Chapter 5
Disclaimer: I only own my character, Alexandra Nell. And Sami only owns her character, Charlotte Nell.
Thanks so much to my awesome PT and co-writer, kurounue13!
Next Morning...
Alexandra and Jake were sleeping in front of the now fireless fireplace as the morning sun started to shine through the windows of the inn as they quietly held on to one another as they slept peacefully.
"WAKEY, WAKEY, GRIMMY!" Jake was pulled up by his collar. "Huh wha?" he said sleepily, still unaware of what was going on. "Ow!" Alexandra moaned as she held her head when it was dropped on the floor because of Jake's abrupt exit. She looked around as she glared at Cavaldi. "Let him go, now." she ordered as she looked at him sternly. "Be still little-ah woman-ah." Cavaldi said as Will and Charlotte were brought in. "Charlotte!" she called out to her sister. "What's going on?" she asked and it was clear that both her and Will were obviously still asleep. "He won't let go of Jake." she said accusingly. "Cavaldi, please don't piss my sister off this early." Charlotte said drowsily.
Alexandra looked over at Jake who had already fallen back asleep. She couldn't help but smile as she walked over to where Cavaldi was still holding him. Charlotte walked over and slapped Cavaldi's hand before helping Jake sit down. "Someone has to be an adult." She said as she took a drink of water. "Thank you, sister." Alex said as she sat beside Jake and tried to wake him up.
"Jake...Jacob, darling, wake up." she said to him softly as she ran her fingers through his hair softly and ran one of her hands down his scruffy cheek. "Hmmm wha?" he said sleepily. "Jacob, sweetheart, it's time to wake up." she said softly as she kissed his cheek. "Okay." he mumbled. She smiled as she kissed his cheek again. "Your eyes have to be open to wake up, darling." she said. "I don't wanna." he said, keeping his eyes closed. "Oh, Jacob, come on. Please wake up. For me?" she asked, her own child-like side coming out as well. "Okay." he said, opening his eyes partly. She smiled and giggled softly. "A little more." she asked as she looked at him with a smile. "Do I have to?" he asked. "I'm afraid so." she said as she kissed his forehead. She smiled. "Good." she said. "Now come on it's time to go into the forest." she said as she helped him up. "So get your armor on before we go, Jacob." Will said as he was finishing putting on his own armor.
About Thirty Minutes Later...
A horn sounded through the entire village as Will and Charlotte were on one horse and Jake and Alex were on another with Cavaldi, the mysterious cursed one, and a few others followed behind the Brothers Grimm and the Sisters Nell. "Good people of Marbaden!" Will shouted out to the bystanders of the town. "Your daughters will be returned to you, and you shall regain your courage...and your joy!" he said triumphantly before Jake started playing his horn again and Alex couldn't help but giggle as Jake played his horn.
"This forest doesn't look so creepy now that we are inside." Jake said when he put his horn down. "No it doesn't, it looks rather nice, doesn't it?" Alex asked as she held on to Jake while she looked around the forest. "But still, just to be on the safe side. Stay close." he said. "I promise." she said as she rested her head against Jake's back as she held on to him. Instinctively, he pulled her closer. She better stay close., he thought.
She smiled as she held on to Jake a little tighter and she looked up at him. My brave shiny knight., she thought before everyone stopped their horses. "Apparently, we're on foot from this point..ok." he said as he and Charlotte got off of Will's horse. "Why are we on foot for the rest of the way?" Cavaldi asked. "The horses won't go any further." the cursed one said. "Why not?" Charlotte asked. "Because even the animals won't go this way." Angelika, also known as the cursed one, said. Charlotte nodded as they followed.
Soon everyone stopped once again and during the stop Jake had gotten his book out and Alex smiled at him as the two stood in a secluded place behind a tree. She watched Jake writing like mad.
"Jake, what are you writing?" she asked softly as she tried to look over his shoulder. "Oh just random scribbles." he said. "Can I see?" she asked. "Um...maybe not just yet." He hesitated. She looked at him and smiled as she kissed his cheek. "Jake..." she trailed off before she rested her head against his shoulder. "I promise, I won't look until you're ready for me to see it." she said. "But give me a hint. Is it a story?" she asked. "Um...yes and no." he said and Alex couldn't help but giggle. "Alright then it must be very interesting." she said as she kissed his cheek once more before she looked over at Will, who had just gotten a huge device out of a case. "What in the world is that?" she asked Jake in a whisper as her face held confusion and disbelief.
"Oh no, he didn't." he said as he looked at his brother. And that was close she almost saw the letter., he thought.
"What in the hell is he trying to do? Contact outer space?" she asked.
Charlotte just stood aside, trying not to laugh. Angelika just rolled her eyes and walked off. Will noticed Angelika had walked off and he removed the sound device from his ears as he looked around at Charlotte and the others. "I feel it's safe to proceed." he said. She looked at him and shook her head before laughing. Will smiled as he put an armored arm around her as the two walked off.
Alex helped Jake put his things away. "Ready to go?" she asked as she put her own shoulder bag around herself. Jake offered her his arm and they walked together. She smiled as the two followed Will and Charlotte deeper into the forest.
They kept walking through the thick trees. The sharp branches kept whacking and hitting them. "You know this really is exciting." Jake said and Alex smiled as she tried to walk underneath the branches. "Being in the forest?" she asked. "Yeah, I suppose it is." she said. "It's like everywhere you look in here..." Jake said before he was pushing some more branches out of his way, and somehow Alex seemed to know exactly how he was going to end his sentence as she finished. "You see something out of one of your stories." she said, amazed, before she too pushed some more branches out of her way.
It's amazing how she knows., he thought before he got a face full of branches.
"Oh, Jake." she said as she tried not to laugh when his helmet had gotten stuck. She smiled as she helped him out of the branches before she helped get his helmet free. "That's better, isn't it?" she asked with a smile as she looked at Jake. "Much." he sputtered out.
"Come along you two!" Will shouted. "Don't need you getting lost."
"Is he always bossy like that?" she asked as she helped Jake put his helmet back on his head. "A tad." he said and Alex smiled as she kissed Jake's cheek and took his hand as the two were the last out of the cluster of branches and she smiled as she saw the huge tower. "Wow, look at that, Jake." she said, amazed. "It is amazing, isn't it?" he asked as he stared. "I'm gonna go and look around it." she said as she took her own book out and started writing down every thought that came into her head as she explored around the tower.
Charlotte sat against one of the large stones, staring at the crows circling above. Will sat next to her. "There's no talking to that difficult woman." he said as he pointed to Angelika. "What?" she asked as she snapped out of her thoughts. "Charlotte, darling, love of my life." he started out sweetly with a smile. "Will you go and talk to the wicked witch of the forest for me?" he asked with that same charming smile. She gave Will a look. "And what, pray tell, Wilhelm Grimm, my darling prince, do I get in return?" she asked. "Me. You'll have me for as long as you like in return." he said.
Charlotte kept the look on her face as long as she could before breaking out into a smile. He smiled even bigger. "That's a yes, right?" he asked. "Oh, what am I to do with you, my handsome schemer?" she asked. He smiled. "We'll figure out the details once we get back to the inn tonight." he said before he kissed her cheek and sent her off to Angelika.
Then Jake came up to Will. "Will, why did you have to bring out your stupid sound waves? You embarassed me right in front of Alex." he complained in a child-like fashion. "What ever do you mean, Jake?" Will asked. "Those stupid..." he said before he pulled out the case and then pulled out Will's sound device. "This waste of space!" he said. "It doesn't even work, and it's pointless. And Alex probably thinks I'm the brother of a lunatic now." he said before throwing the device on the ground.
"Ah, so this isn't about me in general this is about you having deep feelings for Alex and not knowing what to do about them." Will said. "I'm doing something about them." Jake said, defensively. "Uh huh, sure Jake. You're doing a good job so far." Will said. "I'm writing her a letter that I plan on giving to her." Jake said.
"It better be a damned good love letter, Jake." Will poked his brother's forehead. "Put that brain of yours to use." he said. "I am. I'm putting my entire focus on her..letter on her letter." he said. "Good." Will looked over at Charlotte and Angelika.
The two were talking and it seemed that Charlotte was able to get the story of the forest out of her as Angelika started telling her the story of the tower.
Suddenly, Jake had inspiration for his letter as he watched Alex writing as she looked at the tower and walked around it every once in a while before he went over to a shady sitting place to write. As he wrote he kept hearing a sound, he looked over and didn't see anything. The second time around he looked saw a tree move.
"Will." he called out before he got up when he notice there was a strange sort of bug as he got up with his bag and book as he went over to his brother. "Will, I think it's time to go now." he muttered as he looked around the forest. Will looked over at Jake in confusion. "There's trees moving and strange bugs crawling everywhere." he said in a hushed voice. "Honestly, Jake how can you-" Will was cut off by Charlotte's scream.
"Charlotte!" Will called out as he ran towards her. Charlotte was next to Angelika, holding her leg. "Will, I'm fine." she said, trying to convince him she was ok. "Charlotte, come along, we need to get back to the inn and take care of you." he said as he picked her up in his arms and started carrying her towards where they came from earlier.
"That's not the way." Angelika said as Will was almost to the cluster of branches. "Of course it is. It's the way we came through. It's the way we're going now." Will said. "That's not the way." she repeated. "But we just came from here. I recognize that tree-" Will started. "Don't trust the trees." she said.
"Don't-" Will started before Angelika had picked up a toad and was now asking it the way. "Oh good God. Come on! Charlotte needs help now!" Will shrieked. "Will, please stop fretting." Charlotte said to him softly.
Angelika had finally set the toad down as she turned around and started walking through another pair of trees and Alex and Jake, along with everyone else, soon started to follow.
"I'm telling you, this isn't the way." Will said.
Angelika swished her sword through the bushes and there were the horses and the exact place they had come from earlier.
"And here we are." Will said. Keeping his mouth shut, he helped Charlotte on his horse before getting on behind her.
Alex and Jake went over to their horse who was going from side to side and Alex couldn't help but smile as she tried not to laugh. "What's he doing?" she asked. The horse kept dancing before he finally did a bow, letting Jake on as he was finally able to get on. He then held his hand out to Alex as he helped her up on the horse and she smiled as she hooked her arms around Jake as everyone rode off and soon they were back into town. Once they got back, Will took Charlotte directly to the inn.
"What's wrong with my sister?" Alex asked Jake as they rode back to the inn. "I will let you know." He said. She nodded before she rested her head on Jake's back. "She will be alright though, won't she, Jake?" she asked. "She will be just fine." he said as he got off the horse. Alex climbed down after Jake as she instinctively took his hand. "Oh, sorry." she said as she was about to let his hand go, but Jake kept his grip on her hand. She smiled at him as she held his hand.
Don't blush, Jake. Don't blush., he thought. "I promise Charlie will be alright." he said. "I hope so." she said as she kissed his cheek. "Thank you and your brother for helping my sister. I don't know what I'd do without her." she said softly. Or without Jake., she couldn't help the thought rushing through her head.
Inside the inn, Will was inspecting Charlotte's leg. He gently took off her shoe and sock before rolling up her pant leg that was now stained with blood. "Ow." she said softly. "I'm sorry, I'm sorry." he said gently as he took a wet towel. "Now, this may hurt a bit, but I have to clean the blood off of you." he said as he slowly put the cold towel on her bloody leg. She hissed in pain when it touched the tender skin.
When the blood was finally washed away, it revealed the wound. "It looks like...an animal bite." Will said, slightly horrified, but more so confounded. "I didn't see any animals. Angelika said they didn't go near the tower. Did you feel anything bite you, darling?" he asked. "All I felt was a sharp pain. I didn't hear any growling or anything. Ow." she said, jumping at him touching her leg. "I'm sorry, I was just trying to examine the wound." he said. "Maybe Angelika would know something about what happened." Charlotte said and Will shook his head. "Darling, there's no talking to her. She doesn't listen to me or Jake." he said. "We'll figure out what's wrong without her-" Will started.
She cut him off with a tender kiss. "Will, breathe. You are rambling, darling." she said. "I'm sorry." he said before he looked at her. "I'm just worried."
"I know, dearest." She hissed slightly again as he began to wrap the wound. "You'll be fine." he said softly, more to himself as he wrapped the bandage before Jake and Alex walked in and she rushed over to her sister. "Charlie, are you alright?" she asked. "I'm fine, Alex. Thanks to Will, I shall be fine." she said. Alex looked over at Will. "Thank you for taking care of my sister." she said. "It is my pleasure." he said with a smile. "I just don't like the way you treat your brother." she said before she kissed her sister's forehead and then went off to find Jake.
Alex smiled as she walked by Jake, who was writing once again, but it seemed now he was trying to take his time and make whatever he was writing absolutely perfect. She smiled as she watched him for a moment. "That story must be very important." she said softly. "I won't bother you." she said as she went to turn around to go upstairs. "No!" he said suddenly. "Stay, please." She looked over at him. "Alright, I'll stay. No problem." she said as she smiled and turned back around. "Are you alright, Jake?" she asked. "I'm fine, I just...I just want you by me. After what happened today..." he said, becoming flustered. She smiled. "Yes, that was a bit frightening. Especially for Charlotte." she said softly as she sat next to Jake.
"So, are you finished writing?" she asked. "No, not yet." he said, closing his book. She smiled as she held his hand. "Everything will be fine, Jake." she said softly as she rested her head on his shoulder. He sighed softly and laid his head against hers. She smiled as she rubbed his hand softly. "But you have to admit, frightening as it was being in the forest today, it was still exciting like you said earlier." she said.
Indeed it was., he thought as he held her hand.
"Darling, maybe you need to rest." she said softly as she looked up at him.
That night, Charlotte had awoken from her sleep only to find Will and Jake on their hands and knees scrubbing the floors...in maid outfits. "Will?" she asked. "It's alright, darling, go back to sleep." he said. "Am I dreaming? Cause um..." She started losing her composure and almost cracked a smile. "No, darling, you're not, but you can go back to sleep we'll try and be quieter." he said. "Charlie, what's going on?" Asked a half asleep Alex, who instantly woke up when she saw them. "Jake, darling, what are you doing?" she asked as she tried hard not to giggle, but a few escaped.
The two brothers looked at each other and then back at the girls. Alex smiled as she got out of her bed and went over to Jake as she helped him up. "Come on, sweetheart, come to bed...what are you wearing?" she asked with a muffled laugh. "Uh..." Both Will and Jake looked down at themselves.
"Oh, darling, did you have some kind of dream I should know about?" she asked cautiously. "NO!" they shouted, while Cavaldi was laughing in the corner. "Goodnes, just asking a..." she paused when she saw Cavaldi. "question." she said before she walked through Jake and Will over to Cavaldi. "Why did you do this to them?" she asked. "It's not fair, you want maids, then get them yourself, but don't make Jake have to-" she started. "It was funny you can not-ah deny it." he said. "No, maybe not, but they shouldn't be working like this. They have things to do and they need their rest." she said as she walked over to Jake and went to take off his maid cap.
"I'm sorry, darling, why didn't you wake me up? I would've talked to him sooner." she said softly to Jake. "I didn't mind I-"
"AHHH!" the were all interrupted by a scream from outside.
Jake took Alex's hand as the two ran outside. "Stay here, Charlotte." Will said before he ran out after Jake and Alex, Cavaldi right behind him. But Charlotte didn't listen and soon, as Jake and Alex and the others were outside, they saw Charlotte galloping away on Will's horse after Jake's horse ran off with a child in it's throat. "CHARLOTTE!" Will called out to her as she disappeared into the forest. "HERE!" They heard Angelika call as she pulled Will onto her horse.
"What about us!?" Alex yelled after them. Jake found another horse and pulled her on as Cavaldi and his men followed. Alex held on to Jake as tightly as she could as he sped off after Will's horse before they were finally in the forest.
"Charlotte!" Will called out. "Will, the forest is alive!" Jake shouted as they rode. He could see the trees moving. "THEY'RE TRACKS, JAKE! SOMEONE'S IN THE FOREST!" Will shouted and Alex yelled at Will. "WILL, STOP TRYING TO ANALYZE WHAT THIS COULD BE AND ACCEPT THAT FOREST REALLY IS ALIVE! THIS ISN'T A GAME!"
Charlotte's scream ripped through the forest, causing Will's blood to boil and run cold at the same time.
Soon, Jake, Alex, Will, and Angelika were all thrown off of their horses as Angelika sped off into the forest after immediately getting up and Will was still coming up with analyzations about how the forest could be moving.
"Grimms! What is this? What is happening?" they all heard the shouts of Cavaldi's men. "These people are far more well-funded than us!" Will yelled out to Jake through all the chaos of the forest.
"Will this is not a game! The forest is really alive!" Alex shouted at him again. "I DON'T HAVE TIME TO BELIEVE! I HAVE TO FIND MY CHARLOTTE!" He shouted at them. "Then go find her! Go find my sister!" she shouted before a horse was flung up into the air by a tree with its rider still on it. "GET DOWN!" Jake yelled as he pulled both Alex and Will down so they wouldn't end up the same way.
But the trees had a hold of the two and the horse fell on it's back, but the vines still had the rider.
As Will, Jake, and Alex all ran for it, Jake noticed the rider screaming as he stopped the two. "Will, Alex, stop!" he yelled before all three ran over to the trapped rider and tried to cut the vines that binded him, but it was too late and he was already being dragged under the tree and they stopped him in just enough time, but before they could blink the next time the rider yelled a branch popped out of his mouth and the three screamed before Jake took Alex's hand and the two and Will both ran for their lives.
Will was now frantically running and shouting Charlotte's name. Jake had a hold of Alex's hand as they followed him. "I'VE GOT HER, WILL! MEET ME OUTSIDE THE FOREST!" Angelika yelled as she helped Charlotte to run out of the forest. They turned and ran in the opposite direction as fast as they could and once outside they all collapsed.
Alex saw a small barrel in the slab that the five were hiding behind as she sat it up and got up as she helped Jake sit down. "I can't breathe." he said and she sat on her knees as she helped Jake get his shoulder bag off of him and Will snatched a piece of cloth from Jake's costume before he went and helped Charlotte. "It'll be alright, darling. How well are you breathing now?" she asked when she got his bag off of him. "I'm fine now. That was, that was amazing the forest was alive!" Jake said triumphantly. "Jake, not now." Will said as he tended to Charlotte, who was panting heavily and was ghost white.
"It was alive, Will!" she said before she smiled at Jake as he started writing like mad. Will then saw her shoulder was bloodied. "Oh God." He ripped open her shirt and saw yet another animal bite.
Alex sighed as she rested her head on Jake's leg while he wrote.
"Don't worry, darling, I'll take care of you." Will said to Charlotte as he tried to wrap her new wound with the cloth. Charlotte was suddenly ripped from his arms and thrown to the ground. "GRIMMY!" Cavaldi shouted as he pointed his guns to everyone.
"ON THE GROUND!" He shouted as he kicked Jake's barrel out from under him and pushed Will on the ground. Alex went to get up from the ground to check on Jake, but Cavaldi grabbed her and pulled her to the ground harshly between Angelika and her sister.
"Don't touch Alex!" Jake shouted earning a massive slap to the face, knocking him to the ground. "DON'T HIT JAKE!" Alex screamed from her place on the ground.
"SILENCE!" Cavaldi shouted. "Who killed-ah my men? Tell me Grimmy. WHO!? Or your precious Nells will die!" he asked as he pointed one of his guns at the two of them while still keeping the other gun on Will and Jake. "It was the forest!" Angelika said. "Silence." he snarled at her before spitting in her direction. "If you stay it will destroy you too." Angelika warned him.
"It was alive, Will..." Charlotte mumbled softly. She was still in complete shock and fear. "Thank you, Charlotte." Alex said, smiling at her sister when Cavaldi went off to gather the remaining horses. "It was not alive!" he said, outraged. "Darling, there was nothing in there but tracks and wires. I know this." he said softly to Charlotte when everyone sat up and Alex smiled as she went over to Jake.
"Will, you didn't see what Angelica and I saw." Charlotte said. "And what did you think you saw, darling?" he asked as he was by Charlotte's side. "There were no wires, no platforms. A tree came down and attacked us...and then..." she said. "Charlotte, it's very late, we're all tired. Don't you think you could've just seen-" Will started as he tried to reason with her. "There was a wolf, Will! Larger than any I have ever seen!" she said as she held onto his arms. Will pulled her into his arms. "Ok, ok, there was a wolf. A very large wolf." he said as he rubbed her back. "Control your-ah hysterical woman-ah Grimmy!" Cavaldi yelled. "She's not hysterical, dammit! She's scared!" he yelled, outraged once again. "And everyone thought I was weird growing up." Alex muttered to herself as she sat by Jake.
"Well wouldn't you be afraid if you saw a massive wolf?" Jake asked her as he held her close before they were carted off by Cavaldi. "Of course I would." Alex said softly as she held on to Jake's hand. Jake held her close as they were dragged away. Will held the frightened Charlotte in his arms, and Angelika clearly was stuck in her own mind.