Chapter 5: Falling

Hansel still firmly affixed in the doorway, does not answer Gretel's question, desire flashes across his face momentarily. As she watches the expression change on his face, Gretel's eyes widen remembering back to the way Josef was looking at her earlier, seeing Hansel's gaze hold her much in the same way, with the exception being Hansel's was so much softer.

"Do you think you could come in and close the door?" Gretel inquires forgetting her state of undress as she watches Hansel. "I'm probably going to need help getting into that damn dress", she adds, pointing towards the bed.

Reaching deep down inside himself to find his last bit of will power, Hansel shuffles into the room and slams the door shut. It's echo drowning his quickening heartbeat.

"Are you going to help me or not?" Gretel murmurs, reaching out and grabbing Hansel's right hand. She tugs on him gently pulling him towards the center of the room, handing him the towel as she spins around to end up with her backside towards him. Hansel knows what she wants.

Without a word between them, Hansel gathers her long, wet tresses in his left hand while using the towel to continue drying her hair, gently massaging it up and down her raven mane. This had been a ritual that was done on the rare occasions when they were able to have nice baths. It comforted Gretel to have Hansel taking care of her the way her mother and father had done. But, as Gretel grew older she had stopped asking Hansel to towel dry her long locks and eventually took over the duty herself. Hansel never said anything to her, but he actually missed having the responsibility of the task. Only she wasn't usually unclothed as she was now. This fact made the task especially difficult. Gretel standing in front of him, the curves of her hips playing games with the lower half of his body, Hansel tries desperately to focus only on her hair.

Gretel senses Hansel is uncomfortable and she can feel the shakiness in his hands as he pulls his fingers through her hair and uses the towel to squeeze out the remaining water. He repeats the process over and over again until he feels satisfied that he has done it to her liking. Gretel smiles to herself and lets him complete his task as it makes her happy to be with him again this way. She nearly forgets her purpose for taking a bath, lingering there in the middle of the room with him, her eyes half closed as the fading afternoon light washes over her.

Hansel manages to squash his inner demons as he administers Gretel's request. Her small wispy sighs let out in moments of contentment, wind around his heart, tightening their grasp, staking their claim. He bows his head, knowing his defeat is absolute. Hansel continues on and when he is satisfied he has dried her hair sufficiently, he pulls the towel up over her shoulders and wraps it around her body, his strong hands close around her mid-section to draw her in close to his chest.

Gretel's trance lifts as Hansel covers her naked body with the damp towel and she leans back against him while his arms tighten around her. She lets him hold her like this for awhile, not wanting to think about anything else. She nuzzles into his neck and he bends his head down, places a gentle kiss at her temple, dragging his lips lightly across her hair before resting his head atop hers.

"Knock, Knock, Knock"…Three loud thumps on the door startle them out of their embrace. Hansel nearly drops the towel from around Gretel, but she manages to grab it before it falls to the floor.

"Dear Gretel, you have a visitor downstairs." Frau Sprenger calls out. "Would you like any help with your dress?" They hear her outside the door tapping her foot waiting for an answer.

"No Ma'am I have everything under control, I will be down shortly", Gretel manages to blurt out and then thinks to add, "Please ask him to order a drink while he waits."

Gretel turns to face Hansel as he backs away from her. She reaches up to touch his face, but he stops her just as her hand brushes his cheek. He grabs her hand and pulls it down to her side.

"I thought perhaps he wasn't coming? You didn't say anything when you got back." Gretel's voice crackles softly as she searches Hansel's beautiful hazel eyes for answers. She gleans nothing from them except disappointment, anger, and perhaps a touch of sadness. He says nothing.

"Should I not go Hansel?" She asks cautiously.

"Oh no, by all means, you should go!" Hansel quips. If he can't do anything else right today, at least he will not stand in her way.

"At the very least, you'll get a free meal" he laughs half-heartedly and turns around as she walks to the bed to put on her undergarments and dress. Hansel continues to stand with his back to Gretel, staring out the window as she struggles to get into the dress.

"Hansel" Gretel growls, partly at his teasing and partly because she can't tie the damn bodice of the dress by herself and is getting pissed.

He turns around to see her fumbling with the front of her gown, the low neckline showing off the tiny freckles sprinkled across her alabaster skin. Her raven colored hair contrasting against the porcelain blue of the dress. Hansel wishes there was a witch to go kill tonight as he can't believe he agreed to let her out looking as she does.

Hansel fights the urge to forbid her to go and walks over to the bed to stand next to her. He takes the ivory colored laces from her hands and works effortlessly to tighten the bodice and fasten the top. It was the right amount of constriction without making her feel as though she was going to pass out.

Gretel looks up at him in awe and asks, "How do you do that? It's perfect". She smiles.

Hansel responds flippantly, "Years of practice". It sounds as if he is talking about other girls, but she knows he means her. He's always fixing her corset, especially after a particularly vigorous fight. Still, her thoughts to turn to the other women he must have helped off with their corsets. It makes her seethe under the surface just a little.

Gretel reaches over to the table and grabs a comb. She combs out her hair as Hansel watches her intently. She braids her hair to one side and pulls it down in front of her, never averting her eyes from his. She is wondering what he's thinking, but she dare not ask and she isn't too sure she wants to know, so when she's ready she turns towards the door.

"Wait, you may need this." Hansel simmers as he tosses her a sheathed dagger. Gretel catches it and turns back towards the bed, putting her right foot on top of the mattress and hiking up her dress to reveal her slender thigh. She attached the dagger to her thigh by its leather holder, making sure it is secure before she turns her head to the side and faces Hansel.

"Happy now?" Gretel hisses. His irritation grows.

"Not very", Hansel retorts as Gretel pushes her skirt back down and places her foot on the floor. Her bodice just tight enough to cause her breasts to rise and fall with every breath and it made her skin start to tingle as he continued his visual assault.

"So, are you going to walk me downstairs?" Gretel eyes him guardedly.

"Hell No." Hansel replies and walks closer leaning in so their faces are inches apart, eyes glaring at one another. With his breath hot on her face and neck, he reaches his hand up and runs his fingers down her braid, lingering at the leather tie at the bottom, grazing her breast with his thumb before he turns away and marches over to the chair and sits down.

With that, Gretel inhales deeply and storms out of the room.

She takes a moment on the other side of the door to breathe and hopefully rid herself of the blush tinted skin she now possessed.

"God he infuriates me!" Gretel groans to herself as she glides down the steps to where Josef is awaiting her presence.

As Gretel reaches the bottom of the stairs and peers around the corner to see where Josef is sitting, she breathes in deeply once more to calm herself and forget about Hansel's vacillating behavior.

Josef is perched on a bench at the end of the pub speaking with a man that Gretel does not recognize. His eyes are twinkling as if he is listening to the most enjoyable story and he casually runs his hand through his golden locks. Gretel wonders what in the hell she is doing as she continues to walk towards him.

She slows down her pace and casually looks around the room, people are beginning to notice her and she tries not to fidget with the dress. Just then, Josef looks up and catches her eye, he stands quickly and is almost beaming as he bids his companion goodbye and makes a beeline for Gretel.

Mere seconds pass as Josef strides over to Gretel and before she knows it, his hand is on hers lifting it to his lips to place a gentle kiss on the top. She smiles graciously all the while wanting to run back to her room, back to the comfort of Hansel's arms.

"Hello Josef, thank you for waiting." Gretel manages in a steady voice.

"Good evening, Miss Gretel. I am very glad that you have agreed to join me for dinner." Josef's chimes in still holding her hand, his smooth voice echoes in her ears.

Josef bends down almost as if to whisper it in her ear stopping just short of invading her personal space.

He quietly speaks, "Gretel, do you mind that we walk to my house by the lake? It's a bit of a long walk, but trust me that I dare say it is quite a scenic walk I think you shall enjoy."

Startled at his close proximity in a public place, Gretel takes a step back and says, "Not at all, Hansel and I walk many miles a day."

Sensing her hesitation, Josef straightens up and turns to escort her to the door. Gretel follows him and they exit into the early evening glow. Knowing that Gretel would not yet welcome his extending an arm to walk with her to his house, Josef maintains a comfortable distance as they head down the cobblestone street towards the edge of town.

The lake lay off to the northwest from town and Gretel had not yet been there, for she and Hansel came in from the Southeast to hunt the witch. She remembered the Mayor telling her that the witch plagued both the town and the lake area, but they caught her just south of town.

Gretel broke the silence as they reached the path that would take them towards the lake, "Josef, did the witch we killed ever bother anyone near the lake?"

"There were some tales of a vanishing or two by the lake, but quite honestly, it could have just been someone who drowned." Josef offered. "I don't recall anyone being terrorized near the lake though."

They continue down the path through a thick patch of woods, the remnants of the sun fingering through the evergreens and the newly budding oak trees to light their way. Josef is making small talk and Gretel answers him with a polite yes or no as adequate. She is focusing on taking in her surroundings, she likes to know where she is and where all the escape routes are, a habit picked up over the years, but one that has aided her quite well.

Suddenly, the tree-lined path opens up to reveal a majestic alpine lake. Gretel scans the edges of the lake as they take the winding path towards Josef's house near the far end.

"Wow, this is quite beautiful." Gretel sighs as she takes in the complete view.

"As are you," Josef says gently as he glances in her direction.

Gretel stifles a small blush, but manages to answer, "Thank you."

Josef's home is palatial in comparison to most of the homes located within town.

Josef smiles to himself and silently relishes the look he will see on her face as they come upon his home. He had the finest stone quarried and brought to this area to have his home built, so that it reminded him a little of Munich. The lake bed at the far end bends a little to the left and just enough to keep Josef's house out of sight by townspeople that frequent the opposite end of the lake. It still gives him an ideal view of the scenery, but retains his privacy.

"That is your house!" Gretel exclaims. She doesn't mean to sound like a hick from the sticks, but she was not expecting such a lavish stone home, more like castle in the middle of practically nowhere. She tones herself down and then smirks casually at him.

"What do you think?" Josef asks.

"I think if you have a marble bathtub in there, I'm in trouble." She laughed almost child-like, but she was half serious.

"Perhaps one day, you will have to see for yourself." Josef remarked, being as candid as he could without scaring her off. Gretel tossed a raised eyebrow glance his way and pretended she didn't get the reference.

They meandered down the lane to his house and up to the massive double wooden doors that sported inlaid iron work, worthy of any castle.

Josef pushed one of the doors opened and bowed towards Gretel, "Please come in and make your self at home."

Gretel didn't have it in her to muster a curtsey or anything else lady-like, so she smiled and continued into the grand entryway.

"You're home is quite lovely, Josef. Hansel and I don't get to spend very much time in such surroundings." Gretel mused and let the architecture and decor engulf her senses.

"Thank you Gretel, perhaps you will be the mistress of a manor some day when you settle down and have a family." Josef smiles and turns to face Gretel.

Gretel's eyes flare for just a moment and she composes herself before answering, "Hansel is my family and I could never see myself being anything other than what I am, a Witch hunter.

Perhaps he has miscalculated his strategy, Josef wonders to himself. "Gretel, I meant no disrespect to you, it is just that a rare treasure as yourself deserves so much more." With that Josef leads Gretel through the entryway and down a long corridor before turning right into a grand dining room. He ushers her to the end of the refined mahogany table and holds out one of the ornate high-backed chairs for her to sit upon.

Gretel is now wary of being here, but does not let it show. What she wouldn't give to have Hansel knock on the big wooden door and insinuate himself into the situation. She knows Josef has been nothing but a perfect gentleman and as he pulls out the chair for her, she takes her seat and smiles up at him appropriately, but she secretly wishes the dinner was over already.

"Gretel, I will call for dinner, please excuse me for a moment." Josef says softly as he takes his leave out of a side door.

"Oh brother, what was I thinking? This isn't what I want." Gretel murmurs under her breath, scanning the opulent room trying to keep her agitation to a minimum. She knows she should want to be wined and dined by a fine man such as Josef and eventually should want to marry someone like him and raise a family. She also knows she would rather die than leave Hansel.

As Josef confidently strides towards the kitchen to inform the staff of his request, a blonde haired girl of about 16 years of age suddenly blocks his path. She looks up at him in wide-eyed curiosity tinged with fear, "Sir, were you successful in getting her here?"

Josef's eyes spark and he smiles down at her, "Did you doubt that I would be Dear Wilhemina?"

Author's Note: Just wanted to say THANK YOU to all of the great reviews. I'm so sorry it has taken me so long to post a chapter. I will be continuing this story as I said before, I have it all written in my head, but not much time to type it up. :-)