Disclaimer: I do not own the Mortal Instruments nor do I own Hansel and Gretel

Clearing up confusion: Michael=Valentine | Jonathan=Jace

Chapter Four: Somewhere

"Goodnight, my son," Michael whispered to Jonathan who was tucked tightly into bed. The three year old boy looked up at his father, wishing that he wouldn't leave him alone in the dark before he was asleep. To show fear was to show weakness, and Jonathan would never want his father to look down at him, so he dealt with the terror of the dark.

Just as his father was about to leave, Jonathan panicked. "Will you tell me a bedtime story, father?" he asked quickly. He had enjoyed listening to his father's tales, although some left him with nightmares that he tried to conceal.

"It's time for bed, Jonathan," he said sternly, a harsh cold tone.

"Please," Jonathan squeaked. One sad wounded look from the toddler and his father's hard set face softened. A smile played on the edge of his lips, something Jonathan only got to see on occasion.

"Fine. One story, and then you'll go to bed," he ordered. Jonathan just nodded as his father took a seat in the desk chair. He thought to himself for a moment, debating what story to tell before he began.

"Once upon a time…there was a poor Shadowhunter… who lived with his two children, Hansel and Gretel, and his second wife, who treated the children poorly. 'There isn't enough food in the house for us all. We must get rid of the two brats,' she declared. For days, she'd keep on trying to persuade her husband to abandon his children in the forest. 'Take them miles from home; so far that they can never find their way back!' she would say. The Shadowhunter didn't know what to do. He wanted to please his wife but he couldn't bear the thought of abandoning his children."

Jonathan listened curiously, puzzled as to why his father's eyes were so distant.

"One day the children overheard their stepmother's orders. Gretel was scared but Hansel assured her not to worry, for he had a plan. He went out and retrieved small white pebbles from the garden, keeping them safe in his pocket.

"Finally, after so many nagging requests, the Shadowhunter decided to lead Hansel and Gretel into the forest. As they walked, Hansel dropped a little white pebble here and there so that they could find their way back home. Once their father had deserted them–"

"How could the father abandon his children like that? Did he not care at all?" Jonathan interrupted, shocked by the sudden turn in the story. Surely a father wouldn't do that in real life? Would he?

"He wanted to please his wife," his father said simply as if it were the most obvious thing in the world. "Now don't interrupt me." The boy murmured apologizes but his father was already continuing where he had left off.

"Once their father had deserted them and did not return, Gretel wept. Hansel, too, felt scared but he tried to hide his feelings and comfort his sister. 'Don't cry, trust me! I swear I'll take you home, even if Father doesn't come back for us!' he assured her. 'Now give me your hand! We'll get home safely, you'll see!' The tiny white pebbles gleamed in the moonlight, and the children found their way home.

"The following day, when their stepmother found Hansel and Gretel, she was furious. She locked the children up in their rooms and gave them nothing for dinner but water and stale bread. Though the Shadowhunter protested, he was torn between shame and fear of disobeying his cruel wife and, therefore, hushed into silence. When night came, he once again, led the children out into the forest.

"Hansel had not eaten his bread. Instead, he crumbled it into small pieces, leaving a trail of crumbs behind him to mark the way. However the boy had forgotten about the birds that lived in the forest. The birds ate the crumbs, leaving behind no trail. It was far too late once he realized the trail was gone. He was left stranded in the woods with his sister, their father already disappeared into the cluster of trees.

"Frightened by the shadows and evil eyes around them in the darkness, the two stayed wide awake and alert in fear. As night faded into day, they began to wander and almost instantly became lost. That is, until they saw a cottage. It wasn't just any cottage, though. It was made of sweets. The walls were made from gingerbread, the windows were made from icing, and even the flowers were lollipops. Starving, the children began to eat pieces of candy off the cottage. Perhaps it was because they hadn't eaten real food in a little over a day, but it was the best food they'd ever tasted.

"Just as they were about to eat more, a sweet old lady came out with a cheerful smile on her face. 'My! You children must be starving. Come in! Come in, you've nothing to fear!' she said. The children then became dizzy and blacked out. The candy and sweets were poisonous, and the old lady was a witch who fed on children. We they awoke, they were locked in cages. 'You're nothing but skin and bones! I shall fatten you up and eat you!'

"The witch was blind, as luck would have it. After days of feeding the children, they became plump and fat; it was time for the witch to cook them. 'The boy first,' she said making Gretel light the oven. When the witch bent down to peer inside the oven to check the heat, Gretel gave the nasty woman a push and slammed the oven door shut, cooking the witch alive. Gretel set her brother free and they made quite sure that the oven door was tightly shut behind the witch. 'The witch is now burnt to a cinder,' said Hansel, relieved that they had seen the last of her. They filled a large basket they had found with food, and set off into the forest in search for home. They found their home on the second day, along with a weeping father at the doorstep.

"'Your stepmother is dead. Come home with me now, my dear children! I'll never desert you again,' he said sweeping the children into his arms."

There was a long moment of silence when his father concluded the story. Questions about the witch, or what happen next, or what happened to the stepmother would have been normal. Jonathan's question wasn't.

"Why don't I have a mother?" he asked quietly, afraid to meet his father's cold eyes.

"Your mother- she's with the angels." His father replied. "Now, go to sleep Jonathan," he murmured before placing a single kiss on the boy's forehead and then walking swiftly from the room.

Jonathan just laid there, awake in the darkness. His mind raced with questions while he imaged what the answers would be. His thoughts were consumed with the woman he would never know.

Once sleep captured Jonathan, he found himself dreaming.

-

He was walking with his father in a forest. The vibrant trees hung in the air like arms waiting to grab him and pull him into the midnight darkness. 'Where are we going, father' he asked, staying close to his side.

His father didn't say anything but just looked ahead; his eyes were cold, angry. After walking endlessly in the dark for quite some time, his father turned to him, looking at him for the first time. 'I apologize, but you can't stay with me anymore.' Though the words were cold, they were said so formal, yet that didn't ease the pain they brought.

'W-What?' the boy stuttered. Then, his apprehensive tone changed to anger. 'No!'

His father glared. The next thing Jonathan saw was the grass, his body crumbling to the ground. Reaching up to touch his face, he saw with horror that his hand was red with blood from where his father had hit him. Biting back the tears, he whimpered, 'Why?'

'Deus volt,' was all he said before leaving the boy alone in the forest. The darkness absorbed him. He didn't know how long he laid there. Hours maybe. A bright light shined from behind a tree, illuminating the pitch black of night. At first, Jonathan thought that is was the sun, finally rising, but instead, it was the glow from a woman.

She was beautiful. Her golden eyes were watching him closely as his were watching her. But that was all that happened. She just watched him, sadness etched into her features as if it hurt her to see him wounded and alone. Just as he was going to ask her what she wanted, white feathered wings appeared behind her back. Then, she was gone.

-

When Jonathan awoke the next morning, the nightmare still ached in his memory like a fresh wound. He slipped out of his room, searching for his father to confirm that the dream was just that; a dream.

The house was unnaturally quiet, and he was abruptly startled by the servant that appeared in front of him so suddenly. "Excuse me. Do you know where my father is?" he asked.

"He's not here, but he left this for you," the servant said, handing Jonathan a white piece of paper with scrawled markings. He had to squint just to interpret the words:

Gone to Alicante for a Clave meeting. I'll be back when I can. Behave yourself and listen to Ilene. –M.W.

The words from the note finally sunk in, leaving Jonathan slightly breathless. His father was gone, and it seemed like his worst nightmare had came true.

A/N: So what do you think? Was it good? Was it bad? You should tell me by leaving reviews :D

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alicecullengirl, burningimpossiblybright, lolabug, Danceronpointe, for leaving reviews. Thank you

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