Gran scooped her body up like a precious doll, his shoulders shaking, his eyelids and lips pressed together tight. Her arm, still covered in blood, hung limply.
She was frozen in time. Gran wanted nothing more than to be frozen with her. He clutched her tighter and turned to leave the Manor, ignoring everything the others called to him. Down the steps, across the foyer, out the door into the woods. Cradling her head close to his chest, Gran shoved his way through the brush. He'd only been to his destination once before, and he could barely remember the way. He was running out of time. Red's blood dripped out of his arms like sand in an hourglass.
Tick, tick, tick, he thought wryly. Why hadn't he woken earlier? Why wasn't he there for her? Why did he let himself fail her?
He nearly screamed. He'd failed her, and he'd sworn he never would. He held her tighter, thinking I'm sorry, I'm sorry, I'm sorry, like she could hear him. Maybe she could. He hoped she could, and he added, I'm going to fix this.
He was so focused he hardly noticed when he burst into the clearing. But he recognized it, the tumbledown cottage, the family of weeds, the glass littering the ground, the smell of vanilla and pine.
He'd stepped a foot further when the door creaked open. The fire from inside illuminated a small figure.
"Stiltskin!" Gran bellowed. "I need your help!"
Stiltskin sneered. "How did you find me, young Vega? And why the hell are you in my vacation home?"
"You know this glade attracts desperation." Gran's voice broke. "And I'm desperate."
Stiltskin peered over at the bundle in Gran's arms. "Is that the Benedict girl? Sorrell?"
Gran nodded profusely. "Please. Help."
Stiltskin gestured inside. "Bring her in."
Gran walked inside nervously, holding Red even tighter. She was beginning to grow cold and it scared him.
"What do you need, Vega?" Stiltskin asked.
"Bring her back." Gran couldn't control the pitiful tone of his voice. "Please, I need her."
Stiltskin raised an eyebrow. "Are you saying she's already dead?"
Gran crumpled. "Yes."
"I thought she was still alive, boyo."
"I have heard you can bring someone back."
"I can," Stiltskin agreed, rubbing his beard, "But it's hard. I ain't gonna do it for free."
"You can have whatever you want," Gran promised. "I swear, take me instead if you must. But bring her back!"
"No, no," Stitskin sighed, "I don't want you, per se. Let's do this. You owe me one, kid. When I call it in, you'll do whatever I say. And for that, I'll bring the girl back to life."
"Fine. I'll do it," Gran said quickly, as though Stiltskin might change his mind.
"You sure you want to do that, boyo? I have complete control now."
"I. Don't. Care." Gran snapped. "Just bring her back."
Stiltskin rolled his eyes. "What, are you in love with her?"
Gran froze. "I, um-"
"I see." Stiltskin tapped his chin. "Repeat after me. I, Greydan Vega,"
"I, Greydan Vega,"
"Agree to your, Rumple Stiltskin's,"
"Agree to your, Rumple Stiltskin's,"
"Terms, out of my own free will."
"Terms, out of my own free will."
A sick smile spread across Stiltskin's face. "Then it is done. Put her on the couch, I'll see what I can do."
Gran set her down softly, taking care to place her head properly.
Stiltskin looked Gran in the eye. "Wait outside."
"But-"
"Wait outside."
Gran rolled his eyes and trudged outside, his heart thrumming out of his chest. If this didn't work, not only was he alone for eternity, but he'd very nearly sworn his life away to a maniacal fae.
A flash of light erupted from the cottage and Gran's heart leapt into his throat. Before he could stop himself he threw open the cottage door and bolted inside.
Stiltskin glared at him. "What part of "outside" don't you understand?"
"There- there was a flash of light-"
"It's magic, boyo. What do you expect?"
"Did it work?" Gran asked.
Stiltskin shrugged. "I dunno yet. I gotta go find some mulberry in the woods. You wait here, see if anything changes. Oh, and," Stiltskin gestured to the candle next to the couch. "make sure this doesn't go out."
"But-"
Stiltskin ignored Gran and left the cottage.
Gran was busy keeping the candle from dying (it was surprisingly determined to do so) and hardly noticed when someone grasped his hand.
He looked down and screamed.
Red let out a weak laugh. "Jeez, are you okay?"
Gran looked at her in surprise. "It worked! How do you feel?"
Red shifted, her face tight with pain. "Like I just got stabbed. What- how did I survive?"
Gran twisted his fingers together. "I called in a favour. You actually did die, but-"
"I died?" Red tried to sit up to no avail. "Ugh. I think I need to get to a hospital before I die again."
"Yeah, sure. I'll just call an ambulance." Gran stood up and started towards the telephone.
"Wait, Gran?" Red pulled him back and, without warning, leaned in to kiss him, soft and slow.
They'd both been waiting for what seemed like years. And now that Red had died, waiting seemed like a waste of time.
They could have stayed there for hours, but Gran remembered the stab wound. There wasn't a lot of time, and he wasn't about to lose her again.
By the time the ambulance arrived, Stiltskin still hadn't reappeared. Gran figured it would be all right to leave, but just in case, he left Stiltskin a note explaining where they'd gone.
They couldn't make any promises, the doctors told him, but it seemed like she'd pull through
They called it a miracle. Gran knew he could never tell them that she'd already died. He knew resurrection was illegal in Greater Grimmsville.
Once Red was at the hospital, Gran remembered the kids. He cursed. He should probably pick them up, right?
He headed ran over to Red's apartment. Before he could even knock, Gretel opened the door. "Hi Gran! We're making oatmeal!"
She lead him into the kitchen where Hansel was stirring a pot on the stove.
Hansel looked at him, his eyes heavy with sleep. "Where's Red?"
"She's-"
"No, I know where she went. Why isn't she with you?" Hansel tilted his head. "And why do you reek of... witch?"
"Well, it turns out the killer was a witch-"
Hansel clapped his hands together. "I knew it! An undead witch!"
Gran nodded slowly. "Yeah. It was uh, Snow White."
Gretel narrowed her eyes. "The princess?"
''Yes..." Gran said nervously. He knew Gretel idolized the princesses, and he wasn't exactly adept at helping crying children.
"She was my least favourite," Gretel declared, sitting on the table. Gran subtly let out a breath of relief.
"But you still haven't answered. Where's Red?"
"Uh..." Gran rolled his shoulders back. "It turns out she's a half-wolf. She was scratched by a werewolf when she was ten. So the witch stabbed her with a silver dagger-"
"Oh, that's why." Hansel nodded knowingly. "Who brought her back to life?"
"That's why what?"
"I dunno. I just sensed someone died and then came back. Guess it was Red then?"
"Okay, do either of you realize how creepy that is?" Gran sat down and ran his hand through his hair. "But whatever. We should probably go to the hospital, so, you know. Get dressed. Brush your teeth. Uh, you can do all that yourselves, right?"
Hansel rolled his eyes. "I'm literally only five years younger than you. Can you brush your teeth by yourself?"
"Touche."
It took them only fifteen minutes to get ready, and that's when Gran realized he didn't have a car. Gran called Ginger, who drove them to the hospital in his cop car.
Gran didn't dare tell them what he'd done. All he could do was wait on the plastic couch outside of the OR until they released her.
He let Hansel buy too many pretzels, but he supposed that was better than Gretel, who sat curled up in the corner of the couch, silent. She hadn't said a word since they'd arrived.
His mother called six times. He only picked up once, to tell her he was okay.
And after that, he and the kids, all bundled together, fell fast asleep.
----------------------
I woke up with a pounding stomach ache and a bitter taste in my mouth.
I was about to ask where I was when it all came flooding back; Snow White, the stab wound, Stiltskin... and Gran.
A nurse appeared in the doorway. "Good, you're up. You were healed magically, so you should be good to go. Just stay away from any strenuous activity for the next week, and you'll be okay."
I nodded slowly, thinking. Normal healthcare was free. Magical procedures, however, were way out of my budget. I decided to just go with it. "Thank you."
"Oh," she smiled. "I forgot to mention. Your... friend.... is outside with a couple children. They fell asleep waiting for you."
I slid out of the bed quickly and followed her out the door to where Gran and the kids lay twisted across several plastic chairs.
I bent down and shook Gran's shoulder. "Hey, wake up," I said.
He jerked up, his eyes wide, his glasses askew. "What? I- oh. Red, you're- you're-"
"I'm alive. Surprised to see me?"
He rolled his eyes. "No, dummy, I brought you here. Oh, and I took the kids with me?"
I smiled. "I can see that. How long was I under?"
Gran shrugged. "It's, like, two o'clock in the afternoon."
"Ugh." I rubbed the heel of my hand against my forehead. "Did someone tell GGPD about Snow, and Arreus, and-"
"Yup." Hansel sat up, rubbing his eyes. "It's been all over the news. So are you, by the way."
He gestured to the TV behind me where my picture was flashing across the screen.
I rolled my eyes. "Gross. I didn't consent to that."
"GGPD released your name. That's how you got the medical procedure... an anonymous donor or something?"
"That's never a good sign."
"I know," Gran agreed, "but I think we deserve to just enjoy life for now."