A/N: What if Gothel had agreed to take Rapunzel to see the floating lights, in order to meet her own agenda of making Rapunzel fear the world? What if Flynn hadn't been chased down to Rapunzel's tower? All these things and more in "With Your Permission"! It alternates between POVs, as I don't think I could tell this story any other way. And as for the rating, there won't be anything explicit, but it's also not as cheery as the original so I wanted to be safe. Enjoy!

With Your Permission

If there was one thing Gothel knew, it was how to manipulate someone into doing exactly what she wanted. It was a gift, a talent that she had developed over the many years she had been alive. It came to her as naturally as breathing or walking now. From weak-willed men to impudent, nasty old women, she was capable of getting exactly what she wanted.

The evidence of this talent could be found in how she treated the young girl with magical hair, one she kept locked up in a tower with only mental tricks. What good were locks and chains? She didn't need such barbaric means to keep the girl in check. After all, mother knows best.

After glancing about in the market a few towns over, Gothel smiled up at the warmth of the sun. The fact was she had her own little drop of the sun, in the form of that very girl. She was bubbly, bright, and naturally pretty - it annoyed her to no end. With one arm looped through a basket handle while the other swayed with the movements of her hips, she wasn't sure she wanted to go back to that girl, or to that dim little tower covered in a child's scrawls. The girl had gotten more and more loud, exuberant, and impossible to contain as she got older. Her fascination with the world couldn't be quelled, no matter what Gothel told her.

Her eyes met with a passing group of young men, all their attention trained on her moments; and why not? She was captivating in all the right ways, and they were dim, slow, and everything that was wrong with the world. She'd had her heart broken tens of times in her long span of life. If she got attached to any one thing, it was ripped out and taken away from her. Men, possessions, and that flower she'd failed to hide well enough. There was no fear that flower was unhidden now. It was locked safely in a tower with the strongest thing possible - mental tendrils of self-doubt and second-guessing.

"I'll take, yes, three of those."

The woman at the stall smiled, but Gothel didn't bother to smile back. She kept a firm look on her features as she tossed a few coins onto the counter, casually waggling her fingers as she walked away with some fresh hazelnuts. That girl did so enjoy them, and she always had. Sometimes Gothel thought about the world outside her tower, and was reminded of why she could never let Rapunzel leave. There were so many dangerous, dark things that could happen to a naive idiot like her. And then where could Gothel be? Dead, probably.

Her hand reflexively grasped at her throat as she walked towards the direction of the forest. She had what she needed, and she was growing tired of walking around. Home wasn't such a terrible idea, and it had been a few days since she'd been there. She really needed a touch-up.

...

Flynn slid down the roof with ease, jumping, bobbing, and weaving his was to the open sunroof above the crown. It was such an easy mark; he wondered why he'd never considered it before. The crown was worth a mint. Enough to pay off a few debts here and there, and certainly enough to pay for his island getaway he'd craved since childhood. He looked across to his accomplices, Red and Reed, and wondered what kind of names those were. He usually just called them Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum, but that'd gotten him a punch shoulder he'd rather avoid this time.

"Shall I?"

"You better. You're only here 'cause you're scrawny."

Flynn scoffed, a hand going to his chest as he feigned upset. "I'm lithe."

"Scrawny."

"Dashing."

"Get your ass down there."

Flynn frowned, tying the rope around his waist and testing the tension. He was a dashing, lithe thief, so this should be no problem. He could escape the sunlight in a field if he so desired. With that thought in mind, he lowered himself into the open portal, down into the belly of the building. It all seemed a little much, really. A whole building dedicated to a crown when orphans lived fourty strong per room. This would house hundreds of orphans.

Crown, right.

When he was within reaching distance, a sudden loud sneeze scared the heck out of him. He contemplated offering a smart comment, but he felt the rope suddenly slacken. Grab it and go was his M.O. With a swipe and a tug, he was being dragged back up into the building, a soft sigh escaping his lips. "Way to almost drop me."

"You were about to do something stupid."

Flynn scowled, examining the crown. It was a shiny piece of gold and jewels waiting to be cashed in, for the right price. They listened out for the sound of guards, but none seemed to notice the sudden disappearance of the very thing they were supposed to be protecting. No wonder someone kidnapped the baby princess so damn easily. Everyone here was incompetent.

"We should get going." Flynn finally spoke, the adrenaline wearing off. He'd fancied a long-winded chase, maybe a little bit of a near miss. Enough to get stories circulating about him. There hadn't been many since he'd stolen that shipment of jewels from the museum in Denera. That had been a pretty sweet steal, except the money wore thin quicker than he liked. That's why he needed this. This was enough to set him up for life. Wouldn't that be fantastic. No need to run around, hidden and sneaky. He could throw money at peasants with a smile on his face - and steal it all back, of course. He smiled, aptly sneaking after the Stabbington brothers.

Still, he missed the chase that usually ensued. It was no fun when things were so easy.

...

"Rapunzel!"

"Coming mother!"

Rapunzel was excited. She had, had this - this revelation. She knew what she wanted to do. She wanted to see the floating lights. She had to see them. They called to her, they were her, and they were everything she wanted in this world. As Gothel stepped over the threshold, Rapunzel just stared excitedly at her. There was so much she wanted to tell her, but it was a matter of pacing. Start with something small, and then build up.

"Mother, tomorrow is a pretty big day..."

"It is?"

Rapunzel's expression faltered a little, her lips pursed together. "Um, yes. Yes. It's... It's my birthday! Remember? It's the same day every year, you know…"

"Oh, how exciting for you! How old are you now? Twelve?"

"I'm turning eighteen, mother."

"No, I'm sure you're turning twelve."

"I think I know how old I am." Rapunzel had said it as a joke. She even laughed, and smiled, but that didn't stop Gothel from turning to glare her down. "I - I'm turning eighteen." She stood firm on the matter.

"Oh, you're getting so old, aren't you? So mature. You'll be dead soon! Oh, I'm just teasing, you're so cute when you give me that look."

Rapunzel was pretty sure she was glaring, but apparently that was cute. She tugged at a few strands of her hair, playing with it as she stared at the ground. Her mother wasn't very nice, but maybe Rapunzel was being too sensitive. She did that, her mother said. She was too sensitive, and she was too stupid, and she was getting a little too chubby for her favourite dress. Even though Rapunzel was pretty sure growing breasts and hips was normal, given her mother's own hourglass shape. Her mother kept insisting she was too young for such mature things.

Rapunzel was also pretty sure her own body knew what it was doing; but she was stupid, wasn't she? She didn't think so. "Um. Well. I want - I wanted to ask - what I really want, and - what I've wanted for ages, actually, since I was actually turning eleven..."

Gothel puckered her lips as she looked in the mirror, primping and playing with her cheeks and hair. "Would you like me to leave you alone so you can talk to yourself in peace, dear?"

"I want to go see the floating lights!"

Gothel just laughed, her hand reaching out to stroke Rapunzel's hair. Rapunzel pushed into the touch instinctively, so bereft of any kind of contact. "How ever are you going to go see the stars any better outside this tower? Really, Rapunzel."

"No, I mean... The lights that appear on my birthday; the ones that look like giant stars, floating and inching across the sky like - like -"

"Like?"

"I don't know. I just feel like... I need to see them, properly. It's..." She sighed, her hands wringing together in front of her. "Mother?"

"What is it, Rapunzel?"

"Can you take me? To see them?" Rapunzel asked desperately. Maybe mother didn't understand the question. Rapunzel had a habit of not being clear, she was told. It wasn't her fault she liked to speak aloud, to speak out her thoughts, to understand what they meant. Rapunzel loved to learn, and loved to understand things. She looked sadly at the three books she owned, wishing there were more. She wanted so much more. Things she didn't even think she could imagine; she wanted to be outside so badly she thought she might explode and scream and cry all at once. But she needed mother, or someone, to take her; she couldn't survive on her own.

"Why are you so desperate to go out there? What is there to gain? A stab wound? Illness? The plague? A horrible man throwing you against a tree and doing God awful, violent things to you?"

Rapunzel's expression changed drastically, fear peering out instead of optimism, at least briefly. Rapunzel, despite her sheltered upbringing, understand that particular scenario. Her mother had explained to her when she went through her first month of bleeding and aches.

Men liked to use women for violent things, things that Rapunzel only had a fuzzy idea of. She knew they were supposed to be painful, and they involved places her mother told her she should just leave alone. Her mother was incredibly helpful, and Rapunzel felt lucky she had someone so interested in keeping her safe, and keeping her protected from the ruffians and thugs who would reveal the fuzzy picture for what it really was. Her body tensed angrily as she thought about it, her arms tightly crossed over her chest.

"I don't mean to frighten you, dear." Gothel finally sighed, gathered Rapunzel up into her arms and stroking her hair. "I just feel it's better for me to scare you than for any of those things to happen to you. You're my little flower, and no one will take you away."

"I know. I just want to go see the lights. That's all."

Gothel had a sudden realization. Holding onto Rapunzel's shoulders, she pushed her to arms' length. "I tell you what, dear. I'll take you to see the floating lights. But you cannot…" She punctuated this by tapping Rapunzel on the nose. "I repeat, cannot let anyone see you. You'll wear a cloak, you won't speak, you won't even breathe near someone else. But you have to promise me this - no matter what you see, what you hear, what you even think, you won't speak to a single soul."

Rapunzel's eyes flew wide. "Really?"

Gothel smirked, petting Rapunzel on the head. "Oh yes, dear. Perhaps you'll be lucky and the world won't try to ruin you. Or try to cut all your hair off and sell it. But you have to promise me."

"I promise I won't speak!"

They would head to the lakeside, and watch from the shore. They'd stay hidden in darkness. She would wrap Rapunzel up in a bundle, force her to stay silent, keep her away from people and that would sate her insane lust for the lights in the sky. Then, she wouldn't have to fear the girl wandering off. Then it occurred to Gothel - she could prove her words right if she enlisted the help of some intimidating thugs. All it would take was one good scare, a threat, a knife brandished in their faces, her crying theatrically, her paying them off to leave them alone... She could teach Rapunzel a lesson, and prove her words right all at once. She watched as Rapunzel raced around the tower, packing her little satchel with apples and carrots and bread.

It would be so easy, and it would secure the girl's fear of the outside world. What a perfect birthday present. Gothel smiled at Rapunzel. "I'll need to go fetch you shoes if we're to leave. We'll go later this evening, so we can take our time getting to the lakeside."

It was so typical for Rapunzel to just accept her word, and to believe it so thoroughly.

So pathetic.

A/N: I adore reviews, especially because I've never written these characters before. I'm working on other things, but I had to get all these ideas out!