[center][b]Bigby Wolf
~Off With Their Heads~
-A Fables Tale-
Part 1[/b][/center]

The Mad Hatter jabbered wildly to himself in the Fabletown holding cell as Bigby, Boy Blue, and Snow White watched from the other side. He had told his story quickly, or as quickly as possible for someone who had lost his mind long ago. The Hatter and the Hare had sat down for tea, which they did nearly all day, every day. Hatter noticed that there was no sugar on the table, and went to fetch some from the neighbors. When he returned, the March Hare had been decapitated, his head placed on the table, the cookies and biscuits they had put out now arranged skillfully around the rabbit's head like garnish. The Hatter claimed he had only been gone for a few minutes.

"Do you think he's telling the truth, Bigby?" Blue pondered from beside the sheriff. The kid was brave, and kept Bigby on the straight and narrow, but he had all the deductive skill of a potato.

"I do," Bigby lit up his first cigarette since starting the interogation. He had needed his senses clear while he talked to the crazy Fable. The wolf had sensed no wiff of wrong doing on him. "At least he believes he's telling the truth."

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Snow interjected. "We can't let him go if he may have done it!"

"Relax, your highness," Bigby exhaled a great puff of smoke. "I'm keeping him here. While we're gone."

"And where are we going?" the princess asked haughtily.

"The Farm, of course," the sheriff matter-of-factly stated.

Blue shifted nervously in his seat, "Bigby, you know you're not allowed to go to the Farm."

He looked down at his deputy, "Which is why no one will know I'm there. You two will be the face of the operation. But considering neither of you know a clue from a hole in the ground, I'll hang on the outskirts and you'll report back to me periodically."

"I don't know," Snow was nervous. "If one of the Animals gets a sniff of you we risk the chance of an all-out revolt on the Farm."

"These are your choices, Snow," sighed Bigby. "Either you agree, or we leave a murder go unsolved."

The princess paced back and forth for a few moments before grunting in defeat, "Fine. But I say how far away you can stay. I decide what time of day our meetings are. I decide when we make an arrest."

"As always, you highness," Bigby mocked the royal Fable with a bow. "I am at your service."

"Don't call me 'your highness'," her pale cheeks flushed with color as she stormed back to her quarters to pack. "And don't bow!"

Behind the sheriff, Boy Blue could no longer stifle a laugh. A boyish chortle escaped from the lad, "Good one, Bigby."

"Don't let her see you laughin'," the wolf smirked. "If she does, you might be joining the rabbit."