Rating: PG13…at the moment…

Spoilers: BTVS season 4 and Steven Sondhiem play Into the Woods.

Summary: I was told to write a fic involving the gang and the Steven Sondhiem play Into the Woods. So here you go.

Disclaimer: I own nothing…sad really…

Author’s note: This is dedicated to my beloved Bloodshedbaby and my precious beta, Spikeskat.. Thanks to who ever nominated my fic over at http://www.vkawards.vampires-kiss.net/ http://destined.to/lsawards and http://www.loveslastglimpse.com/awards/index.html please, please, please go vote. I won Judge’s Choice at the VK awards!!! Hehehehe…sorry…gave me a happy.

So I’ve been asked to make a cast list. So as it stands so far, the cast is such:

If you have any questions just drop me a line. Remember this is my first fic, so go easy on me. Also to those of you who know the play, I warn you that this is where I veer off course into my own little world. Thank you to everyone who sent me kind feedback, it meant a lot.

Feedback sends me to the happy place

The Wolf paced back and forth at the edge of the woods in front of Cinderella’s home. He knew the festival would continue tonight, and with it another ball. He also knew that Cinderella would attend and that bothered him more than he liked. There was a perfectly good young girl out there with her aged granny just waiting to be his next meal. But this girl, this Cinderella, had distracted him. So why was he there now? Why was he pacing in front of this girl’s house? Simple. He couldn’t stop thinking about her. She was in his thoughts, his dreams; he was very nearly drowning in her.

“You’re wearing a ditch into the ground.”

The Wolf stopped and took a deep breath. He closed his eyes as her scent enveloped him.

“You smell wonderful,” he said quietly. He turned around slowly, opening his eyes. “And you look even more wonderful, if that could be possible.” Her hair was swept up on top of her head, but she had let a few loose curls fall gently around her face. The moonlight shown brightly off her gown.

“You flatter me.”

“You deserve that and so much more,” he said as he reached for her hand. He bent slowly over her hand and brushed his lips very softly against her skin. He felt the small involuntary shiver that ran through her, and he couldn’t help but smile.

He stood up slowly and nearly forgot to breathe at the sight that greeted him. Her lips were slightly parted, and her eyes seemed to have darkened with the reflection of The Wolf’s own feelings.

Cinderella felt The Wolf began to draw her closer and part of her wanted nothing more than to lean into him, but she knew she couldn’t.

“You are too kind, Mr. Wolf,” she said withdrawing her hand from his. “You did not tell me what you were doing here.”

“I was…”

“Yes?”

“I was waiting for you, of course.”

“Me? Why?”

“To see if you would join me tonight.”

“Join you? Where?” She asked skeptically.

“My world,” he whispered. Slowly, he covered the few feet separating them. He leaned down so that his breath tickled along the side of her neck. “Come try my world on. Though this gown is lovely, my world would suit you much better. This world is not where you belong, you don’t fit here, come with me.”

Cinderella stepped away from The Wolf and frowned.

“We’ve discussed this before, you and I. You tried to convince me I didn’t belong. I told you that I did. I deserve to be in this world.”

“No, you don’t,” he sighed. The moment the world left his mouth, he knew he’d misspoken.

“I don’t?” she asked shocked.

“I said that wrong. I meant-“

“I know what you meant. Goodnight, Mr. Wolf.” She turned and began to walk into the woods towards the castle.

The Wolf flexed his claws by his side, his jaw clenched, and he gritted his teeth in an attempt to get his rage under control as she left him standing there.

~*~

“Don’t look at me!” the old witch cried, “Get the cape!”

The frightened baker looked between the old crone and the young girl with the red cape. It was the second night and so far all he and his wife had found was the milky white cow. He’d only just stepped into the glen when he saw the young girl. He was trying to decide what to do when the old witch appeared beside him.

“How have you survived this long?” she asked, her voice dripping with disgust. “Get the CAPE!” She gave him one hard shove towards the young girl.

“Old crone,” he mumbled.

“I heard that!”

“Hello! Little girl! What are you doing here in the wood?” he asked as he neared her.

“Oh…hello,” she smiled, “I’m on my way to Granny’s.”

“I thought you were making your way there yesterday.”

“Well I was…I was distracted. You see there was this wolf-“

“Wolf?” the baker asked, shocked. “You should be careful.”

“Oh I know...I know that now,” she sighed. Her eyes began to glaze over, and a peaceful smile graced her face.

“Um…right. Well, maybe I should walk with you to your Granny’s. Make sure you get there this time.”

“Hmm?” She turned to him as if coming out of a trance. “Oh, no, I should be fine, thank you.”

“I insist.” He took her arm and led her down the path.

“Idiot,” the Witch sighed.

~*~

In another part of the woods, Cinderella’s dark prince continued his search. He couldn’t believe she’d run from him. No woman had ever shunned his dark allure before. So focused on his mission was he, that he didn’t notice his brother walking down the path towards him.

“Ah, there you are, good brother. Father and I had wondered where you had gone.”

He was slightly younger than his brother, but the family resemblance was unmistakable. Tall, broad shoulders, strong facial features… but whereas his brother had black hair, his was light brown. And while his brother’s eyes were filled with a dark passion, his seemed…dull. He had the air of someone who was sweet, kind, and gentle. But other than that, he seemed so bland.

”I have been looking all night for her.”

“Her?”

“The beautiful one I danced the evening with.”

“Where did she go?” the younger prince asked.

“Disappeared, like the fine morning mist.”

“She was lovely.”

“The loveliest.”

“I am not certain of that! I must confess,” the younger prince smiled, “I, too, have found a lovely maiden. She lives here in the woods.”

“The woods?”

“Yes. In the top of a tall tower that has no door or stairs.”

“Where?” Cinderella’s prince asked.

“Two leagues from here, due east just beyond the mossy knoll,” his brother replied.

“And how do you manage a visit?” he asked, his dark eyes sparkling with mirth.

“I stand beneath her tower and say ‘Rapunzel, Rapunzel, let down your hair to me.’ And she lowers the longest, most beautiful head of hair - yellow as corn - which I use to climb to her.”

“Rapunzel, Rapunzel!” Cinderella’s Prince laughed, “What kind of name is that? You jest! I have never heard of such a thing.”

“I speak the truth,” he said defensively. “She is as true as your maiden. A maiden running from a prince? None would run from us.”

“Yet one has.” His dark eyes focused on some point in the distance. “Did I abuse her or show her disdain? Why does she run from me? If I should lose her, how shall I regain the heart she has won from me? Agony! Beyond power of speech. When the one thing you want, is the only thing out of your reach.”

“High in her tower she sits by the hour maintaining her hair,” the younger prince smiled, “Blithe and becoming, and frequently humming a light hearted air, ‘ah-ah0ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah’. Agony! Far more painful than yours,” he turned to his brother, “when you know she would go with you, if there only were doors.”

Cinderella’s prince walked over and put his arm around his brother’s shoulders.

“Agony, they sang together, “Oh, the torture they teach!”

“What’s as intriguing,” Rapunzel’s prince pondered.

“Or half so fatiguing,” he sighed.

“As what’s out of reach,” they both sang, their arms reaching out into the distance.

“Am I not sensitive, clever, well mannered, considerate, passionate, charming as kind as I’m handsome, and heir to a throne?” the older prince questioned.

“You know nothing of madness,” the younger prince scoffed, “’til you’re climbing her hair and you see her up there and you’re nearing her, all the while hearing her, ‘ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah-ah’.”

“Agony!” they cried.

“Though it’s different for each,” they bowed to each other.

“And she’s just out of reach,” they reached once more into the distance. “Agony! That can cut like a knife,” they sighed, “I must have her to wife.”

“Well, godspeed, my brother,” the younger prince held out his arm which his brother grasped.

“And you.”

They separated and headed down different parts of the path.

The baker’s wife, who had remained hidden and unnoticed by the two princes, came out from her hiding place. She heard the younger prince mention a girl with hair as yellow as corn and knew she had to find it for the spell.

“Two princes! Each more handsome than the other.” She started down the path after the darker of the two. She stopped after only a few steps and sighed. “No…get the hair.”

~*~

After retrieving the hair, the baker’s wife continued her search for the other ingredients. She felt terrible for losing the cow the night before. It had run off after she had met the young maiden. The same maiden, in fact, who just took a spill in front of her.

“You do take plenty of spills, don’t you?” the baker’s wife asked, looking down at the young maiden. One of her golden slippers had fallen off and was now lying within reach. She bent down to pick up the fallen slipper.

“Hello. It's these slippers. They're not suited for these surroundings. Actually they're not much suited for dancing either.”

“I'd say those slippers were as pure as gold,” she held the slipper out so that the moonlight shone off it.

“Yes,” she said as she stood up, “they’re all you could wish for in beauty.” She reached out and took the slipper back.

“What I wouldn’t give for just one,” she stared longingly at the slipper.

“One isn’t likely to do you much good.” She put the slipper back on and walked over to a larger boulder and sat down. Noticing a leaf caught in her long blonde hair she began checking for any other stray forest foliage.

“Was the ball as wonderful as last evening’s?” the baker’s wife asked, gesturing to Cinderella’s gown.

“Yes? And?”

“And…They have far too much food.”

“No, the Prince.”

“Oh, the Prince.”

“Yes, the Prince.”

“Oh? Who?” she asked excited.

“Oh? How?” she seemed even more excited.

“Yes? And?”

“He must really have taken a liking to you.”

“I have no experience with princes, castles, and gowns,” she sighed.

“Nonsense, every girl dreams-”

“SIR! LOOK!” a man’s voice called out from behind them.

Cinderella and the baker’s wife turned to look and saw the Prince’s steward followed quickly by the Prince himself. Cinderella gasped in fear. She stood quickly and looked around her for a place to run.

“Yes! There she is! Move! Move! MOVE!” the Prince commanded.

“I have to run,” Cinderella said to no one in particular.

The baker’s wife lunged out for Cinderella’s foot and grabbed her slipper.

“I must have your shoe!” she cried.

“Stop that!”

“I need to have a baby!”

“I need to get out of here!”

There was a loud crash as someone burst through the trees next to them. Cinderella took her eyes off the woman writhing on the ground, struggling to remove her shoe, to see The Wolf standing near her. Before she could ask for his help, he reached down and slapped the woman’s hand away from her feet. He looked over to where the sounds of the Prince and his men steadily grew louder. Glancing back at Cinderella, he searched her eyes for something. Anything that might tell him what she wanted him to do, what he hoped she wanted him to do.

She looked frightened, distressed, lost. That was all he needed. Faster than her eyes could follow, he picked her up, grabbing a fist full of her dress so that it wouldn’t drag or trip him as he ran. And run he did, his long leather coat sweeping behind him like a dark cloud. He ran fast, carrying her away from the oncoming men.