Hello. Hi. Salutations. Um yeah well it's been a while, a reallllll long while and I don't think I can give a big enough apology so I won't even try. I decided to write this and its very rushed so I apologize but I most likely with touch it up later (along with other chapters cause they suckkkk). But yeah…here ya go.

Oh yeah, remember that this story is rated T, not K or K+ therefore there is a bit of swearing and a bit* (aka a lot) of T rated themes and thoughts.

Hope you enjoy

XX

Gretel walked with quick, happy footsteps, twigs and leaves crunching under her slippers. It was cold and dark and late at night but she didn't want to go to bed yet. She hoped Kotler was up. Actually she knew he was up. She could thank her former stalking ways to memorizing his schedule.

She weaved her way through the trees, barely able to see two feet in front of her. When she could make out the great big fence a smile erupted on her face. She took place along the fence, next to a uniformed man standing as stiff as a statue.

"Hi Kurt." She whispered sweetly, cold air nipping at her cheeks.

The man didn't move.

"Kotler you can drop the act you know." Gretel pouted.

She stepped in front of the man, blocking his view, yet he still stood still. She bent and peeked under his cap and saw that although his eyes kept off in the distance there was a smile on his face. With a smile mimicking his, Gretel straightened up and reached out a finger and stroked the soft skin of the back of his hand softly. A shiver ran through Kotler but other than that he did not move.

"I brought food." Gretel whispered.

Bingo.

Kotler sprang to action. He stepped forward, wrapped his arms around her nightgown clad body and kissed her sweetly and fully on the lips. Goosebumps erupted across the plane of her arms and she was sure it wasn't because it was cold. She kissed him back and twisted her fingers in his hair. Seemingly too soon they pulled apart and she handed him the sack she brought with her.

Kotler peered inside the sack.

"You know, you'd make a perfect wife" he murmured unconsciously with his eyes downcast.

Gretel's heart fluttered.

Kotler froze and looked up, surprised by his outburst.

But after a moment a fond smile spread across his face. "Yeah," he murmured again, "you would make a perfect wife."

Gretel's heart thudded against her chest. How could she of ever thought such a beautiful and sweet man was a jerk? She cupped his face in her small, delicate hand and felt the smooth skin of his chiseled jaw.

"And you the perfect husband."

Kotler dug around in the sack and brought out a warm slice of corn bread.

"You made this?" he asked and then took a bite when she nodded.

Something flashed across his face and then he swallowed, "mmmm" he hummed.

"Oh hush up," she said smacking his arm playfully. "I know I suck at cooking, I just wanted an excuse to see you."

"Well here I am" Kotler set the sack down and opened his arms wide so she could get a good look at him.

Gretel's eyes raked down his body. A week ago she never would have done such a brazen thing but Kotler brought out a different side of her. She opened her mouth to voice just how much she approved only to be cut off by him.

"So what exactly are you doing up. Not that I mind or anything, of course."

"I couldn't sleep."

"You couldn't sleep?" he asked, disbelief laced in his voice.

Gretel rolled her eyes. "No one is asleep anyways."

"Not even Bruno?"

"I didn't see him in his bed."

"Sooo when exactly do you get off from guard duty Mr. Kurt Kotler?" she changed the subject.

Kotler flushed. "Well actually, I got off half an hour ago but I was hoping to see you."

"Well here I am." Gretel mocked, opening her arms wide so he could get a good look at her. Kotler swallowed and nodded thickly. "Ah yes, and here you are." He said, his tongue flicking out to wet his lips.

Gretel felt something stir deep inside her. She suddenly had the urge to run her tongue along his lips, to reach out and touch him, to see what parts of him were hard and taunt with muscle and what parts were soft and smooth like his freshly shaven jaw.

"Well then, what are we waiting for?" she breathed, her breath fawning across Kotler's face and arising goose bumps across the visible skin that peeked above his collar.

Kotler shook himself and straightened. "Right. Yeah. Okay. Um, why don't I escort you back to your house then?" He reached down to grab the sack but Gretel stilled his movements with a hand to his shoulder. He looked up with a questioning stare.

"You've seen my house a million times. Don't you think it's time you show me yours?"

Kotler snorted and ruffled Gretel's hair with good humor.

"You could hardly call it a house. More like a shack or better yet, a box."

Urged by the feeling deep inside her, Gretel leaned towards Kotler and whispered in his ear despite the fact that they were alone. "Well then, I guess it's a good thing I don't mind what it looks like."

Kotler stepped back immediately and plucked off his hat to run a hand through his hair.

"Damnit Gretel!" Kotler cursed loudly and the wind howled in response. "I am trying to be a gentleman. How am I supposed to respond when you say stuff like that?"

Gretel giggled happily and began to skip off in the direction she had watched Kotler walk in many times before.

"I don't know, but while you stand there contemplating it I'm going to go to your place and warm up!"

XX

Gretel was examining the contents on Kurt's small table when he pushed open the door and walked in. He smiled at her but didn't say anything as he stripped off his jacket and pulled off his boots and socks. Gretel stared at him as she rolled a wood carving between her hands.

Kotler placed his cap on the coat hanger by the door before taking a seat next to her on the small couch. The couch was so small that he practically sat on her lap, with his pant clad thigh pressed against her bare one.

"I made that," Kurt said pointing to the wooden figurine in her hand "back when I thought I had a knack for carving. As you can tell, I was sorely wrong." He chuckled and Gretel laughed along with him absentmindedly because in all honest she had forgotten all about the wood carving and was intent on staring at him.

"And then after that I tried fishing-"

"Kurt."

"-but I was always too loud and I would scare off the-"

"Kurt."

"-fish so then my father had me-"

"Kotler!"

Kotler stopped in the middle of his nervous ramble and looked up.

Gretel kissed him then. Her lips brushed across his before pressing fully. She moved her lips, urging his to respond and tugged at the hairs on the back of his neck when he kept frozen. She crawled into his lap and paused to kiss his nose and then his forehead and then both cheeks before returning to his lips. She finally felt Kotler lips move against hers and he wrapped his around her body, pulling her flush against him.

Gretel soon grew tired of their slow pace and but softly on his lip, asking for permission. Kotler seemed to either not notice or ignore her request and continued the pace slowly, almost seeming hesitant. Gretel took measures into her own hands and pulled away and begin to kiss at his neck. She showered slow, meaningful kisses down his neck, pausing to flick her tongue at his collar bone.

Kotler let out a shaky breath. "Gretel." He said.

She ignored him and continued to kiss him.

"Gretel" he repeated more firmly, his arms dropping to his sides.

She reached the edge of his shirt and began to tug at the buttons with tiny, determined fingers. She got the first undone when Kotler shouted; "Gretel!" shoved her aside and jumped to his feet.

He was panting hard and his eyes flickered all across the room, trying to avoid her look.

"What are you trying to do?" he exclaimed and for a moment Gretel thought he sounded angry.

She looked up from where she was sitting, finally capturing his eyes and huffed, "Well I was trying to kiss you."

Kotler groaned loudly and ran a hand through his hair.

"I like you Gretel. I like you a lot. And I want you to know that this," he waved his arms dramatically, "is not all you mean to me. This isn't the only thing I want from you."

"Well I'm glad." She said confused, reaching for his hand. He pulled away harshly and Gretel felt momentarily hurt.

"I know my intentions Gretel. It's yours I'm not too sure about."

Gretel's body erupted in heat and she jumped to her feet.

Anger and hurt and betrayal coursed through her body.

She saw red. "You think that's what this is all about?" She screeched. Kurt flinched but didn't back down.

"You think I would go through all of this just because I find you attractive?"

Kotler opened his mouth but she was too angry to let him speak.

"Sorry Kotler, but if I just wanted someone to make out with I would just do it with Bryant, or better yet Skylar." Kotler shrinked back at her cold words "I didn't mean to offend you, Gretel."

"Yeah, well you did," Gretel spat, "You should know I wouldn't go through all this trouble if I didn't love you. I mean for chrissake Kotler!"

Kotler searched her eyes and she could tell he was hurt too. "You wouldn't really go after Skylar would you?"

Gretel huffed "Well at least he wouldn't try to start a fight with me for no reason."

Kotler ran a hand through his hair and she could see the pain etched on his face. "Shit Gretel, I don't mean to. It's just, I've never done this before and-"

"Excuse me?"

Kotler's lips pursed. "I've never really done anything like this before."

Gretel snorted in disbelief.

"You have to be kidding, right?"

"It's not funny! I'm being serious. You're the only person."

"I'm not laughing!" Gretel exclaimed. "I promise. It's just…you actually are telling the truth aren't you? I just…I wouldn't have ever guessed."

"Yeah well I kind of have…trust issues so just don't…don't break my heart okay?"

Gretel reached forward and cupped Kotler's face fondly and looked deeply into his eyes. She saw it then. She saw how serious he was. He was scared about being hurt. "Yeah well I have trust issues too" Kotler scoffed.

"I do!" she exclaimed, "I trust too easily…so you don't go breaking my heart either okay?"

He raised his arm in the air. "I promise Scout's honor."

"Scout's honor." Gretel repeated with her own arm raised.

Kotler grabbed her raised hand and pulled her into a hug. "Sorry I'm an asshole." He said into her hair.

"Sorry I'm obsessed with kissing you." She joked and then pulled away, "But in my defense, like I said I've been chasing after you for ages so I feel pretty entitled to some kissing."

Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Entitled huh?"

Gretel pulled at the buttons on his shirt playfully and looked up with a twinkle in her eye. "Yeah, just like you're entitled to the compliments I'll show you in once I see you without this shirt on."

Kotler laughed out loud at that.

XX

It was pitch black when Kotler walked her the few minutes back to her house. Truth be told, after their small fight all they did was talk. Even though it wasn't kissing it was still equally nice. She liked talking to Kurt, she liked laughing at his jokes and listening to his rich deep voice as he told her about his past.

He also admitted that she was turning him from a man into a lovey dovey mush ball and he was starting to even disgust himself. All to which Gretel assured him that she liked him, mush ball and all, and that he was still very much a big, strong, manly man.

Needless to say, she was happy when she returned home.

That's way she was so surprised when she opened the front door and was met with the sight of her mother sobbing into her hands and her dad pacing back and forth.

"Gretel!" Screeched her mother and threw herself on Gretel, soaking her shoulder instantly with her tears of relief.

"Where the hell have you been?" her father stormed angrily. Gretel looked up in shock but saw not anger in his eyes but worry.

"What are you guys talking about?" she asked when she finally pried her mother off her.

"I was gone for no more than an hour."

"Bruno." Her mother said urgently, "is Bruno with you?"

A feeling of dread started to crawl up her skin and she responded by shaking her head slowly. The effect was instant and her mother broke out into another sob and her father began to pace back and forth once more.

"Are any of you going to tell me what's going on?"

"It Bruno." Her father spoke; she could've sworn she heard his voice crack "he's missing."

Gretel's blood ran cold and a loud sob tore through her mother's throat. "What do you mean Bruno's gone missing?"

"We haven't seen him all day, it's beyond late and we can't find him."

"Well where have you checked?" her voice was cracking and she was on the verge of hysteria hersel.

"He's not in the house or in the yard, there's nowhere else he could be." Her mother looked up from her tear soaked hands long enough to say.

"What about the fence?"

Both her parents froze.

"Bruno told me not to tell you but he goes there a lot. He has a friend, from the other side. He goes there practically every day to talk to him and play with him and maybe he's there. Maybe he's just with his friend." She rushed out, hoping to God she was right.

There was silence in the entire house. Her mother had stopped crying and a look of horror filled her face.

"But" she whispered, "but today is"

"Extermination day" her father finished for her. His face was frozen with fear.

Gretel felt as if she was doused in ice cold water and as if her heart had stopped beating.

Extermination day.

XX

Andddd cut. Hope that wasn't too bad for being extremely rushed. If this gets good reviews though I promise to be a good girl and upload the next chapter soon.

Once again, sorry for the longgggg wait.