain-smoked everywhere he went plus some. She's heard that normal dogs can smell over fifty times better than a human, so for a Fabled wolf it must be tenfold.

Holly helped Bigby loosen his collar and wiped the dried sick and drool from his lips. Bigby blinked owlishly and leaned into the cold rag, nuzzling into Holly's hands. It seemed the longer she cared for the old wolf, the more she felt the urge to protect him from whatever he needed just like with Gren and Woody.

"…sorry, Holly…" Bigby swayed where he sat and Holly quickly leaned him back on the cot. She fluffed pillows and pulled the thin covers up to his chest like a mother hen.

"Woody, go grab those HP packs we got, as many as you can." Woody was glad to be away from the smell of sick and skirted around them all to the front counter.

"All this 'cause he didn't have any smokes?" Gren crossed his arms, scoffing. Holly sent a disapproving Look his way.

Gren looked away and quickly wiped away the rude look he had.

"Well, either the smokes will work or not. Once he sleeps it off, we'll talk about it later," Holly heard Woody enter and plucked the handful of cigarette boxes from him. She lit one up quickly and she let the smoke float around Bigby before lifting his heavy head.

"I don't know if this'll help, but here," She laid his head on her lap and briskly swept wayward bangs to awaken the dozing man. Dark eyes fluttered open and he weakly sniffed the air. He opened his mouth slightly, staring at the thin cigarette in Holly's manicured fingers like a starving man. Holly was reluctant, but she lowered the end of the smoke to his lips and Bigby immediately inhaled lungful after lungful of the thick nicotine. The cigarette didn’t last long and Bigby spat the remains out, growling for more. Gren and Woody left after a while, cleaning the store front while Holly fed Bigby entire packs of cigarettes at a time.

Bigby was so starved for the pounding pain in his head to leave, that he hardly noticed anything except the sweet smell of thick cigarette smoke and the gritty taste of it on his tongue. He was gripping Holly's wrist in place in his haze, but he never held her hurtfully and she had settled on the cot patiently, waiting for him to relax.

After a while, Bigby finally let go of her wrist and let the last cigarette fall from his mouth, the embers blinking out as it fell onto the small pile they had already thrown into the bucket.

Holly jolted to attention, "Bigby?"

Bigby had his eyes closed, still sniffing the smoke that seeped into the very walls of the room. His migraine had subsided as well as his nausea into a dull ache behind his eyes and stomach. He haltingly sat up from Holly's lap and set some space between them. He gently took the last smoke pack from her grasp and lit up another smoke as he settled against the wall next to her.

"Uh, thank you…" Bigby cleared his throat, thick from smoke with a mouth that felt dry and cottony, "Sorry for the trouble, Holly."

Holly huffed and threw an empty pack at his cheek, "Tryin' to give me a heart attack, wolf? You gonna tell me what that was all about?"

Bigby kept taking drags, but he nodded. "Uh, if I don't smoke constantly, the noises and smells get too much, too fast. Gives me really bad headaches that make me sick. Before this, I had a case at the Pie, and if it smells bad to normal people, then you can only imagine what I smell without HPs."

Holly could only imagine the things Bigby smelt in a place like that. She set out to clean up around the room, tossing out the bucket of trash and airing out the mist of cigarette smoke stuck in the room. She started sweeping the lingering ash out of the room but kept an eye on the recovering sheriff.

"If that's the case, how the hell did you run out of smokes? You take at least five packs everywhere you go."

Bigby finished the HP and flicked it into the trashcan nearby.

"Snow decided they weren't 'good for my health'." He grumbled, barely able to keep the deep annoyance off his face. Holly kept her expression neutral, but the more she heard about their relationship, the more she didn't understand it at all. Bigby looked at Snow as if she hung the stars, but it's becoming clearer to Holly that Bigby is not Snow's first priority.

"I'm sorry for the trouble and mess," Bigby scooted to the end of the cot, retying his tie and trying to fix his hair into something somewhat appropriate, "I'll get out of your hair, tell Gren and Woody I said thanks." He started to get up on shaky legs, but a strong hand pushed against his chest. He went willingly down back on the cot. A thin fleece blanket fell down atop his head. He shook it off and looked up at Holly quizzically.

"Uh, I can clean the alley up before I go…?"

Holly rolled her eyes and tugged off Bigby's tie to fold and put it away on the desk nearby. She grabbed some work things and locked up the back door.

"You're staying here tonight, you crazy mutt. If Snow calls, she can answer to me. Do not wear those shoes in the bed or I'll know, got it?" Holly stopped by the door frame and raised her eyebrow.

Bigby looked like he wanted to argue and growl and whine, but the fight left him as soon as it came. He kicked off his boots and flexed his hands in the soft fleece blanket, "Yes, ma'am."

Holly snorted, but gave a small smile, "Damn right. 'Night, Bigby. See you in the mornin'." She left and closed the door gently behind her. Bigby heard her yell for Gren and Woody to close up shop and go home to sleep.

Bigby truly didn't want to take up Holly's time or space, but his body still felt weak and shaky. Some cigarette smoke lingered through the air and it replaced the final revolting smells stuck around Bigby's clothes. The blanket he scrunched up between his fingers was soft and smooth, a relaxing texture against his roughed-up nerves. Holly, Gren, and Woody's scent curled around him as he curled up under the blanket, still rubbing fingertips against the different textures of the old cot. The feel of his body relaxing and tensed muscles lowering with smells he could enjoy around him, Bigby let sleep take his overworked body. Soft purrs escaped his chest and, deep in his body, he felt the small tendrils of three-pack bonds beginning to snap into place. They were faint and weak and could be broken easily, but the fact that they were there, to begin with, was enough to have him fall asleep, content and warm for once in a very long, long time.

Chapter Text

Bigby sighed wearily as he locked up his office for the night. Another long day of petty crimes and writing reports. As much as he hated most of it, the old wolf took some pride in how neat and orderly he'd been keeping everything lately. Granted, crime never took a break and so neither could he, but the giant stacks of reports have dwindled a substantial amount over the past couple of weeks and more Fables seemed to tolerate his presence. Snow herself seemed to tolerate him, too. She wasn't able to find as many errors in his work to point out so far. Although she now seemed to ignore him sometimes or just nod at him, she no longer berated him or criticized his work methods, so Bigby took that as a win.

After months of him hinting at wanting to try something more with her, she never took the bait and directed his attention somewhere else. He was tired of being like a desperate pup around her. With a heavy heart and enough doubt and insecurity to topple a man, Bigby started distancing himself. He would do his work and send in reports and that's all. Nowadays, he seemed to only pass Snow in the hallways on the rare occasion she was down on the lower floors instead of the high tower of her office.

Even Colin has seen how this choice of distance has impacted his roommate. Bigby seemed more withdrawn and melancholic at home, only eating scraps and sleeping in fits after working all morning, day, and some nights. After catching Bigby staring piningly at an old vintage photo of him and Snow, Colin put his hoof down and demanded Bigby to go outside and touch some grass. He knew Bigby was getting to know some more Fables and that the Trip Trap Gang accepted him, so Bigby had some options to go to.

Bigby barked and waved Colin away, but the next night, Bigby put on a (new!) white button-up after his was finally destroyed to the point of no return, fixed his hair, and went out on the town. Bigby never really talked about what adventures he got up to, but Colin noticed a small shift in his actions. He was working better and holding conversations with people for more than three sentences.

Bigby decided tonight's agenda was to just hang around Holly and all of them, maybe even talk to some locals if they were brave enough to sit next to him.

===

Stopping outside of the bar door, Bigby sniffled. He smelt something different, not the normal scent of Holly, Gren, and Woody, or the scent of bar patrons that seemed to mesh into one smell of booze and cigarette smoke. It seemed familiar, but so faint and far in his mind, he couldn't grasp it. He shrugged off his slight unease and intrigue to step into the rickety joint. As soon as the door opened and he stepped past the small entryway, all eyes were on Bigby; but his eyes were set on something else.

She smelled of moss and smoked wood; earthy, but Bigby took gulps of it as discretely as possible. A woman sitting at the bar with wild hair, curly and teased up in a fluffy ponytail. A large, baggy denim jacket covered in patches and painted words swallowed her frame, but Bigby saw her straighten in her chair. She turned swiftly and stared directly back at Bigby. Her shoulders heaved slightly as she drew in gulps of Bigby's scent, but her eyes never strayed from his. They were large with dark lashes framing them and a defining scratch across her cheek, healed over but still ever-present. She grabbed and sipped her drink quickly and as she placed it on the countertop, her eyes flashed amber yellow and she subtly tilted her neck to the side, so small in movement, no one else in the bar would have seen it, but Bigby did.

Another wolf. Just like him.

Bigby quickly grew aware of the bar becoming nervous and fidgety at him acting so intensely, so Bigby flashed a small smile and made his way over to the woman. The room settled, but he knew he was the center of attention until he left. Holly was behind the bar with Gren and Woody helping clean glasses and restock drinks. She nodded at him and elbowed the boys to keep them quiet as Bigby shot her a grateful look. She had no clue what that little exchange was between the two Fables, but she would pry the information out of him later. Bigby stepped up to the woman, still staring at him with a small smile, and gently flashed his eyes back.

"Excuse me, ma'am, I'm going to have to ask if you could step out with me?" He kept a smug, secret smile on his lips as her grin widened and a giggle escaped her.

"Of course, Sheriff, I hope I'm not in too much trouble," She gracefully hopped off the chair and stepped almost chest to chest to him. She was a head shorter than him, but that didn't deter her from trailing her eyes down his form and brushing past him to leave. Bigby's wolf howled and he shivered as her scent clouded his mind.

"I guess we'll find out," He smirked and went ahead to open the door for her.

As the door banged shut behind them, the whole bar erupted in mumbling and shouted bets of what would happen to the poor girl. Some thought Bigby wouldn't handle a new Fable well and she would be gone in the morning with her tail between her legs, while some thought maybe Bigby would try and make a super bad guy wolf pack. Holly couldn't keep in her large smile as she pranced around making drinks; she hoped those two didn't get into too much trouble. Gren and Woody stared in awe and shock at Bigby picking up the girl they'd been trying to get with all night like it was the easiest thing in the world.

"Great, now there's gonna be puppies runnin' wild," Gren grumbled to Woody who paled slightly at the thought of small Bigby's running around. Holly sputtered on her drink and laughed loudly, causing the boys to simmer down and chuckle along.

===

A denim-clad body hit the alleyway wall hard, creating webs of broken brick behind them. Clawed hands gripped the wall on either side of the woman's body, bracing her close against the Sheriff.

"Can I, at least, have your name first?" Bigby panted with eyes bright yellow as the woman trailed sharp kisses along his neck.

"Cassandra," She paused and licked up his jaw slowly, "but you can call me Cassie."

"Cassandra," Bigby breathed, grabbed her face in one hand, and kissed her. She was taken aback. His body thrummed under her hands with power and strength, trembling with the urging of his wolf to claim her, but his kiss was soft. He opened her mouth with almost lazy sweeps of his lips and tongue, tasting her without any hesitation. The difference between soft, wet kisses from such a powerful man had her thighs squeezing as she growled and preened, gripping his shoulders with claws plunged deep. The pain of it only fueled the fire for Bigby, a strong specimen of a female wolf before him making his wolf instincts so long forgotten surge up fiercely.

He pulled back slightly, breath mingling with hers, "Just call me Bigby."

She smiled warmly, but the growing heat between them made them meet again in sloppy kisses. Sharp canines nipped at swollen lips until Bigby nosed at her neck; Cassandra presented her neck easily, gasping at his breaths on her. Bigby gave her time to turn away or say no, but when no argument came, he scented her. Rubbing calloused fingers along her neck, he felt the soft bump of her mating gland and he licked and nibbled there until purple bruises formed down her neck and shoulder as she whined and moaned. Bigby didn't bite or nibble too hard for fear of penetrating her with sharp teeth, but seeing his marks on her neck left him breathless.

"My turn, puppy," Bigby was flipped around, his own back hitting the wall harshly and causing some old debris to rain on his shoulders as they destroyed the small alleyway wall. Clawed nails wrapped around his throat as Cassandra tilted Bigby's neck to her. She paused and glanced up to his face, but the look of dilated eyes and a pleased rumble vibrating against her hand was consent enough. She sniffed at him, rubbing swollen lips across his mating gland, so long neglected in the many years as a man. She fit her mouth over it and sucked harshly. Her canines scraped against it dangerously, but a hot tongue smoothed over the stings in apology.

Bigby tried to keep cool, but it was a losing battle. After so many years of being the lone wolf around his town, the feel of Cassandra's scent and body against him pulled and tugged at the wolf just underneath his skin. Bigby grabbed at her hips to pull her close, but the tightening of the hand around his throat told him to behave. Bigby could hold his breath for a very long time, but the lightheadedness from her strength against his throat added to the heated fog that clouded his senses.

After thoroughly marking Bigby in blues and purples that stung whenever he moved his neck, Cassandra pulled back.

"I got a place not too far from here," She whispered, stroking the bruises along his neck softly, "If you wanted to stay the night."

Bigby's faded slacks tightened considerably at the offer and he pulled her into another passionate kiss.

"Yes, anything you want," Bigby glanced at the wall behind them, badly damaged with chunks of brick loosened; another shove against it would have led them sprawled out in the building itself, "We should probably leave before someone calls the cops."

Cassandra giggled, "I thought you were the cops."

Bigby hummed and leaned down to press more kisses and soft nips on her shoulders, "Yeah, and then they'd call me, an' I don't really wanna be bothered anytime soon."

Her eyes gleamed with mischief and she pulled away to prance down the alley, "Then you'd better catch up, Sheriff."

Bigby knew the alleyways of Fabletown like the back of his hand, but he could see her muscles tensed and a large smile she tried to keep hidden.

Bigby grinned. If a chase was what she wanted, then a chase she'd get.

===

Bigby looked around the destroyed motel room, smoking a cigarette. The bunched-up sheets covered his lap barely, but Cassandra lay in all her glory under the moonlight through the window, stroking random patterns along Bigby's abdomen and thighs.

"Uh," Bigby passed her the cigarette, "I can pay for the bed…and the shower… and the kitchen counter… and the walls,"

He mentally tried to tally up the cost of their night, glancing at the bed now flat on the ground, the shower with broken wall tiles, the clawed kitchen counters, and the walls shredded to ribbons among other things.

Cassandra laughed, finishing off the cigarette and tossing it into a half-empty cup of booze, "Don't worry about it, honey, I've got everything covered."

She crawled up his body, laying herself down flat against him. "Nap with me?" She asked, suddenly demure and shy as she lay her head on his shoulder, looking up at him with large eyes.

Bigby couldn't help but kiss her again and again. He didn't say anything, but while getting up he grabbed all the pillows he could find, gently tossing them over her as she giggled and placed each one around her. Bigby grabbed all of the blankets he found in the closet and burrowed her underneath them. Big eyes peered at him from under all the sheets, dancing with mirth and laughter.

"You're not gonna leave me here all alone, are you?"

Bigby smirked and burrowed himself under the sheets with her, "Not if I can help it."

They shuffled around, fluffing pillows and stuffing blankets over each other until finally Cassandra was draped over Bigby, her fluffy curls cascading down his arm as she used him as her pillow. Their legs were tangled together and Bigby kept his hands on her body, innocently stroking her waist and thigh that she threw over him. She seemed to drift off quickly and the feel of her heartbeat and her scent mixing with his had his wolf barking with joy. He drifted off peacefully in a little den of their own making with another one of his kind.

===

Bigby felt minute shuffling and heard sheets rustling before he opened up his eyes. At first, he thought it was nothing important, but then he couldn't feel Cassandra against him. His eyes peeked open and, although it was a thought in the back of his mind, he didn't want to believe that Cassandra was packing up her bags so soon. He saw her stuff in the many clothes scattered around the room in a bag, already dressed in her large jacket and hair in a long braid.

"Leavin' so soon?" He sat up slowly. He tried to keep the sadness and emptiness he felt off his face, but when she turned to him and winced, he knew he wasn't doing a great job.

"Bigby, I…" Cassandra glanced away from his stare, at least looking sheepish and nervous, scuffing boots and fidgeting with her bags, "I had a good time, I did, but…"

"No, it's fine," Bigby looked away, his face beginning to redden, "I…I shouldn't have assumed anything."

Cassandra seemed to weigh something in her mind as the silence between them grew thicker and louder than anything she'd heard. She dropped her bags at her feet and sat next to Bigby's side.

"Listen, Bigby," She grabbed his hand and began playing with his fingers gently, "I like you. A lot. You're not as bad as everyone says, you know."

Bigby simply stared at their fingers intertwined.

"So I'll tell you this," Cassandra looked up at him, "I came from a pretty bad pack. Abusive, poor, always fighting to kill, you name it. I just… I got away from them. I broke the bonds and I left as fast as I could. Thankfully, none of them have bothered to search for me, but I wouldn't go back even if they did. As you can tell, I don't live a life of luxury; I sleep in dusty motels and fight to live on the streets most times, saving money from any odd job someone throws my way. But besides that, I have seen beautiful places and met some amazing people; I love my freedom and I love my life. I'm just not ready to start a pack yet."

Bigby jolted up, eyes wide with muted panic, "A pack?! Who said anything about startin' a pack, we just met, I didn't mean to make it seem like-"

"Bigby, calm," Cassandra placed her hand on his cheek, lovingly caressing the scruff always there, "Every wolf wants a pack. It's just who we are. There's no shame in it."

She pulled away, "I don't think either of us is in the right mindset to start any packs. I like you, Bigby, I do. You're fun and wild, but you've also treated me better than any other man I've been with. You…you would be an excellent packmate. But, I'm not ready to share that with you; it wouldn't be fair to the freedom I fought for and it wouldn't be fair to your heart."

Cassandra got up and fetched her bags. Before she left, she leaned down to stare into Bigby's eyes with a soft smile, kissed his neck with the softest brush of her lips, and kissed him once goodbye.

"Take care of yourself, Sheriff."

As the door clicked shut behind her, Bigby was left alone in a large empty bed. As he started dressing with any scraps of clothes he could find, he decided to take meeting Cassandra as a gift. She was something else, more wolf than Bigby could handle. She was right, it wasn't fair to either of them. Bigby would never trap someone like her in his little town and she wouldn't be able to pull him away from the new life he's carving for himself.

He checked that the room was taken care of and stopped to grab more cigarettes on his way home. The short walk helped him organize his thoughts and feelings on the previous night, but one thought remained.

Pack.

Bigby hadn't noticed recently, burying himself with work and cases, but the void of a pack bond has always been there. Since the day he left his brothers and father, the space was empty and hollow. He would never forget Cassandra, but maybe it was time he listened to someone for once. Bigby was a wolf. Not a man. Not a werewolf (technically). A wolf straight from Fables, sure, but a wolf all the same. Lone wolves don't survive long in the wild. Bigby has been barely scraping by since he arrived in Fabletown, but maybe it took another wolf to help him realize what he needs. Who said packs can only be wolves anyway?

Bigby made a turn and entered the nearest store, grabbing some drinks and snacks. As he bounded up to the elevator to his apartment, Bigby smirked, almost laughing at a thought that popped into his head.

What type of pack consists of a wolf and a pig?

Hopefully, Colin wouldn't think he was weird if he wanted to have a drink more often with him. Bigby had to start somewhere and the poor pig would have to deal with a sentimental wolf, so he thought a peace offering would be in order.

As Bigby opened his door with a smile, the only response he got was "Bigby, I accidentally got into a fight with Snow and won."

The smile was gone as soon as it got there. This whole pack-building thing might take a while.

Chapter Text

"Read 'em an' weep, boys!" Holly slapped down her winning cards on the bar counter.

Gren, Woody, and Bigby did double takes at her cards. Gren threw his cards down, groaning as Woody sighed and began counting some dollars to slide over. Holly grinned and snatched up the money.

"Cough it up, Bigby, momma needs some new shoes," Holly held out her hand. Bigby rolled his eyes but slapped some money in her palm with a smile.

"How are you so good at this game?! We've been playin' for hours and none of us have won a single game!" Gren raved, "I'm over this. I've got something better." He left to scrounge around in the back room.

Holly began tucking her newfound dollars away in her shirt, while Woody and Bigby cleaned up the cards scattered around them.

"So, Bigby," Holly started, "Aren't you gonna tell us about that girl you left with a while ago?"

Woody perked up and bumped Bigby's elbow, "She was somethin' else all right, did you hook up with her?"

Bigby glared at Woody, memories of him being rude to women running through his mind. Woody coughed awkwardly and leaned away from him. Bigby turned back to Holly.

"It was just a one-night thing, nothing serious." He took a sip of his booze to keep from saying anything more.

Holly narrowed her eyes; she knew there was something more going on between Bigby and that mysterious woman from the bar, but she tried not to pry. She knew from being around two other pigheaded men that he'd tell her if and when he was ready. For now, they were all enjoying a night of playing darts and cards and drinking some of the new shipments that came in. The Gang had only been inviting Bigby with them for a short time now, but they could see that he was slowly warming up to interacting with them.

Gren was kind of right when he compared Bigby to a stray cat; he was still pretty quiet and skittish, but the more they were around him, the more he started opening up. Before, Bigby would leave before any deeper conversation could happen, but he's been visiting every other night to talk to the Gang and interact with some regulars that came in. He, once upon a time, cracked a joke at Woody and the entire bar had to take a few seconds to realize that the Big Bad Wolf Sheriff was smiling kindly as he said it. The silence after his joke made Bigby glance around and curl in on himself, but the spell was broken by Woody laughing loudly, slapping Bigby on the shoulder. Some bar patrons even seemed to chuckle along and they all could see Bigby puff up and smile, thoughts of insecurity gone from his mind.

"I've got it!" Gren came running back in, holding up a small plastic bag triumphantly, "I got the good stuff!"

Holly gasped and hopped off her chair, "I bought some nice snacks just for this situation, I'll be right back."

As she went out, Gren started handing out handfuls of small gummy candies to Woody and Bigby. From what Bigby could see, the bag was unlabeled and previously tied up to keep it from opening. Sniffling, he could smell fabric, probably from Gren's beat-up car; he smelt the fruity scent of artificial cherry and lime candy, but underneath he smelt something more earthy, even a little musky.

He accepted the handful of colorful gummy worms, but simply stared at it as Gren and Woody poured the rest into their mouths immediately.

"What is this? It smells kind of weird." He smelled them closer, wrinkling his nose and eyeing it distrustfully.

Gren glanced at Woody who was trying not to laugh.

"My friend likes to make homemade goods and sells them sometimes; they're a new candy recipe. It's super good, just try some, you'll love it." Gren sat back as the high started hitting; Woody sighed heavily and began lazily shuffling the cards for a new game, his body untensing and slumping over the counter. Bigby eyed them both but shoved all the candy into his mouth.

The taste was very sweet and sugary, but he could still taste something hidden underneath. It wasn't exactly pleasant, but the sugar and chew of it was enough for him to finish the food. After sipping on his drink more and accepting the badly shuffled cards, Bigby paused. Something didn't feel right. His head started to feel like it was stuffed with cotton and his body started to feel heavy like he had just gotten out of a pool. He didn't even have the effort to hold the cards and they dropped to the table. The unease of it all started to make him worry, but Gren and Woody seemed perfectly fine, talking loudly and trying to steal each other's cards. Bigby gulped down his rising panic and tried to finish his drink, but his hands were shaking so badly that the liquid spilled over onto his hand. He didn't even feel shaky, but his body had other ideas.

Where's Holly when you need her?

Bigby pushed away from the counter, his chair scraping the floor with a loud squeak. He put his feet onto the ground, but his legs felt like rubber and he gripped the bar as tight as he could. He felt like a pup learning how to walk again.

"Bigby? You good?" Woody's voice carried past Bigby's ear hazily. He sounded like he was a million miles away and underwater at the same time.

Bigby told them that he wasn't feeling good and he wanted to get Holly, but when no response came, he realized he never even spoke at all. Everything felt like he was in tar, slow and uncomfortable. If that wasn't enough, the feeling of complete disgust rolled over him. His shirt was sticking to his skin with sweat and it felt like someone was squeezing him, his pants felt scratchy and Bad and the fan spinning around above him started sounding like helicopter blades. His skin simply didn't feel right on him and he needed everything to just STOP.

"Hey, Wolf, what's goin' on with you?" Gren was suddenly behind him, holding an arm out to catch Bigby if he fainted.

"Skin… tight… change…" Bigby clumsily tugged at his collar, accidentally ripping a few buttons. Gren glanced at Woody in concern, but Woody's bloodshot eyes told Gren no help was going to come from him. Gren was thinking about grabbing Bigby and pushing him into a chair to sit before he fell over, but the sound of ripping fabric had him spinning around to face the Sheriff. Both Woody and Gren stared wide-eyed and slack-jawed as a large black wolf grew, towering over them. The wolf's huge body pushed entire tables aside, smashing chairs into splinters with heavy paws, completely wrecking the bar room. The ceiling forced the wolf into a curled-up ball, whining and rubbing its face with its paws.

Holly ran into the room, dropping all the food she carried in. She simply stared at the wolf breaking her business for a moment. Then, she turned to Woody and Gren with pure rage in her eyes.

"WHAT THE HELL DID YOU TWO DO?!"

Gren was too high to deal with this.

"What do mean 'what did we do'?! We were fine one minute, then he turned into Jacob from Twilight!"

"Woody!" Holly grabbed him by the shirt, dragging him close, "What. Did. You. Do."

Woody shrugged out of her grip, the weed wearing off fast, "We didn't do anything, Hols. We all had some edibles and started playing cards, that's all! He started acting weird a little bit ago, he looked sick."

Holly massaged the bridge of her nose, fed up with all the drama already.

"Did Bigby know you were giving him Fable Weed? Can he even have that stuff as a wolf? He could be poisoned for all we know! Dumbasses!"

The boys had enough decency to look sheepish.

"We're Fables, too, and we're fine when we take it," Gren pointed out.

"Bigby isn't like us, though, Grendel, he's a WOLF, an animal. Look at him and tell me that's what the weed does to you!" She gestured to the wolf lying down, panting and whimpering.

"Um…" Gren started. Holly huffed and shook her head in annoyance.

"Okay, we can handle this," Holly mumbled to herself, "Bigby? Can you understand me, Bigby?" She kept her voice soft and calm, slowly walking towards the largest Fable she'd ever seen. Bigby seemed dazed and confused, his body swaying and eyes blinking heavily. His front paws barely seemed to hold him upright, they were shaking so badly that the ground beneath Holly's feet vibrated.

"He's probably havin' a bad trip," Holly told the boys, "Grab some chairs, we'll be here for a while."

"What do you mean? All you need for a bad trip is some sleep, he'll be fine," Gren went to pop in some more gummies. Holly snapped her head back to glare something fierce at him.

"There is a thirty-foot tall WOLF in my bar, confused and scared. YOU were the one to trick him into eating those damn things, so YOU are going to help calm him down. He either sleeps it off as a wolf or he'll calm down enough to change back and pass out. Go get some damn chairs and HELP ME."

Gren and Woody didn't stick around any longer after that, scampering to grab chairs and anything that could help a doped-up wolf.

"Let's hope he doesn't get the munchies…" Woody whispered.

Holly rolled her eyes but continued making her way to the front of Bigby's snout.

"Bigby? It's Holly, you know me. We're here to help you calm down, alright? You're just having a bad trip, it's okay."

Bigby suddenly shot his head up from where he was rubbing it against his paws. His eyes focused on Holly and she stopped mid-step. His eyes were so very large and bright yellow, following her every move. Holly didn't move an inch. He leaned forward and his large nose started twitching. He huffed sharply, blowing the hair around her shoulders back.

"Easy, big guy," Holly tried to keep calm, but as she put her hand out for him to smell, a faint tremor ran through her fingertips. This was the wolf of legend in the middle of her creaky old bar. The Big Bad Wolf himself.

A long moment paused, neither one of them moving.

Until Bigby connected her smell to the faint pack bond he had for her. His large tail began thwapping against the floor, some wood splinters catching on his fur as it beat down over and over. His ears pinned back in excitement and he swiped at her with his paw. If Holly were a different type of Fable, she'd probably have nothing but broken bones. Luckily, she was made of tougher stuff than that. Bigby swiped at her as gently as he could and pushed her to stay tucked into his side. As she was moved around, it was clear Bigby wasn't trying to hurt her. She made herself as comfortable as possible; which wasn't hard, when the world's largest puppy was next to her.

She glanced around, hoping the boys didn't see, but she started gently petting the silky soft fur around her. At her touch, Bigby flinched hard. Holly could hear more tables and chairs breaking, the walls around them creaking hazardously.

"Okay, Bigby," Holly pressed more firmly against him, "I know you don't feel super great, but you need to calm down. I'm here with you, it's alright. Just relax, you just need to sleep it off."

She kept petting him, whispering encouraging words. Soon, Gren and Woody came in dragging the chairs not broken yet. Holly shushed them and gestured them over. The sight of Holly curled up next to The Big Bad Wolf telling him he was 'a good boy' was odd, to say the least. They both gulped and fidgeted nervously, looking at the long daggers for claws and the tips of sharp fangs peeking through.

"Get in here!" Holly whisper shouted.

As much as they wanted to refuse, the look Holly was sending them kept them quiet. They stealthily went around to Bigby's side, stepping past the fluffy tail curled around the room. As they got closer, Bigby popped his head from where it was lying to stare at them. The boys both froze. Everyone saw Bigby's nose twitching and Holly had to hold on to his fur when his deep sniffing had his side shoving her around. A rumble vibrated from his throat, echoing in the small room. It seemed like Bigby remembered Gren and Woody giving him the drugs, but he laid his head back down. They took that as their cue to get in the little den formed from Bigby curling up into a ball. Gren and Woody settled against Holly gingerly.

"He's been calming down," Holly whispered, "He likes it when you pet him, do it so he can sleep it off."

Gren glared, "I am not 'petting' another man."

"Oh, shut up and do it."

Gren huffed and Woody looked uncomfortable, but they all began petting wherever they could reach. Even though they didn't admit it out loud, none of them hated the job; Bigby was soft and he was acting like a big puppy, tail lazily swinging side to side. Deep, constant rumbles started up, vibrating under their hands in Bigby's fur and Woody could see his eyes blink longer and longer.

"Is… is he purring?" Holly whispered. Gren shrugged.

"His eyes are closed," Woody whispered.

"So, can we move now?" Gren gingerly took his hand away and started inching away from the little circle they made. A whine cut off the purrs instead and Woody saw Bigby's paws flex, enormous black claws scratching the floor.

"Get back over there!" Woody kicked Gren back to Bigby's side. He sighed and huffed, but after a while of softly running fingers through a downy pelt, Gren just decided to lay against the big puppy. Holly followed suit shortly after, secretly loving cuddling up with a giant teddy 'bear'. Woody was the most cautious, memories of when he and Bigby fought, the legendary story still told occasionally. Bigby's breathing slowed until he was in a deep sleep, lifting the others slightly with each breath. The others started dozing, the boys now properly feeling their high and Holly was winding down from the drama she had walked into.

As soon as they all were settled, Bigby decided that was the perfect time to shift back. The sound of bones scraping together and shifting had the others cringing and trying to back off of the wolf in case they hurt him in some way, but the transformation back was quick, leaving them all to flounder and tip over onto the sleeping Sheriff. The sleeping Sheriff who was very naked. Woody had slipped towards Bigby's face and Holly rolled off his legs, but Gren stumbled over Bigby's stomach, trying to look everywhere but there and jumping up off Bigby in a rush.

"If he asks, I didn't see or touch anythin'," Gren shook himself off, a small blush surrounding his grimacing face.

Holly got up and rushed to grab the thin bed sheet from the back room, throwing it over Bigby, who was still curled up and passed out. She put her hands on her hips, "Well, help me move him, so he can sleep in the bed."

"How about we just leave him there? He looks cozy to me." Gren crossed his arms stubbornly.

"How about we do what I suggested in the first place? We need to get him out the way, so we can figure out what to do about the store." Holly walked around Bigby and was able to tie the sheet around his waist.

"Ugh, I'll do it myself. You two, go grab some cleaning supplies. We can, at least, sweep some stuff up, pile the destroyed wood to toss out, and make an inventory of what needs to be replaced," Holly looked around her bar room, imagining the amount of money and cleanup she'd need to fix everything, "I'll… I'll have to call Snow, maybe she can help with something."

Gren and Woody paused in their cleaning efforts.

"Yeah, but…Bigby," Woody glanced at the Sheriff who was still purring audibly.

"Yeah, Snow'll kill 'im," Gren rubbed the back of his neck, "He didn't mean 'ta shift, he barely shifts into his werewolf form."

The three of them were silent, thinking of ways to avoid Snow's wrath that would no doubt be pointed to Bigby.

Gren groaned as he started picking up large pieces of wood and broken table legs, "I'll call her myself. I gave him the drugs and never told him, it's… it's my fault."

Holly smiled and waved him off.

"I've got your back; I knew you had the gummies, I should have told Bigby or at least asked if he could have them," She bent down and picked Bigby up bridal style as if he weighed nothing, "We'll all figure it out and call her together, alright? Woody can stay here with Bigby and we can go to her office and explain. Maybe if she sees Bigby down and out, she won't think we're lying."

The boys agreed with her plan and got back to work. Holly had settled Bigby on the small cot in the backroom, making sure the sheet was protecting his modesty and swiping his messy hair back.

"You're lucky you make a cute puppy," Holly warned him. Bigby grumbled in his sleep and nuzzled into her hand.

===

Snow was stunned silent. She opened her mouth to say something but closed it again.

"Okay," Snow mustered out, "So… so, you’re telling me that… Bigby… took drugs that Gren gave him without his consent and he destroyed your bar because the drugs gave him a 'bad trip'?"

Gren was slouched in his chair, pointedly looking away from the princess, embarrassed at how stupid the situation was.

"…yes, that's exactly what I'm saying." Holly stared Snow down, "Bigby didn't do anything wrong, but we were wondering if there was any help we could get for the store."

Snow still looked like she just heard the most scandalous and confusing thing in the world. She was completely unprepared for this situation to ever happen, especially concerning the Sheriff. Snow stared at both of them for a moment, the office in complete awkward silence.

Finally, Snow began dialing her phone.

"I can contact the witches upstairs to do a reversal charm to fix the damage," She told them quickly but paused before she connected the call, "I'll also send over Dr. Swineheart; he can check and make sure the drugs didn't do any damage or make the Sheriff sick. He still needs to come in on Monday, he still has a lot of reports and complaints he has to finish. We can't have the only Sheriff in town not come in for his job."

Gren shot her a mean glare, of course, she would only be concerned about the work Bigby did and not his health, but before he could remark, Holly kicked her shoe against his. At his offended look, she shook her head. It wasn't the time or place to make a scene, Bigby needed to be seen just in case and they needed the spell for the mess in the bar. Gren slouched back in his chair, still glaring at Snow who was in her own little world, talking on the phone quietly and scribbling things down in a little notebook.

"Okay, thank you, Doctor," Snow hung up and pushed her chair back.

"He said he will be on the way shortly, and the witches will be able to come over tomorrow morning." She ushered them out of the office and as they crossed the threshold, she laid a hand on Gren's forearm. It took everything in his power not to shrug her off.

"Next time you come into possession of any more contraband, think before you act. It is illegal to produce or use Fable drugs, but because I know this was an accident, I am willing to turn a blind eye. Sheriff Wolf has a job to do and he cannot do that job if he's drugged up in a bar. I hope I've made myself clear, Mr. Grendel?"

Gren looked into her eyes with a barely concealed sneer, "Crystal, Ms. Mayor."

Snow smiled politely at them both and shut the door in their face.

Gren was ready to kick her door down, but Holly dragged him down the hallway.

"Come on, we have to meet the doctor. We can talk about the Mayor later."

"And to think, he has to deal with her every day," Gren shook his head.

"Yeah, but he's got us to go to now," Holly bumped shoulders with him gently as they waited for the elevator, "We take care of our own."

Gren couldn't keep the ugly look on his face; a small smirk showed up as he chuckled, "Yeah, I think I'm gonna have to start buying more dog treats."

Holly smiled, "Don't start, Gren."

"Who do you think would win in a tug of war: puppy dog Bigby or Woody? I'll buy a giant rope just to see that happen."

"Neither, I would win easily."

"You're not even in the game!"

"Like that matters?"

The elevator was silent after that. Gren knew that Holly was right from experience.