A/N: Alot happens in this chapter..and at the sametime, nothing happens in this chapter...Sorry it is so long. The real action will start happening soon I promise!

Disclaimer: I do not own JatD...only own Penelope and the plot..-saying this gets tiring!

"I would not expect Jane to come by anytime soon, Penelope." Gunther answered his sister.

He was at the little cottage he hid her in. Though it was an hour past sunrise, the sky was dark, hidden by menacing dark clouds. Penelope was sitting up in bed, and Gunther in a chair next to her. Both were eating a breakfast of porridge.

"Why not? She promised. What happened?" Penelope inquired, trying to not get too worked up for fear of starting another coughing fit.

"She…we got into a fight last night. She was quite angry with me, and probably still is." Gunther confessed to his sister, but kept the details to himself.

"She will come around, Brother. Do not worry." Gunther's sister assured him.

He smiled faintly. "I must be going, I have lessons and a fiery redhead waiting for me. I will see you at lunch." Gunther did his usual routine of making sure his sister had plenty of water and her bedpan, before kissing her on the head and making his way to the castle.

OOOOOO

At the castle, Gunther could hear Smithy pounding at something in the forge. When he entered the practice arena, he saw Jane hitting at the practice dummy, movements synchronized with Smithy's pounding.

"Care to spar with me?" Gunther asked as he approached Jane.

"Fine." Jane turned to her new opponent and positioned herself in a ready stance.

They circled each other slowly, Jane glaring at him, was the first thrust her wooden sword. Gunther blocked it, and as soon as he did, she swung at him from another angle, he blocked again. The two squires went on this way for an hour, until Jane finally knocked Gunther's fake sword from his hand.

Instead of calling the match, she spun around quickly, lifting her leg to hit him in the back of his knees, pulling his legs out from under him. As he fell on his back, Jane threw her sword aside, and started to walk off.

Gunther managed to right himself, and tackle her to the ground. Sitting on top of a face down Jane, Gunther put all of his weight on her, wrapped his arm around her neck, which put his mouth next to her ear.

"What is your problem, Jane?" He demanded. "I apologized for what I said, why can you not just let it go?"

Jane, who was barely able to breathe, mustered up all her strength, and threw her butt in the air, or more so, into Gunther and bent her knees underneath herself. Just as quickly, and in one fluid motion, she again threw her butt into the air, using her legs as leverage, also went forward, throwing Gunther over her head. Gunther landed with a thud in front of Jane, on his back. She sat on top of him, his arms straight at his sides. She sat so his arms were pinned at his sides by her legs, so he could not flip her off him.

Jane leaned down and wrapped a hand around Gunther's neck. When he squirmed, she tightened her legs around his body. Jane leaned over further so her nose was just centimeters from his, and her hair fell around both their heads. She looked him in the eyes. So gray and wonderful.

Her glare softened from rage, to a curious gaze. Gunther stared intensely back at her, feeling her body wrapped around him. Although her gaze had softened, her grip around his waist and neck did not. Jane then did something, neither of them really expected.

Jane closed the gap between them. She moved her lips against his, and he kissed her back, tasting each other, they shared a passionate kiss in the dirt. Jane gave his lip a tiny bite before pulling away. Jane looked in Gunther's eyes again, they were completely unguarded, as they looked into her own.

Suddenly realizing the inappropriate position they were in, Jane jumped off of Gunther and straightened her clothes. Gunther stood, and did the same.

"Good sparring match, yes?" Gunther said, breaking the awkward silence.

"Yes, good match, Gunther. Meet outside the gate again today?"

"Sorry, what?"

"To have lunch with your sister. Meet outside the gate?"

"I figured you would be too cross with me to visit her, Jane."

"I never break a promise if I can help it, Gunther. You know that. Same place as yesterday, then?"

"Yes, same place as yesterday."

Jane nodded, then walked off. A few paces later, she turned around and yelled, "By the way Gunther, I am still mad at you." Then she turned back around and left the practice yard.

All Gunther could do was smile and shake his head as he watched Jane walk away from him.

OOOOOO

Gunther had come to terms with his feelings for the redheaded knight some time ago, with the help of his sister. He would tell her stories of the female knight, how she infuriated him, and had to be the best at everything. Gunther talked about Jane to his sister everyday since he had met her, mostly because there was not much else to discuss. He did not know if Jane shared the same feelings, and dared not ask. The kiss they shared hung on his lips, and he wondered…

"Are you ready to go?" Jane asked, pulling Gunther from his thoughts.

"Hmm? Ah, yes." Gunther replied, trying to shake the thoughts from his head.

"Are you alright, Gunther?" Jane looked at him quizzically.

"Yes. Fine. What did you tell Pepper today?" Noticing the basket of food.

"I simply told her I will be having duties away from the castle for a couple hours around midday every day for a while and will be requiring packed lunches." Jane explained.

"And your shadow?" Gunther asked snidely, raising his brows.

Jane knew he was referring to Jester. "I asked Pepper to relay it to Jester, if he asked, and also to tell him not to worry or look for me."

"You lie to your friends quite readily." Gunther noted. "For someone who is so versed in the Knightly Code of Conduct."

"I do not enjoy lying to them, Gunther. However, I promised you I would keep Penelope a secret, and I promised you both I would visit her." Jane continued, "Sometimes, one must put certain morals aside, in order to hold true to other, more important ones."

Jane received a nod as a reply.

They walked in silence for a while. Jane was glad Gunther had not questioned her about the kiss. She was not quite sure why she had kissed him, she just remembered being entranced by his steel grey eyes and his scent. He kissed me back. Why? I do hope no one else saw the charade. It was a wonderful kiss. I shall make him think I am still mad about last night, I think.

"Jane? Why are you smiling like that?"

"What? Oh, nothing." Jane tried not to blush, wiping the wide grin from her face.

Gunther gave her an odd look with one brow raised and opened the door to the cottage. Jane walked in first, set the basket on the table, and greeted the girl, "Hello, Penny. It is nice to see you again."

"Hello, Jane!" The girl in bed was happy for see her favorite person. "I am very glad to see you! Gunther said it was unlikely that you would show up today, something about a fight last night."

"Did he, now?" Jane glanced at Gunther, briefly locking eyes.

"What was the fight about, dear Jane? My brother would not tell me, he just said you were quite cross with him!"

Jane, sitting in the chair by the bed, smiled sweetly at the girl, "It was nothing, just a disagreement about nothing important."

"Yes. And it is all forgotten, is it not, Jane?" Gunther added, walking over to hand Penny a plate of food, then locking eyes with Jane once again.

"Precisely. It is all forgotten. No reason for concern." Jane said to Penny, but held her gaze with Gunther.

"Excellent! I do hate to hear about you two fighting."

Jane went to the table to fix her own plate of food and Gunther sat down in the chair recently occupied by her to eat his lunch. Jane sat on the bed at Penny's feet and the three ate their lunch in silence.

After they finished, Penny was the first to speak, "You never finished telling me about the ball, Gunther."

"We will talk about it later, sister." Gunther said firmly, but with a little nervousness in his voice.

"I will ask Jane, then. Jane, how did you like the ball?"

"Oh, I did not attend, but it sounded lovely."

"Why not? Do you not like balls?"

"Quite the contrary, I love balls, and dancing. It was just that my Knightly duties called."

"So, you did not get a chance to dance with my brother, then?"

Jane looked from the girl to Gunther, brows squished together in confusion. "No, I am afraid I did not." She answered, still looking at Gunther, who turned his head away.

"Perhaps at the next one then. That would be splendid, and Gunther said I may be able to join!" Penelope smiled.

Jane nodded.

"I think it is time we start heading back to the castle, Jane." Gunther interjected.

"Indeed. Good day Penelope. I shall see you again tomorrow." Jane rose and repacked the basket while Gunther made sure his sister had everything she would need.

The wrestling scene are actually some moves I learned in Army BCT...no I'm not in anymore, and yes I'm old...