A/N: Hi there everyone! I updated a little earlier than last time XD! I just want say that this story is getting harder and harder to write, so I need your support my lovely reader! A warm thank you to Janechen88, TheNaggingCube, Shadowfox, ManaLoves801, Viresse, and Dean for reviewing last chapter, your wonderful feedback gave me my motivation.

And this chapter is shorter than the last one, it has returned to its normal length, so my apology to anyone who was expecting something long.

ONLY DEATH AWAITS...

A "Hansel and Gretel" fanfiction

Hansel centric

Genre: Angst, Tragedy, Hurt/ Comfort, Family

Warning: This is a DARK fanfiction that includes torture, suicidal thoughts and attempts, violence, psychological problems, abandonment, incest, etc.

Pairing: HanselGretel, (a little) BenGretel

Disclaimer: I do not own the plot of "Hansel and Gretel: witch hunters" or any of the characters in this film.

Do NOT attempt to read this if you dislike any/ all of the above.

You have been warned!

And for the rest who are staying, please enjoy.

Chapter 4: Taken

The brisk air of the morning touched her skin, refreshing and tingling, when she opened the windows. Taking in a deep breath, Gretel closed her eyes to take in the soft, cooling breezes before turning around to sit down on the edge of the bed where her brother was lying, unmoving. The only indication that he was still there, alive, at all was the fact that his skin was still warm and his chest was rising and falling in a slow and shallow rhythm. It seemed almost as if he was just merely sound asleep... Arnold had called it 'coma', a word originated from Greek, Hansel was in a coma, a state of being in a very deep sleep and become unresponsive to the world around him.

She held his hand gently, scooting closer before lying down next to him, wanting badly to feel his warmth, quietly wishing that he would wake up, smile and put his arm around her. She didn't really know how many times she had thought up that scenario in her mind, praying that it would come true. However, she wasn't entirely sure when that would come true... even Arnold had seemed skeptical. Even so, she wouldn't give up, Gretel refused to back down and let her hope just slip away. This was her brother, this was Hansel they were talking about, and she knew that if it had been her, he would not abandon her either.

That day... Hansel's fever was escalating more and more and quite rapidly also. Arnold's medicine didn't work and the expressions on Hansel's face grew incredibly uncomfortable as he sometimes groaned and mumbled something incoherently. The only thing Gretel could make out from among all the jumbled words was her own name being called repeatedly, desperately and painfully. He was dreaming again, dreaming about her, seeing nightmares involving her.

And it made Gretel feel like her heart was being ripped out of her chest. She watched over him until Arnold came in and asked if she could wake Hansel up. Of course she tried, she did everything she could while trying very hard not to hurt him further, but he didn't even stir. Gretel had suppressed her panic and fear with all her will and remained strong... for the both of them. There had been enough problems to deal with already, she would never allow herself to be a burden when she had a choice on the matter. She knew that Hansel wouldn't have wanted for this to happen either, but he didn't have a choice...

Arnold had frowned, seemingly very troubled by this as the man turned and walked out of the room with hurried steps, deep in thoughts, and didn't return until much, much later on. It was a while after the doctor had gone out that Hansel's hands started twitching visibly, and he was murmuring a lot more. Beads of sweat rolled down his face, Hansel was obviously growing restless as the crease between his eyebrows deepened considerably. Even so, her brother still refused to open his eyes. And the fear of not knowing was eating away at Gretel from the inside out, there was nothing she was sure of at that point. Even Arnold, the man she had trusted and left the life of her brother in his hands, hadn't seemed too sure either. All that she could possibly do then was to remain by his side and call out his name in an attempt to drag him out of this state of unconsciousness. Everything she tried, in the end, was completely in vain. She would keep on trying though because there was no other way to do it aside from holding his hand tightly and begging him to return to her.

Sometimes, his eyes would open up for a brief moment, Gretel immediately grabbed the chance to try and drag him back to reality, practically shouting out his name at the top of her lungs. But those grey eyes were so dull and glazed over, so unfocused as they tried to find the source of her voice and failed miserably in the process before sliding shut once more. Gretel wanted to cry, she wanted to cry so much whenever that happened because she was right there, right there next to him, but Hansel couldn't see it. He was aware and yet so lost and numb to his surroundings at the same time.

Seeing but not seeing.

Her eyes stung as she tried and tried to no avail several times after that. She needed to stay calm and keep it together for as long as she could, knowing that panicking wouldn't do her any good. Gretel kept on reminding that to herself over and over again because even though she knew so, it didn't mean she could do so...

Breathing in and out as evenly as possible, she turned to find Arnold returning to the room again to check up on Hansel's condition. She asked him to do something, but he kept silent for a moment or so before saying that then wasn't the time for him to interfere. The brunette had done all she could to stop herself from grabbing him on the collars and demand for an explanation. Of course, she managed to keep herself from flying off the handle as the sister cleared her throat and asked again with all the control she had left in her. Thinking back, Gretel was rather quite impressed that she could've done that without bursting out at the man.

" He still has a chance to walk away from this without needing the assistance of my medicines, Gretel. A couple more hours to see where this will go then you can decide whether it is wise to take the risk or not." Was what he said, which puzzled her much at the time since she couldn't really think straight with this mess as well as the exhaustion that was building up larger and larger. Just that whatever it was that the doctor had thought up while he was away could potentially either harm or help Hansel. Figuring that out didn't really help the situation at hand, not even for the slightest bit.

" This is happening because his diabetes is acting up. His body is weak after the attack, therefore, cannot take his regular doses and has to switch to milk and honey. But now... because of switching to milk and honey, something that I can only assume his body cannot absorb properly, that has led us to this..." Arnold sighed frustratingly and tiredly, the man was clearly very worried about where this was going, too. " What I'm planning on giving him, should things turn out not as we hope, is something very dangerous. It's a concoction of herbal medicines along with a concentrated dose of his own diabetic shot. I have made it so that the shots won't overpower the herbal medicine." He then looked at her, eyes dead serious, not that she was taking any of this lightly. " It could make or break him. And even if somehow he, miraculously, survive this, nothing will ever be the same again. The risk is high, so choose, Gretel because I'm not the one who he'll be depending on in order to live. Be wise about this. This is your life we're talking about as well, not just his."

But it had never been only about her.

They were ' Hansel and Gretel: the witch hunters'. All her life, she had never been alone, he had never left her side and neither did she.

Herbal medicines and concentrated dose of his own diabetic shot;

Make or break;

Miraculously survive;

Never be the same again;

Depending on in order to live;

Dangerous...

The words swirled and oozed in her ears, echoing in a strange and eerie way that chilled her to the bone. And Gretel suddenly felt the urge to throw up as her eyes drifted between the doctor and her delirious brother.

Some times later, well into the night, Hansel's body started convulsing... It was clearly collapsing internally... and Gretel knew exactly what had to be done that moment.

" Do it Arnold!" She remembered shouting that as she and Ben tried their best to hold Hansel down as she quickly slipped a cloth between his teeth, preventing him from biting his own tongue and dying in the process. No. He wasn't going to die... Hansel was certainly not going to die, not under her watch.

" Just do it! Anything... Anything! Just save him. Save my brother!"

Gretel squeezed her eyes shut, it was giving her a headache just by reliving the hectic night... everything was so messy up until dawn. The drug had taken effect immediately, it ceased Hansel's body from moving, and Gretel was momentarily relieved by this. However, Arnold had thought otherwise as he instructed Ben to run down stairs and fetch him the rope. They worked quickly to tie Hansel down to the bed, strapping it over his body tightly before it got the chance to move again.

Another attack seized her brother's body, but the rope had kept him pretty much under control as the concoction coursed through his body. All of his muscles were tensed as the blue veins were visible underneath his clammy skin, sweating profusely as he groaned... his eyes were opened, but she could see was the white and bloodshot part of them, not those beautiful pupils that had always looked at her with all their adoration. She had stood there and witnessed everything, heart leaping loudly in her chest and from behind, she could feel Arnold's hand on her shoulder, squeezing it tightly as if telling her to prepare herself for the worst.

The brunette swallowed thickly and let out a shaky breath, clenching her hands into fists. No, nothing was going to take Hansel away from her, not if she could help it. Slowly, she approached him and Arnold had let her without hesitation, knowing in his mind that this could possibly be their last moments together, whether Hansel was conscious and aware of it or not. Gretel bent down next to the bed, gently placing her hands on his cheeks.

" Hey..." She called out softly and shakily. " It's me, Gretel. Can you hear me, Hansel?" Her voice was nowhere above a whisper, as faint as a morning breeze, she didn't want anyone else to hear this exchange between her and her brother, this was their moment of privacy. Leaning forward, her lips touched his skin as she planted a kiss on his forehead, not for the least bit feeling disgusted by the layer of sweat covering it. " Fight, brother. Fight for you and for me, also... Live because... I need you, Hansel."

It wasn't until morning that Hansel's condition was stabilized completely, and everyone was exhausted, especially Gretel. However, she refused to rest for she wanted to be there when he would eventually wake up. One, two, three days then a week later, but there was no sign indicating that he was going to open his eyes any time soon. After another week, Arnold deemed it as 'coma', as if they could not do anything further for him, he just needed to wake up on his own.

A month passed by, Gretel had already begun teaching Ben how to use their most basic and commonly used weapons, for more protection just in case... Hansel would always deserve the best of what they could offer. The boy was holding up nicely through the training and was used to handling many of the guns they had, but of course, he had had his fair share of experience with guns before. In short, Gretel wasn't at all that surprised because Hansel had been one of the quickest learner she had ever seen, not that she was praising him because he was her brother, absolutely not. Just that for a child that was merely twelve or thirteen who hadn't harmed a single living soul deliberately to pick up a gun and get accustomed to using it in just a few days or so had and would always been impressive.

They ran short on money a few weeks later, Arnold offered them to stay, but without money to supply themselves with food... Gretel didn't think they had a choice on the matter. And of course Hansel was coming along also, conscious or not, they only had to put him on a newly built cart and took turn pushing it... it wasn't the best way, but she would not allow Hansel to be out of her sight. Not to mention the fact that, no, she couldn't bother Arnold with taking care of her own brother.

This was the fourth town, counting from the day they left the doctor's place. The job was simple and familiar, rescuing children from a dark witch's grasps. Gretel sighed and slid her fingers through Hansel's hair, which had been steadily growing out of its normally short length little by little. She could still remember clearly their first job as witch hunters, or children rescuers. They were still very munch inexperienced at everything, so when Hansel saw Gretel being lifted up into the air by the witch, he panicked. She could still see that look in those grey orbs of his, scared and lost. However, he managed to keep it together and shot the witch multiple times in the chest. He had always been good with guns and anything related to aiming. Hansel ran to where the witch had thrown her, cradling her in his arms, looking as if he was about to cry at any given moment.

Hansel had always been sweet, though his method of showing it changed throughout the years as they gradually grew up. Sleeping on the ground, rolling under the bed every now and then, Gretel couldn't help but smile sadly at the fond memories as she closed her eyes.

" Please wake up, Hansel..." She whispered softly before planting a gentle kiss on his temple. " I miss you." Every word was from the bottom of her heart as she prayed that, somehow, her brother even in his unconscious state could hear it.

Gretel had never felt so useless because, before, when he was injured, she could still help him treat the wounds... now, he was right there, clearly unwell and yet, there was nothing she could do but to give him his regular shots that Arnold had instructed her to. One for his diabetes and one for maintaining his body's nutrients on an acceptable level. The man had made enough doses for the group to travel for three months before having to return to his place for more, and Gretel couldn't ask for more. She felt grateful to have a man such as Arnold to look out for them, and they had owed him a lot, too much... She'd have to return the favor later on though she wasn't too sure if anything she could do would ever be enough.

A knock sounded on the wooden door, pulling her back to reality. " Gretel, time to go meet the Mayor." It was Ben, she sighed.

" I'll be out soon." She replied before turning her attention back to Hansel. Sadness washed over her once more as she felt like a stone was weighing down on her heart, she didn't want to leave him, but she couldn't just let Ben do all the work on his own. They still had a plan to discuss.

The witch hunter stood up, the despair of having to leave her brother all alone in a room like this dampened her mood because she knew how much Hansel hated being left behind, but it couldn't be helped. " I promise I'll be back soon, alright?" She caressed his cheek gently then tugged the blanket back up to keep him warm and turned on her heels to head out of the room.

" Uhg..."

Gretel stopped dead on her track. That was undoubtedly... a groan. And there were only two people occupying this room that moment, her and... Spinning around, she could literally hear her heart drumming loudly in her chest, beat by beat as her breath quickened and turned shallow. Eyes frantically looking at her brother... Was she hearing things? Perhaps her mind was playing tricks on her for she had not slept much last night?

She squeezed her eyes shut and clenched her fists tightly, breathing in and out slowly to calm the raging storm within her. She must have been wrong... her eyes stung greatly as she told herself repeatedly not to get too worked up over this, not to get her hopes up too high... Gretel drew in a shaky breath and opened her eyes once more, staring at the still form of Hansel... only... it wasn't still anymore. Him... Hansel was stirring... His chest expanded considerably, inhaling deeply, deeper than he had ever done since he went into a coma. Those eyelids fluttered softly like flapping wings of butterfly then appeared behind them were the very grey orbs she had been longing for.

Oh, Lord...

" Hansel?" Her breath hitched as she choked on her own words, feeling this wetness trickling down her cheeks. Gretel sobbed, she wasn't dreaming, was she? Was she? She hoped not, desperately praying that she hadn't been dreaming or hallucinating because it just felt so real... and to wake up from it all and find that nothing had actually happened, that Hansel hadn't just stirred, that he hadn't just opened his eyes... It would break her.

Those eyes turned to look at her as they slowly widened.

" G-Gre-tl?" Hansel managed to croak out with difficulty as if he was channeling all his energy just to perform the simple task of speaking. Maybe he really was, judging from how tired, worn out and confused he looked, his voice was dry and hoarse from the lack of use. " Gre-tel..." He tried again, sounding so much smoother this time. " W-hy are you-..."

Before he could actually finish what he was struggling to say, she had quickly gone to his side and embraced him tightly in her arms, burying her face into the crook of his neck, breathing in his scent, feeling his heart beating so much stronger than ever before, letting the tears run freely down from her eyes. This was real, it had to be real because the warmth that was seeping through her skin and the gentle squeeze on her back told her that it could not possibly just be an imagination.

" Welcome back." She whispered, voice cracking ever so gently. " My idiot of a brother."

He chuckled somewhat, the vibration of it rumbled in his chest and quickly reached her skin. " You know it."

Hansel felt tired and worn out, his muscles were aching like he had been beaten up really badly, or getting continuously slammed into walls of rock, whichever hurt more. However, that wasn't his main concern at the moment, that much he could make out with how groggy his mind was, for reasons he couldn't really fathom. What was more important was the fact that Gretel cried, she cried and sobbed, it wasn't something one could see every day. What was wrong? He wondered to himself as he lifted up his hands to rest on her back, tightened his holds as far as he could that moment. Whatever the reason, he needed to calm her down first.

Leaning against Gretel like this suddenly made him realize something, he missed her a lot. His body was literally sucking in all the warmth it could take as he shuddered for a moment, it finally dawned on him how cold and stiff he felt. Why though? He couldn't understand why... he had been sleeping for... for...

" Gretel?" He called, trying to make his voice work without too many hitches, why was it so hard? " How-..." Hansel struggled to say what was on his mind, the words were there, right there, since when had it become so hard to just speak what was already there? He swallowed thickly, all of a sudden, feeling this fear bubbling from the pit of his stomach. " How long have... have I... been... asleep?"

There was no reply, only this deafening silence as his sister slowly let go of him, depriving him of his source of warmth and comfort... It scared him... but he couldn't for the life of him find the energy that he normally possessed to hold her back, watching as she slowly slipped away, out of his fingers.

Gretel wiped away the wetness of her eyes before focusing her attention on him again, a sad look clouding those brown orbs. Her lips weren't so pink and soft-looking anymore, they were pale and somewhat cracked as they moved to form the words he was about to hear. " More than a month."

He stared at her for a moment, no, he didn't catch that right, he thought she had just said- " More than a month, Hansel." She repeated as if sensing his confusion. His eyebrows furrowed, that must have been a mistake... no one... how could anyone sleep that long?

" You were in, what Arnold called, a coma, brother. You were in a very deep sleep and became unaware and unresponsive to the world around you." She replied his question, and it was starting to get somewhat creepy how she could almost seem like reading his mind like that.

Hansel stayed quiet, willing his shrouded mind to accept the information, it did though, only taking a long time to process it all. " Is... Is it the reason why... why I'm feel-ing so t-tired?"

For a second there she was quiet again before answering quietly. " Partly."

He didn't asked what she had meant by that because he didn't catch that, because his foggy mind had let it slip, because somehow... it felt like drowning again. Gretel saw that distant look that was growing in those eyes as they started to become dull, she fought back the urge to shiver.

" Hansel..." She began, but was cut off short when the door creaked open.

" Gretel, we're late, what are you-..." Ben stepped in and stopped mid-track when he saw what was happening in the room. His brown eyes landed on Hansel, who then was slowly looking up at him. He had woken up, Ben thought to himself, eyeing the brother rather cautiously before turning to Gretel. " We have to go." He spoke with a low tone that almost sounded like he was ordering her to listen and do what he said.

" I can't. You go alone, I have to stay here-..." She protested.

" Mayor's order, remember? He told us to be there. I can't go alone, we have a plan to discuss, too, need I remind you."

Hansel stared at the boy, who then was looking much stronger and more well-built than before, Gretel must have trained him well, not that she had ever done anything half-way. Either way, he didn't like the tone Ben was using, nor the way he was speaking to Gretel. His blood boiled inside of him as he gripped the bed sheet tightly, trying to control himself. Who did that boy think he was, talking as if he was better than anyone else in this room. Better than Hansel, perhaps yes, but Gretel? Don't even think about it. Ben may be good at aiming and shooting, but Gretel was too, and when it came to strategies, speed and agility, his sister could beat him any time. And, somehow, Hansel's mind became very clear for the first time since he had woken up.

" She does not need you to remind her what she has to do." He spoke up, using all the strength he had left in him to make it sound like a warning as much as possible. They both turned to look at him with surprise shining in their eyes, though Ben's instantly turned cold after the initial shock. " And why are you holding my gun?"

" I-..."

" Put it back into the weapon chest and find yourself another one." And Ben gave Hansel a glare of defiance. " Or I swear the moment I get off this bed, I will use that very same gun to blast a hole in your stinky mouth and the hand you're holding it." His voice was low, cold and, surprisingly, calm. A smirk found its way onto his lips when he detect a sprinkle of fear crossed that boy's eyes even if it was just for a split of a second. Ben's eyes narrowed, anger coursing through his veins as he stormed out of the room, much like a child that he was. He had it coming, he should have known better than to have offended Gretel like that when Hansel was sitting right there, and the brat even had the nerve to take Hansel's gun and use it like it was his. Dear Lord, what had that boy become?

" Hansel, I-..." Gretel turned to him, clearly trying to explain what had just happened.

" Just go after him and make sure that he doesn't damage my gun." He smiled. " We'll talk later when you get back." His sister seemed like she was at a loss of what to do, but he waved his hand dismissively. " Really, go, Gretel. I don't want him getting all angry and taking it out on my gun."

After a second or two, she nodded then leaned forward to kiss his forehead gently. " I'll be back soon. Stay in bed, alright?"

" I know, I know."

She finally left the room after another minute of lingering as the door was closed behind her. The cold was settling down once more, creeping into every inch of his being. The smile died on his lips, Hansel let out a heavy sigh as he sat still there for a while, leaning heavily against the pillow behind his back with his eyes shut. He didn't really want Gretel to leave, but she needed to, and he couldn't just stop her because of his own selfishness.

A soft breeze blew from the open windows just next to his bed as Hansel listened to all the activities down there in the street. The sound of people bustling about, the noise of cattle and other animals and laughter of small children... everything was so near and yet so far away. His head was swimming, but he could still clearly make out a few certain sentences that Hansel suspected were made by the same children who had been laughing just then.

" It's Hansel and Gretel, the witch hunters!"

" They are going to save our friends!"

And Hansel knew... not only had his gun been taken from him, but his place in all of this had been taken away as well. His eyebrows creased in pain as he clenched his jaw tightly, trying to override the pain.

But it still hurt so badly...

To be continued...