I do not own the rights to Disney. Contains spoilers for Frozen.

Into the Woods

Come little children, I'll take thee away...

The sky was a brilliant shade of blue, and there was a slight breeze in the air making the summer day feel more like spring. The babbling of a nearby brook and the chirping of birds in the trees could be heard in the meadow where Prince Marten, Queen Elsa, King Eugene, Queen Rapunzel, Princess Aurora and a few others were picnicking. Their majesties had suggested one last get-together before the visiting ambassadors and royals left to return to their lands.

The majority present were laughing happily and enjoying the pleasant weather. Marten, meanwhile, kept sighing. On their way out of the village he had stopped by at the bakery where his brother worked. The owner, a Reuben Burg, had informed Marten that Hans was out and he wasn't sure when Hans would be back. He then offered their majesties some bread in exchange for being so gracious the night before. From what Marten had gathered it was a signature item at the bakery that was quite well-known throughout the village.

"You're still thinking about Hans, aren't you?" asked Elsa who was seated to his right. She was currently wearing a periwinkle gown which looked impeccable on her despite the fact Elsa was sitting on the ground. Her hair was braided in a single braid draped over her left shoulder; the breeze causing it to swish back and forth like a cat's tail.

...into a land of enchantment.

Marten just nodded in response. He supposed it was naive of him to hope that Hans would have agreed to come on such an outing. but given the events that had transpired the day before, he had found himself believing all sorts of things were possible now.

"Personally, I'm glad Hans wasn't able to come," remarked Elsa, "it would have been rather uncomfortable trying to converse with someone who once tried to kill me."

Marten winced a little at the comment, but Elsa did have a point. If Hans had been available to join them, the lunch would have most likely been extremely awkward. Especially if Hans' new fiancee and her family joined them as well. Perhaps it was for the best that Hans was unable to come.

The bitterness in her voice when she said Hans' name caused Marten to have a sudden thought. In all the years he had been at the Arendelle court, Hans had always been a sensitive topic. He would only ever be spoken about when Marten would receive letters from the Southern Isles and informed Elsa that there hadn't been any news of Hans. That was it. Never once had the queen, or her sister who had been engaged to the man, asked for more. What he was like as a child, if he had always been so cruel, what would have caused him to act the way he did. And never once had Marten ever volunteered any information.

That was about to change.

"Your majesty," he said and caused one of her platinum blonde eyebrows to raise just a little. He only addressed her in such a manner for a formal occasion or if he was about to tell her bad news. "While I understand your distaste for my brother, have you once considered the reason for his behavior? For I assure you, my brothers and I are just as guilty in your assassination attempt as he is."

"I beg your pardon?" asked Elsa, who was slightly in shock. All this time Marten had denied any involvement or encouragement from the Southern Isles regarding Hans' actions and she had never once doubted his word. But now...

Come little children, the time's come to play...

"During these past three years you have spoken openly about how lonely your childhood was being confined to your bedroom with most of the servants gone, and your parents as your only visitors. Now imagine a different childhood. One where you're surrounded by people, but they all ignore you or belittle you. One of your parents is dead and the other blames you for the death. You see, your majesty, you at least had the benefit of understanding the reason for your exile, Hans never did."

Elsa's brows furrowed as she tried to make sense of what Marten just said. It wasn't exactly what she had been expecting. He was right of course, she hadn't ever questioned the reasons for Hansel's actions. She had just assumed he was evil, a villain who was power hungry and saw her and Anna as the perfect opportunity for his nefarious plot. That was it usually went in stories wasn't it? Nobody cared why the bad guy was bad, he just was. When he was defeated the story was over and all the characters lived happily ever after, not giving a second thought to his fate.

Until now.

"That still doesn't excuse his behavior," muttered Elsa. She still wasn't his biggest fan, but there was a part of her that felt a small twinge of sympathy for him.

"No," responded Marten, "but it does explain it. Despite the actions of my brothers and myself, it seems as though Hans has finally found what he always wanted in Corona."

"What's that?" asked Elsa.

"Love."

...here in my garden of shadows.

Follow sweet children, I'll show thee the way...

Hansel left the Burg Family Bakery just as the sun was starting to come up. Before he left, he started the fires in the ovens and prepared the kitchen like he always did. The Burgs had counted on him to do it each day, and he wasn't about to let them down... even if it was his last morning at the bakery. He told himself the Burgs were well known in Corona, so even if they couldn't find a spare cousin to take his place, they shouldn't have too hard of a time finding another worker. Hansel tried to not dwell on the fact that he was much more than a worker at the Burg Family Bakery; he was one of the family.

But not anymore.

The only Burg who caught Hansel leaving was Teddy. Teddy had followed him down the stairs and watched him as he prepared the kitchen and wrote the goodbye note. Teddy knew something was off when he saw Hansel packing his belongings in a satchel and walking out the door. With each step away from the bakery and towards the bridge that led out of Corona, Teddy became more and more suspicious. He circled around Hansel's feet, and meowed loudly, demanding answers. Hansel just ignored him and continued on his way. The last thing he wanted was to be stopped by one of the villagers and have to explain that he was leaving.

When they reached the bridge though, Teddy refused to budge one more step. Instead he sank his claws into Hansel's right pant leg. Unlike Marten, Teddy did at least try to avoid hitting flesh and settled for cloth only. His actions caused him to act like an anchor, weighing Hansel down and preventing any further movement. Hansel finally gave in and knelt down.

"Look, you saw how she was, she doesn't want me anymore. It's over. You can either stay here in Corona, or come with me."

Teddy may not have been able to speak, but his expression did all the talking for him. His ginger face clearly said, 'You're an idiot'. To back it up, he let out one single loud and annoyed meow.

"I'm sorry Teddy, but this is the way it has to be. Now are you coming or staying?"

...through all the pain and the sorrows.

Teddy removed his claws from Hansel's pants. He gave one last look back towards the direction of the bakery, then continued forward across the bridge. Hansel did the same, taking a moment to reflect on the turn his life had taken. He had come to Corona because he had been banished from his own kingdom, a choice that wasn't his. Now he was leaving the one place that had felt more like a home than the Southern Isles ever did, and it was of his own free will.

The only similarity to his last exile was once again, he had no idea where he was going. Maybe this time though, if word got back to Fredrick's kingdom that he had been accepted in Corona, then maybe his brother might be willing to give him a chance...

It was a long shot sure, but he had to start somewhere.

With Teddy by his side, the two made their way over the bridge and into the woods. A few months ago Hansel had taken the same path, but with Gretel by his side as well. He spared a glance for the flowers in the meadow where they had eaten and tried to ignore the lump in his throat and the ache in his heart. That was over now. Gretel didn't want anything to do with Hansel and there was nothing he could do to change her mind.

Weep not poor children, for life is this way...

At one point he heard the sound of wheels and horses behind him, and he quickly grabbed Teddy and stepped off of the road and into the woods. Glancing out between the leaves and branches of the trees, Hansel could see several carriages with the royal insignia. Also accompanying the carriages were several people riding horses. The queen was seated upon a white horse with her daughter, while her husband was riding a darker horse. Among the group were the queen's parents, and Elsa and Marten.

Hansel cursed his luck under his breath. It was a nice day, so of course the royal family was out to enjoy it the day after their coronation. The meadow he and Gretel had picnicked in would surely be too small for such a gathering. He didn't know where they'd end up stopping or for how long. He didn't want to risk being seen, so his only option was to continue traveling in the woods.

He sighed. At least nothing else could go wrong today. Nothing that could be worse than losing Gretel and the Burgs.

...murdering beauty and passions.

Hush now dear children, it must be this way...

Princess Aurora didn't want to sit still and eat lunch, but nobody seemed to understand that. Her Grammy kept pulling her aside every time she got up and it was starting to annoy her. It wasn't that she wasn't hungry, she was, but there were just too many things to look at- things that she didn't get to see in the castle. Here there were different flowers and different butterflies and she could run about as much as she'd like. Well, at least until her Grammy picked her up and carried her back to her parents.

"Oh Mama, she's fine," said Aurora's own Mama, who picked her up and tickled her, causing Aurora to let out a shriek of delight. Her Papa soon joined in causing her shrieks to become even higher.

He tore off some small pieces of bread and put them in the little pocket on the side of her dress. "There," he said, "now Rory can go and play all she wants, and if she gets hungry she'll have some food with her."

...to weary of life and deceptions.

Aurora, or Rory as her father called her, inspected the tiny bits of bread in her pocket and tasted a few bites. Satisfied with her Papa's handiwork, she hurried off to chase after a butterfly which had caught her attention.

"See, now everyone's satisfied," said King Eugene with a playful smirk on his face. His mother-in-law shook her head and gave him a polite smile, for she was well used to such antics. She didn't mean to worry so much about her granddaughter, but it was hard not to given the kidnapping of her own daughter. The last thing she wanted was for her own child to experience the same anguish she had gone through. Understanding where she was coming from, her husband squeezed her hand tightly.

The conversation soon turned to other topics. The five family members weren't the only ones present in the meadow. Other members of court, foreign dignitaries, and several members of the castle staff were there as well, coming and going in order to mingle with the royals. It was due to the large crowd that nobody noticed the young princess wander off close to the woods.

Rest now my children, for soon we'll away...

Nobody noticed the glossed look that crossed her eyes, or the odd song she was humming.

Nobody noticed her entering the woods.

Nobody, not even Princess Aurora herself, noticed the snagging of her dress on a log in the forest, causing a tear in her front pocket and leaving a trail of breadcrumbs behind her.

...into the calm and the quiet.

Come little children, I'll take thee away...

Hansel didn't know how long he had been walking for in the forest. At one point he heard voices nearby and realized that the group of people he had seen earlier must be near. He took a wide berth in the other direction. Other than Teddy, he wanted to be alone.

If it wasn't for Teddy stopping suddenly and looking agitated, Hansel wouldn't have noticed where he was. So deep in his thoughts, he completely missed the transition from the ordinary and good part of the woods to the creepy and derelict part of the woods. The part he had once visited with Gretel in order to gather the plant for Burg bread and where the witch supposedly lived.

Taking in his bleak surroundings, Hansel turned to Teddy and said, "Let's get out of here." Hansel may not have wanted to run into his brother and Elsa, but he also didn't want to run into a witch who ate people.

Teddy looked up at Hansel and gave a nod in agreement. Most animals avoided that area of the forest for a reason, and all of his senses were telling him to run away. If it wasn't for his loyalty for Hansel, he would have done so already.

Hansel took a step backward in order to turn around when a single beam of light managed to break through the dark atmosphere and fell upon a small object on the ground, catching his eye. He bent down to get a closer look and noticed it wasn't a pebble, a leaf or a twig. Picking it up in his fingers, Hansel recognized the texture. Taking a whiff of it with his nose, he realized his assumption was correct- he was currently holding a crumb of Burg bread. He should know having baked so much of it over the years.

...into a land of enchantment.

"What's Burg bread doing here?" he muttered, it just didn't make any sense.

Standing back up, Hansel's eyes scanned the ground for more crumbs of Burg bread. Now that he was actually looking for the bread, he noticed a small trail of breadcrumbs leading deeper into the woods and towards the Rapunzel plant. Hansel sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. He had a feeling he wouldn't like what was at the end of the trail, and it really wasn't any of his business. So what if there was a trail of bread from his former bakery deep in a part of the woods that nobody ever went into? It wasn't his problem. Why should he care?

Because, said a small voice in his head, somebody could be in trouble. One of the Burgs, one of the royal luncheon, or somebody else entirely. And if you never find out, you'll always wonder what you missed out on.

"What do you think? Should we follow the breadcrumbs and see if somebody's in trouble or walk away and pretend we never saw it?" asked Hansel out loud, not really expecting a response from Teddy.

The old Hansel wouldn't have bothered unless he knew for sure what was in it for him. But that was the old Hansel, and hadn't he just yesterday insisted he had changed? That he wasn't the selfish, heartless bastard he once was?

Sensing what he was thinking, Teddy pawed at his pant leg, the one he hadn't shredded with his claws, as if to say, 'I'm with you no matter what you decide'.

The duo, in agreement, silently continued to follow the trail of breadcrumbs. With each step Hansel's heart beat a little faster, and his breath was a little more ragged. He started to sweat and was beginning to wonder if he had perhaps made the wrong choice. It wouldn't be the first time in his life he had chosen poorly.

Several minutes later, which actually felt more like hours, he and Teddy reached the end of the trail. The spot where they ended up in was a bit farther than when Hansel had gone previously, as evident by the Rapunzel plants littering the ground around him. Mere feet away from him and Teddy was a little girl with dark brown hair. She was wearing a purple dress and had a matching purple ribbon in her hair. Hansel scooped her up in his arms. "Come on, let's get you..." his voice trailed off as he realized since he didn't even know who she was, how was he supposed to know where to get her back to?

The little girl didn't seem very interested in helping Hansel out at all. She didn't say 'thank you for rescuing me from the scary woods', or even something as simple as her name. Instead she kicked and screamed and struggled to get away from him. Girls wanting to get away from him was starting to become an unwelcomed trend in his life.

"Will you quit that," said Hansel, "can't you see I'm trying to save you?"

All of a sudden, Teddy let out a low hiss while the hair on his neck stood up. Hansel followed his line of sight and saw a figure standing in front of him he hadn't noticed before. The girl in his arms stretched out her own toward the mysterious figure. A feeling of unease descended upon Hansel and despite her struggle he clutched the girl even tighter to his chest. It was imperative that he keep her out of the figure's reach.

Come little children, the time's come to play...

Said figure took a few steps forward and Hansel and Teddy instinctively took a few steps back. However, the figure managed to get just close enough for Hansel to make out features. She, for it was most definitely a she, had skin that was sallow and appeared to be peeling off like flecks of paint on a wall. Her eyes were sunken into her face and gave Hansel a gap-toothed smile. Her hair, the little that remained, was greasy and stuck to her head. The clothing she was wearing was a hodge podge of different materials in different colors in different styles. Hansel tried not to think of how they ended up that way or who their former owners were. There was not a doubt in his mind that the old crone before him was the witch from Gretel's stories who lured people into the woods only to eat them. The same figure he had seen all those years ago on his way to Corona.

Perhaps the creepiest part about her was the way her bony hands motioned to the girl in his arms, who was so eager to join the witch. No child in their right mind would ever want to be such a creature's arms.

"What have you done to her?" demanded Hansel, who managed to sound speak confidently, without his voice betraying how afraid he was.

Her voice, which sounded like gravel, responded, "It's much easier when my food comes willingly... it's been so long since I've had a proper meal, look what I've been reduced to, a mere bite."

"How unfortunate," said Hansel dryly, not caring about the witch's starvation or the reasons why it had been so hard for her in recent years to lure an adult and was forced to eat a small child- who was the only one now vulnerable to her Siren song.

"Oh yes," agreed the witch, "but what a fine day this has turned out to be, two for the price of one."

"No, not today. If you're so weak you can only lure a child, then you're too weak to subdue me. Take whatever spell you have on her off and let her go, and I'll go with you... willingly," offered Hansel.

The witch's eyes lit up. Hansel gulped nervously, well aware of what he was saying. He knew that he was sacrificing his life for a little girl he didn't even know- something the old him would most definitely never do. Yet, he had already sent himself into exile and off to an unknown destination. He had thought he had finally found where he belonged and a family that loved him and made him feel good about himself. Then there was Gretel, who had changed his life for the better. That was all gone though now. Without Gretel and the Burgs Hansel wasn't sure of where his life was going, but he did know that the girl in his arms had her life in front of her. Which made his sacrifice worth it. He didn't know who she was, but he didn't need to- she was Becca, Lisa, Tilly, Cara, and Mia.

"Very well," said the witch and waved a hand. Instantly, the girl ceased squirming and fighting Hansel's hold. A bewildered look crossed her face, and she cringed away from the witch, burying her face into Hansel's shirt- the proper reaction for a child he noted. She started to whimper and cry, calling out for her parents. Hansel stroked her hair to soothe her.

"I believe we had a deal..."

Hansel glared at the witch, but a deal was a deal. If he backed out now, she'd no doubt cast the spell on the girl again and Hansel didn't know for how long he'd be able to keep her away from the witch. Having no other option he set the girl on the ground. As he did so, her hand pulled a small golden chain out of his pocket. Hansel had forgotten he had stored the chain with Gretel's engagement ring on it in his pocket. The girl offered it up to him, but he shook his head.

"Keep it. I have no more use for it," he said somberly. Better for the girl to have it than the witch. Who knows what she'd do with it.

Teddy, who had been on guard this whole time, began to meow wildly. "Teddy, take her back to the village. Maybe someone there will know who she is and reunite her with her parents."

Teddy's meowing increased and Hansel sighed. "Teddy, lead her back to the village and go to Gretel and the Burgs," he ordered. Then, in a softer tone he added, "please... for me."

Seeing as his owner was dead-set on a deadly course of action, Teddy gave in. He nudged the girl away from the witch to get her to start walking in the direction of the village. Teddy gave him one last mournful look before leading the girl away, following the trail of breadcrumbs in the opposite direction.

The witch behind him giggled. "Your heroics were for naught, they all come back to me in the end. You came back, and she'll come back. They all come back eventually."

...here in my garden of shadows.

*Author's Note*

I'd like to thank Demigod At Heart, alaskanwoman25, XXPay4XtraShippingsXX, GingerGeekGal1796, CrystallineDragonDemoness, Wise girl16, Crystalsnowfury, Silan Haye, ishidamon, and P.A.W.07 for reviews. Reviews are always appreciated and I'll be interested in what you guys think of the last chapters of this story.

This chapter is later than I wanted, but life got in the way and there was a period of two weeks where I didn't have time to write at all. But here it is and hopefully the next one won't take as long. To make up for it, go to DeviantArt and look up A Baker's Dozen by Monday's Noon, or go to my profile and click on the link. One of my friends who reads the story drew a picture of Hansel, Gretel and Teddy at the bakery.

Hopefully a lot of you will recognize the lyrics sprinkled throughout the chapter as the song from Hocus Pocus. In the film only a few lines are actually song. The song though is supposedly from a poem written by Poe. There's a video on Youtube where the entire poem is sung (look up katethegreat19) and it's awesome and creepy at the same time. The song and the image of a witch luring a child away has been stuck in my mind ever since hearing it, and I'm happy I was finally able to include it in something. It's a shame that Disney didn't expand the song more in Hocus Pocus or use it in some other movie.

Next chapter, which is also the second to last chapter of this story, is called 'The Thirteenth Son, The Eldest Daughter, and The Middle Sister'. Gretel finds out Hansel has left the bakery and Hansel and Gretel finally deal with the witch.