“Just thought I’d say that, if it made you feel any better,” he shrugged, putting his hands in his pockets as he looked her over. He could never forget the last image he had of her; or lack of at this point. “What can I say? I’m a determined person”

“it does. at least i know you’re not like him.” not anymore, at least. faith knew of all the things he’d done back in the homelands. everyone knew. but he hadn’t judge her for what she was in fabletown, she had no right to judge him for what he’d been back then. “yeah, well. guess you’re sheriff for a reason.”

“– a warning. for now, at least.”

“terrifying." she laughed, “you know when puppies growl at you if you take their toys?”

“I didn’t kill him, by the way” he pointed out, not that it mattered but maybe it’d make her feel a bit better. How? He didn’t know. “I just… I don’t know,” he admitted truthfully, “you didn’t deserve what happened to you, and then after the whole thing with the Woodsman it wasn’t fair. You deserved justice”

“i wouldn’t blame you even if you had.” maybe it made her a bad person to be relieved,  but the man had killed her, and she found it hard to care. she nodded, understanding, and only a little disappointed. what had she expected? they had only met briefly. but kindness in her line of work was rare. and he had been kind to her. faith placed her hand lightly on his arm. “thanks. for following up on the investigation and for... that night. it was a shitty one and you were a friendly face.”

“What you went through is a very traumatic thing, you don’t have to ‘just forget it’” he said with a small sigh. “Actually,” he began to say, “Georgie’s dead. And no problem, he is a nice guy”

“i’ve been though other traumatic stuff. i can take it.” a soft gasp. georgie wasn’t her favorite person, but it was still a shock to hear of his passing. “dead? oh...” faith bit her lip, looking away from bigby as she got her pack of cigarettes out of her purse. “you didn’t answer my question, wolf. why did you care?”

“is that a warning or a promise?”

“I know, and I’m sorry, I don’t know how I can make it up to you,” he said as he noticed her reaction. Slowly walking forward, he gently put a hand on her shoulder and gave her a light squeeze. “He’s alive though, he realized that you wouldn’t want that for him and he healed” he said as he offered her a weak smile.

“you can’t. it’s all in the past. and maybe that’s where we should leave it.  —  i don’t think i can just forget about it. but we can’t change what happened. and you said you caught georgie, so he can’t hurt anyone else now. that’ll have to do.” she smiled up at him weakly. “thank you for helping lawrence. he’s a good guy.”

“aren’t you having a little too much fun?”

“how do you politely reject a stalker?”

“turn off the lights- i don’t want you to see me cry.”

“Not before you, no, but your death was the one that started the investigation. In a sick fucked up you were able to help the girls before you” he sighed, looking down at the ground. “Your name is Faith, better known as the Donkey Skin girl. You had a husband, Lawrence, who tried to kill himself after you died. I was able to stop him before he blew his brains out” he said as he looked up at her. “You weren’t forgotten”

“wish i could’ve done more for them. shame all i could do was die.” she died. how could she be here, talking to him, alive. her heart stopped at the mention of her husband, the only one who had seen her clearly and loved her for who she was. her hand raised to cover her mouth “lawrence? he-- he tried to kill himself? all i ever wanted was to take care of him, and instead i drove him to suicide.”