Fairytale Visit

Rapunzel

Hey everyone, so I just wanted to say that this will be the last fairy tale I'm going to do, I wouldn't have even done this one, but I got a request for it. So this fairy tale is dedicated to choirboyandMalss. Please enjoy and thanks so much for all the support! :)
Also, I may not update for a little while. I have my psychology exam tomorrow... :S And then Science on the 24th, but I will try.

It had been yet another exhausting day for Mal and Natara at the precinct; they had finally captured the latest killer to roam around the streets of San Francisco. It had been a rough week, and things had been a little awkward between the two partners ever since what had happened the last time they visited the local children's shelter. It had become a regular thing now, visiting at least once a week to tell the kids a story or two and then go home. Mal was a little hesitant to visit again after last time, but Natara, despite what she was feeling, managed to convince him otherwise.

While driving in Mal's cruiser, Natara riding shotgun, she had sat in silence for most of the journey; trying to pluck up the courage to ask what was on her mind, and finally get it out in the open. She bit on the flesh of her lower lip nervously and kept glancing over to Mal, whose eyes were fixed on the road. Eventually she just blurted it out, ignoring anything her brain was saying.

"Mal, we need to talk about this."

"About what?"

"This."

"And what is 'this' Natara?"

Natara sighed and rolled her eyes. He could be so difficult sometimes.

"What happened, you know, the last time we went to the shelter."

Mal didn't speak for a long moment and pulled up outside the San Francisco Children's Shelter. He tapped the wheel, debating what to say.

"Um... Well... I mean, it was... um..." He couldn't find anything to say and gave up, huffing. "What do you want me to say, Natara? What can I say?"

"I... I don't know."

Natara looked away, trying to hide her face. It's not that she didn't enjoy the kiss, because if she was honest with herself, it was the best kiss of her life, but when she decided to tell Oscar what had happened, he had gotten angry and broken up with her... again.

"Nat, look, I'm sorry. If it wasn't for me, Oscar would have never broken up with you."

"No, no. Mal, it... it wasn't your fault. Besides, it's kind of a relief actually."

"It is?"

"Yeah, I realised that I never really felt about him how I thought I did. I mean, I didn't even cry."

"I guess that's sort of a good thing, right?"

Natara nodded. Mal was hesitant, but reached over and placed his hand on top of hers. She looked down at it for a brief moment, before smiling and meeting Mal's gaze.

"Shall we do this?"

"Yep."

Sliding out of the car, the two walked side by side into the shelter and did the usual routine. Settling down the kids after being ambushed and Mal beginning his tale with Brea on his lap.

There once lived a man and a woman who always wished for a child, but could not have one. These people had a little window at the back of their house from which a splendid garden could be seen. The garden was full of the most beautiful flowers and herbs. It was, however, surrounded by a high wall, and no one dared to go into it because it belonged to an witch, who had great power and was feared by all the world.

One day the woman was standing by the window and looking down into the garden, when she saw a bed which was planted with the tastiest Rapunzel. It looked so fresh and green that she longed for it and had the greatest desire to eat some. This desire increased every day. The woman knew that she could not get any of it and grew more pale and miserable each day.

Her husband was worried about her and asked "What is wrong my dear?"

"Ah," she replied, "if I can't eat some of the Rapunzel from the garden behind our house I think I shall die."

The man, who loved her, thought, 'Sooner than let my lovely wife die, I will bring her some of the Rapunzel myself, no matter what the cost.'

In the twilight of the evening, he climbed over the wall into the garden of the witch, hastily grabbed a handful of Rapunzel and took it to his wife. She at once made herself a salad and ate it happily. She, however, liked it so much - so very much, that the next day she longed for it three times as much as before. If he was to have any rest, her husband must once more descend into the garden. In the gloom of evening, he set out again; but when he had climbed over the wall he was terribly afraid, for he saw the witch standing before him.

"How dare you," she said with angry look, "sneak into my garden and steal my Rapunzel like a thief? You shall suffer for this!"

"Ah," the frightened husband answered, "please have mercy; I had to have the Rapunzel. My wife saw it from the window and felt such a longing for it that she would have died if she had not got some to eat."

Then the witch allowed her anger to be softened, and said to him,

"If this is true, I will allow you to take as much as you like, only I make one condition. You must give me the baby daughter your wife will bring into the world; she shall be well treated, and I will care for it like a mother."

The man in his fear consented and when the baby was born the witch appeared at once, gave the child the name of Natara and took the baby away with her.

"Me again?"

"Oh... I could change it if-"

"No, it's fine. Continue." Natara said with a smile.

Natara grew into the most beautiful child beneath the sun. When she was twelve years old, the witch shut her into a tower, which lay in an enchanted forest. The tower had no stairs or doors, but only a little window at the very top. When the witch wanted to go in, she stood beneath the window and cried,

"Natara, Natara, let down your hair."

Natara had magnificent long hair, fine as spun brunette silk, and when she heard the voice of the witch she wound her braids round one of the hooks of the window, and then the hair fell down the side of the tower and the witch climbed up by it.

"And, now we have a problem." Mal said, pausing his story.

"Why?" The kids asked.

"We don't have a prince... again."

"Why not use Natara's boyfriend?" The annoying young boy from last time mumbled.

"Because I don't have one anymore." Natara said calmly.

"Oh... Oops."

"Anyway, any idea's kids?" Mal cut in.

"You?" Brea whispered.

"Me? Um..."

"Mal," Natara whispered and leaned over. "Just go with it, then we get to leave quicker."

"Got ya." Mal turned back to the children. "Okay, then. I guess it's me."

"Yay!" Brea cheered and giggled.

After a couple of years, it came to pass that Mal rode through the forest and came across the tower. He heard a song which was so lovely coming from it that he stood still and listened. This was Natara who in her loneliness passed her time singing. Mal wanted to climb up to her, and looked for the door of the tower, but none was to be found. He rode home, but the singing had so deeply touched his heart that every day he went out into the forest and listened to it.

Once when he was standing behind a tree listening to Natara's song, he saw the witch come and heard how she cried,

"Natara, Natara, let down your hair."

Then Natara let down the braids of her hair, and the witch climbed up to her.

'If that is the ladder by which one mounts, I will for once try my fortune,' thought Mal and the next day when it began to grow dark, he went to the tower and cried,

"Natara, Natara, let down your hair."

Immediately the hair fell down and the Mal climbed up.

At first Natara was terribly frightened when a man such as her eyes had never seen, came to her; but Mal began to talk to her quite like a friend and told her that his heart had been so stirred by her singing that it had let him have no rest. Eventually Natara lost her fear, and Mal visited a number of times when the witch was out. Their bond had grown stronger and stronger with each visit. When he asked her if she would take him for her husband - and she saw that he was kind and handsome, she said yes, and laid her hand in his.

She said, "I will willingly go away with you, but I do not know how to get down. Bring a bit of silk with you every time you come and I will weave a ladder with it. When that is ready I will climb down and we shall escape together."

They agreed that until that time he should come to her every evening, for the old woman came by day. The witch knew nothing of this, until once Natara said in her distraction,

"Oh my, you are so much lighter when you climb than Mal."

"Ah! You wicked child," cried the witch "What do I hear you say? I thought I had separated you from the entire world but you have deceived me."

In her anger she clutched Natara's beautiful hair, seized a pair of scissors and cut it all off. Natara's lovely braids lay on the ground but the witch was not through. She was so angry that she took poor Natara and tied her up, placing her in the closet.

The witch rushed back to the tower and fastened the braids of hair which she had cut off, to the hook of the window, and when the Mal came and cried,

"Natara, Natara, let down your hair,"

She let the hair down. Mal climbed to the window, but he did not find his dearest Natara above, but the witch, who gazed at him with a wicked and venomous look.

"Aha!" she cried mockingly, "You've come for Natara but the beautiful bird sits no longer singing in the nest; the cat has got it and will scratch out your eyes as well. Rapunzel is trapped and you will never see her again!"

The witch ran at him, going to push him out the window but Mal dodged and the evil witch fell out of the window and down to the ground. Mal couldn't bear to see what had become of her so instead gazed around the room which once held his beloved Natara.

Just as he was about to give up and leave, in despair, he heard a light tapping sound coming from the closet. He was hesitant, but decided to investigate. Slowly opening the doors he felt relief and joy fill his heart. Natara looked up at him and he could see her smile through the rag in her mouth. He leant down and freed her. She flung her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Thank you!"

Mal took her by the hand and helped her descend the tower that had been her prison for years. For the first time in what seemed like forever, Natara felt the grass beneath her feet and sunlight on her face. The cold wind blew her chopped hair and whipped her skin. She took in everything, before getting onto Mal's steed and riding off into the distance. They were married in a month and lived-

"Happily ever after!" The kids called in unison.

"Yup! Just like always."

"Mal?" Brea asked.

"Yeah, kiddo?"

"Are you and Natawa going to get married one day?"

"Um... I don't think so Brea."

"Who knows," Natara cut in, and Mal gave her a puzzled look. "Now come on Fallon, take me away on your noble steed."

Natara stood up; smirking and Mal chuckled, joining her. He bowed slightly and swept Natara into his arms. Natara gasped and wrapped her arms around Mal's neck for support.

"Anything you say, you majesty."

He carried her bridal-style out the door, hearing the children laughing and cheering. They all ran to the door to see them off and waved. Mal walked up to his car and set her down gently. They both waved to the children as they got in the car and Mal started the engine.

"Ready?"

"Ready."

Mal revved the car a number of times, causing Natara to roll her eyes playfully.

"What? Gotta give the effect." Mal joked.

"Yeah, yeah. You're a real knight in shining armour, now drive." Natara playfully retorted.

Mal laughed and started driving away, waving one last time to the children. As he was driving down the road, they noticed it was sunset. Natara smiled and leaned over placing a light kiss upon his cheek. Mal blushed slightly and looked at her wide-eyed. Natara just laughed.

"You know, you're really good with kids. Thanks for coming with me all this time, Mal. It means a lot."

"Thanks, instinct I guess... you know, from my nieces. And it's fine, really. I actually had fun."

"Whoa... seriously? Mal Fallon had fun? I am shocked!" Natara said sarcastically.

Mal just rolled his eyes in response and drove her home. As she got out and vanished into her long term hotel, waving as she went, Mal wondered what next week would have in store. Or the week after. He could get used to this, the occasional kiss-of-thanks from Natara. He sat outside her hotel for a little while, lost in his thoughts. He reached up to the place where Natara had kissed his cheek and smiled. Her lips were so soft against his skin.

Then, Mal did something he'd never thought he'd do. He jumped out of his car and ran up the stairs to Natara's hotel room. He knocked on the door and waited anxiously for it to open. He heard Natara's sweet voice from the other side.

"Coming!"

Natara unlocked her door and opened it to see Mal standing there, panting.

"Mal? Is everything al-"

She was cut off by Mal's lips meeting hers and his arms snaking around her waist, pulling her close to him. Natara immediately relaxed in his arms and closed her eyes, feeling his soft lips caress hers. She kissed him back and wrapped her arms around him, deepening the kiss. After a long moment, Mal pulled away and gazed into her eyes. He placed their foreheads together, smiling. Natara grinned, showing her perfect white teeth.

"I love you."

"Oh Mal... I love you too."

Natara kissed him again, not wanting to let go. Ever since she was a little girl she had always dreamed of a fairy tale ending. And now she had found it, her own little fairy tale. Mal was her prince, her knight in shining armour and she couldn't be happier.

'I knew it would be a good idea to drag Mal with me there...' she thought, beaming.

Disclaimer: I do not own CoD, or any of the stories I have included.

-Molly

Copyright.