DISCLAIMER: yes, I saw the movie and enjoyed it enough to write this. I don't own anything, though I get the feeling I'll buy the DVD when it comes out. Also, I'm using all the movie information, not the actual, historical stuff. Like their ages being reversed in the movie. I'm using that. Also, forgive my lack of knowledge of German geographical history.

1

"Jacob!" Wilhelm Grimm grabbed the back of his younger brother neck and tossed him to the ground. A chair exploded against the wall where he had just been standing. Will then dove down next to him.

"Will! What are we doing?" Jake hissed in his brother's ear.

"You know exactly what we're doing. We're making money," he whispered back, then, louder. "Vile Witch! You'll get what's coming to you!" his voice dropped to a whisper again. "We've been planning and practicing and rehearsing for months Jake, it's going great!"

"I can not believe we're doing this to people! It's horrible!" He made to stand up quickly, but Will yanked him back down as another pile of furniture flew past. "This is wrong, will!"

"Oh shut up, Jake." He sighed dramatically. "We'll continue this later." He stood up, pulled a hefty sword from his belt, and continued the act.

Their first adventure, scam, call it what you want but oh how Jake wished for those times again. They were simpler times and while they were also less honest times, they were so much easier. And Will would always manage to explain away the moral faults of their chosen profession. He would say sternly, "Jake. We need the money. Our poor dear mother needs the money, and I don't think we're going to find any magic beans to solve our financial problems." That would quickly shut up Jake up every time. Of course, once their mother died, the scamming was just a very successful profession, that would be a pain in the ass, and not to mention a little difficult, to stop doing.

"You know all these legends Jake," Will told him one afternoon, as the rode away from another triumphant trick. "I don't really get why, but you do, and the villagers believe them. They believe in all this silly magic and stuff. I mean, think of it this way Jake, we're the best frauds around. We make these peoples fears real. They're not just stories anymore, not for them. We make their worst fears come alive!" He laughed merrily. Jake couldn't see the humor in it.

Now though, the brothers did their very best to live a quiet existence. After the Mirror Witch incident they stayed in Marbaden and things changed between them. Will believed in magic… a little. And despite his complete recovery, still had occasional heart difficulties, of which he told no one about. Jake wrote. A lot. He stayed with Angelika, who he loved truly and dearly. While he hoped to marry her someday, he still saw her affection towards his brother. Jake knew (and highly resented) that Will could take Angelika from him whenever he wanted, for she loved him too and Will was better looking and a good bit more charming. Jake often cast sad, distressed looks between his brother and Angelika whenever they were in the same room together. This feeling of distrust tore at Jakes relationship with both Angelika and Will more than he could actually know.

Life was easy in Marbaden, now that the forest didn't try to eat people and the trees didn't move. Jake ventured into the depths of the forest time and again to be immersed in how quiet it was. Will flirted shamelessly with any woman that would let him.

The brothers were closer than ever now, and Will's constant taunting had finally stopped. It was a welcome relief. The pair were basically inseparable, when it came right down to it. One never left town without the other, even if they were only leaving for a few days, or less. Will's heart tore when Jake would refuse to let himself be accompanied into the woods.

The messages from desperate towns seeking help slowed quickly, and stopped all together after just a few months.

At the point when Marbaden was so peaceful and so quiet and so undeniably dull that it drove Will crazy, a young man rode into town and began asking for the Brothers Grimm.

Will met him happily. The boy said nothing, nor did he even dismount his horse, but he simply handed Will a wax sealed note and rode away. By the time Jake arrived on the scene, the messenger was out of sight.

"What does it say?" he asked, eying the yellow paper clasped tightly in Will's hand.

"I haven't opened it yet…" Will sounded distracted. Jake ignored it.

"Well do. I'd like to know what all that mysteriousness was about."

"'Mysteriousness'? Jake, honestly." Will smiled and popped the seal.

"Are we sure... sure it's for us then?"

"Of course. It's got our names on it," Will said. He flipped the paper over to show 'Herrs Wilhelm und Jacob Grimm' in delicate writing. He opened the envelope and read it silently.

"Will! What does it say?" Will grunted but obliged in reading the letter out loud.

"'Dear Grimms," He read. "Our town is being troubled by the most horrible darkness. It has invaded all of our water and has left a dark fog in its wake. We kindly ask for your expertise and assistance in removing this horrid curse from our village. Sincerely, the town of Coburg, east of Frankfurt." Will ended lamely, and looked over at his little brother, who seemed deeply engrossed in thought. "What?"

"Sounds like The Plague to me." Jake said darkly.

"Sounds like evil magic to me. It also sounds like fun." He noticed Jakes worry and added, "Let's just go check it out. We'll keep our collars up and not touch anybody, okay?" Jake sighed loudly but nodded. Will grinned, clapped his brother on the back and strode off to pack and prepare for the trip.

XO

The night before their departure, Jacob slept poorly. He opened his eyes in the middle of the night to pitch blackness. Listening carefully for the comforting sound of his brother's breathing in the next bed over, he couldn't hear it.

"Will?" he asked quietly. "Will?" louder this time. He sat up, ears straining for any sort of reply. "Will?" His voice cracked with anxiousness and nerves and fear. He still couldn't see anything. "Will?" Hands grabbed his shoulders and shook him.

"Jake! I'm here. I'm right here." Jakes vision cleared and in the dim starlight that filled the room he could see the tired face of his brother in front of him. Jake was panting. "Are you alright?" Jake glanced, panicky, around the room, trying to avoid Will's gaze.

"Yes." He breathed. "Yes, I'm fine."

"It was really odd. You were calling out and I kept answering you but… it was like you couldn't hear me. Your eyes were open but… nobody was home…"

"I was dreaming. That's all… not a big deal, nothing to worry about. I'm sorry I woke you." He smiled and leaned back onto his elbows. Will clambered back into bed. Jake rolled over and for a long time after Jake had fallen back asleep, Will lay awake, staring at his brothers back and worrying about him. He wished desperately Jake had trusted him enough to tell him what had really been going on.

XO

On the day of their departure, the entire town came out to wave them goodbye. Jake kissed Angelika and held her hands tightly, looking deep into her eyes. He smiled at her in a way he hoped looked reassuring, but also nonchalant. He kissed her again. Jake hated leaving town. Will swept over and dipped Angelika and kissed her. The townspeople laughed. Jake flushed and looked the other way. Once Will was seated valiantly on his horse, the pair departed, waving back at their friends until the village was over the horizon.