Disclaimer: you know the drill

Ch7

Jake slept uneasily that night; his suspicions about the townspeople having grown into full blown paranoia during the dark hours of the night.

As different as the brothers were during their waking hours, they were equally as different when they slept. Will was a deep sleeper, barely anything could wake him. Jake would wake up at the slightest breath of air. He would toss and turn all nice while Will was dead to the world nearby.

So, this one night, Jake spent half the night wide awake, lying perfectly still and staring at the ceiling. He was worried about something he couldn't form into words, no matter how hard he tried. He assumed Will was fast asleep, and Jake was hesitant to wake him up.

Will, meanwhile, was not as unconscious as his brother expected. Jakes movement had become something Will was so used to at night he couldn't fall asleep without it.

Both were miserable and sleepless, but neither said a word.

The morning arrived slowly. Jake watched as the sun rose, though mutedly, through the fog. He rolled over, exhausted, and was surprised to meet Will's eyes.

"You didn't sleep either?" Jake whispered. Will didn't respond or move. Finally, his tired eyes blinked.

"No." His voice was hoarse.

"Are you feeling alright?" Will stared deep into his brother's dark eyes. In truth, Will had been suffering all night long. His chest had been bothering him; the pain had come in sharp, horrible stabs. Will sat up, noticing that now the pain had subsided, he felt almost numb. He rubbed at his chest. "Will? Are you alright?" Will caught Jakes eyes again, shook off his discomfort and worries, tossed on a loose smile and said,

"I'm fine Jake. Don't worry." Jake stared at him, trying hard to see the truth. Will had been a professional liar for over five years and had become so good at it he could fool anybody. He laughed casually and leapt out of bed. "Don't worry so much, Jacob. You'll die young." Jake was convinced enough for all practical purposes.

"Will… we're going to go back out to that lake today." Will turned around sharply.

"What? Jake, we practically died out there! How can you-"

"Let me finish! For once, let me finish!" Will was taken aback. Jake had taken a sharp turn after their adventure in the witches' tower, but had receded back into his safety zone of meekness relatively quickly, leaving only hints of his previous boldness. This sudden outburst coupled with a burning in his eyes shocked Will. He sat down, keeping his eyes locked on Jakes.

"I'm sorry…Go ahead."

"We need to finish this. This people, who are already a little odd, are bound to go insane all locked up together. We need to go back to that lake and figure out that ghost-woman and make her go away. I want to go home, Will, and this is the only way we can leave." He paused. "So we've got to go down to that lake, and figure this out… okay?" Jakes intensity had faded.

"Right. Okay."

They dressed in silence.

XO

As they left the inn later that day, the townspeople stood, parted like the red sea, and watched them go. They whispered amongst themselves. Jakes chest was tightening up in response to his increasing nervousness. The moment the door closed behind them the entire world became a silent grayness. They stood awkwardly inches from the door for a long minute.

"Spooky, isn't it?" Will said coolly. Jake forced laughter wilted into a miserable groan.

"Let's just go."

They trudged anxiously down towards the grim shores of the lake. Once the lake was in sight, Will put out a hand to stop Jake.

"Jake…Jacob wait." Jake turned around to see a look on Wills face he had never seen before, a face ridden with guilt.

"What? What is it?"

"I need to tell you something… I didn't… well…" He took a deep breath. "This is all my fault." Jake gave him a questioning look. "Do you remember… years ago, when I decided to leave for a while?" Jake nodded slowly. "I wandered around for months and I ended up here. And I met that girl… and then mother got sick, and I had to come home. I told her I'd come back... and I meant to. I really did, Jacob, I really did. But things got so tough. And then we started our tricks and scams, and… she slipped my mind. I'm a horrible person, aren't I, Jake? All of this is my fault. It's entirely my fault that poor woman died on the edge of a lake, all alone… and it's my fault this town is covered in darkness and fog now."

Jake stood planted in the spot, shocked into submission.

"You… You did this?" he mumbled finally.

"I didn't mean to, Jake. You must believe I didn't mean to." Will's voice cracked sadly, a testament to his imperfection. Jake swallowed, desperately trying to clear his quickly closing throat.

"No…" he choked out. "Of course you didn't… no…" He pivoted on his heel, barely being able to see Will while he worked his way through the information that had been dropped on him so suddenly. He rubbed at his temples furiously, took a deep breath, adjusted his glasses and turned back around. "Okay…This… this is good to know…"

"Jake, I'm sorry…I put you in so much trouble…" Will stammered miserably, more unhappy and guilt-ridden and vulnerable than he'd been in years.

They were miles apart. Jake closed the space in two slow steps. Toe to toe with his brother, Jake looked straight into Will's eyes.

"It's okay. Will, I know you didn't mean to." he said smoothly, the usual slur that coated his words was gone. "It was an accident, a mistake. I'm not mad at you." Jake bit his lip and stared into Wills blue eyes.

"You look so…frustrated." Will whispered. With his forehead furrowed and lips slightly pouted, Jake looked just that. He consciously changed his expression… raising an eyebrow, smiling lop-sidedly. Will laughed, even though he hadn't wanted to. But Jake just looked so ridiculous. "You're the best little brother ever… did you know that?"

"You are so immature sometimes; I'd swear I'm the older one." Will laughed heartily.

"You wish, Jacob. You wish." They both smiled happily.

"Well… we ought to… ought to keep on going then." The smile fell from Wills face.

"Yes… I suppose we should."

Both their moods now severely deflated, the pair continued their trudge down towards the lakes edge.

XO

When they arrived, the fog was so thick it was hard to breathe. Jake coughed, his lungs stinging.

"What do we do now, Jake?" Will looked around nervously.

"To tell the truth, I hadn't gotten that far…" He stopped talking as an idea hit him. "Stay here, Will, okay?" Jake moved closer to the muddy bank of the lake. He eased himself towards the still water, slipping with each step. He began to step cautiously into the thick water and when he was Will's voice stopped him.

"Jacob! What're you-"He gasped, and then continued, his voice much softer, "look." He raised his arm slowly, and with a flick of the wrist, pointed to a spot over Jakes shoulder. Hovering just above the waters surface barely twenty feet behind them was Will's beautiful ex-love. Her toes skimmed the water. She stared icily through her curtain of black hair, and when Jake turned around, he was so surprised he jumped and slipped, falling heavily into the water. He tried to pull himself out of the water, only to find that it was viscous goo again. He was stuck, and a terrible fear of being drowned over took him.

Will began to wade out into the water, moving on bare instinct. He trudged out, the water allowed him to walk with ease. Jake watched, all his concern focused on his brother. As Will walked, the woman floated gracefully down towards him.

"Will! Will, wait!" Jake cried after him, increasing his efforts to free himself from the water, but finding it near impossible. He managed to heave himself so he was at least on his knees, and a good foot from drowning. The water clung to him, holding him back, with strong, elongated fingers.

Will and the woman met again. Her eyes were dark and frightening through her hair, her face hollow and dirty, her hair was a tangled mess. Will, a full head taller than her, caught her eyes and never looked away.

"Wilhelm…" she said in a low, breathy voice that barely sounded as though it could come from a human throat.

"Your voice is different…" He said thoughtfully.

"You left me…You left me…" Staring sadly into her hollowed face, a face that had once held such beauty, he reached out and brushed the hair from in front her eyes. A tiny muscle on his cheekbone twitched in discomfort as he tucked the strands of hair behind her ear.

"I know." Hanging loosely at his sides, Wills hands flexed and relaxed occasionally. Jake watched the scene with fascination; this was something he couldn't understand. Will was standing just thirty feet in front of him, and facing his worst sin.

"Mirabelle…" Will sighed. At the sound of her name, the woman's eyes widened.

"That's who I was…" She looked distracted. Will nodded numbly. His heart was hurting him, both physically and metaphorically. He noted the irony in the back of his mind. Ignoring the pain splintering in his chest, he gathered her up in his arms. She was as cold as ice, and the coldness spread through him. He placed his chin on the top of her head, his arms crossed behind her back so his fingers could cling to her shoulders. It obviously pained him to touch her, as his face was contorted in pain and distress.

"Wilhelm," She touched his cheek lightly and the other half of his face contorted in agony. It was becoming clear he was trying very hard not to let her know she was hurting him.

"Mirabelle," his voice shivered, "I am so sorry. Sorry beyond anything I could ever say. Sorry beyond words…I'm sorry I left you, sorry I didn't bring you with me…I'm sorry I didn't come back. And…I'm sorry I lied to you-"her fingernails dug into his cheek. He cringed, but made no noise. "Sorry I lied to you about why I left. I am so sorry about not coming back to you." He buried his face into her hair best as he could. "I wanted to, but…" His teeth chattered. Tiny ice crystals were beginning to form in his hair. "I am sorry…" Will pulled her small body closer to him. She molded to fit the subtle curves of his body. "I am so so sorry."

"My dear Wilhelm…how I missed you…" she breathed. Wills hands were shaking as he held her, but she took no notice. She made him so cold. The water around his legs was turning to ice. He took a shivering breath.

"God, but you are cold." He held her for a moment, the pulled her off of him. He looked into her eyes and said, "Darling Mirabelle…there are two things I truly regret in my life. The first," he glanced over his shoulder at Jake, who was eying him nervously and still trying to free himself from the water. "is how I've treated my brother over the years." Jakes glasses were hanging precariously on the edge of his nose. "I've been terrible to him…The second thing… The second thing I regret more than anything… was leaving you. It was such a mistake. I never should have done it. I pray you'll forgive me." His blue eyes met her black ones, and she smiled. Will shivered and pulled her back in, close to his chest.

Will looked down at her, the cold overtaking him, and pressed a kiss onto her lips.

"I wish you could know how sorry I am." He mumbled through their kiss. All the sadness the pair has felt washed over them, and Mirabelle dissolved into tears. And this is not a mere expression, some rhetorical turn or poetic and hyperbolic trope, but simply the unadorned, terribly truth. She leaned against him and began to dissolve. Her body melted, drenching Will in her watery tears. And then she was gone. Her hands had been the last to disappear. And then he was alone again, not clinging to Mirabelle's petite shoulders, but to his own. The ice on his hair melted and mingled with the perspiration and tears on his cheeks. His legs collapsed under him and he fell into the water, crashing through the thin layer of ice, and sat there. He sat on the back of his heels for a long time, crying silent tears for a woman he had loved and lost.

The water began to thin out to a normal thickness, and Jake ran awkwardly to comfort his brother. He ran to Wills side, and collapsed next to him. The water, now a natural clear-blue, radiated out in rings around them.

"Oh Will…" Jake sighed. He didn't know what to say. "I…" Will silenced him with a look. Jake slid an arm around Wills shoulders, and ducked his head down to check Wills face. His face was half hidden by his wet hair, but it was obvious he was in a numb, mind-dulling misery. He sighed sadly. He stared at the sky, expecting the sky to be gray and match both his and Wills mood.

"Look at that, Will… the sky's blue." The fog had lifted and the sun was out. Will looked up miserably. "We did it, Will… you did it…" abruptly, Will smacked his hands down into the water, sending up splashes that spattered onto Jake.

"Damn it!" he yelled. He screamed furiously and beat at the water until he was too tired to continue, at which point, he turned unexpectedly and buried himself in Jakes chest. In truth, he was searching for warmth, some proof that he was alive and that someone loved him.

"Will… Everything's going to be alright now… It will… We'll go home and everything will be better. I promise. You do believe me, don't you Will?" Will looked up through his hair.

"That's what I told her. I promised her I'd come back. Promises don't mean anything." He said bitterly.

"They mean something when I say them, Will. I will never break a promise. Especially not a promise to you. Never. I mean it, Will." He smiled in a comforting way, and Will nodded. His nod was so slight it was barely visible. But Jake saw it and grinned.

XOxo

Wow. Hey. This took Forever, I know! I'm sorry. But I think this is an okay chapter, so here it is. It's also longer than my other ones. So.. I hope that makes up for it. Sorta. Thanks to all of you for reading, reviewing and sticking with it. As I am under the impression that 7 chapters is usually about right for a story, and this one is already 7 chapters, the next chapter will most likely be the final chapter. No guarantees, but this story does seem to be reaching its natural conclusion, no? yes.

Also, I got the DVD of The Brothers Grimm for Christmas. I was very happy. so yes.

I LUH YOU! (love you all) -Kagii