First fanfic ever! Yaaay! Ok so I´ve had this idea for over a year now and I´ve finally decided to post it as a fanfic. So since this is my first story EVER I´d like some reviews please.

So this is the first chapter and I have to say that it´s quite long and not really eventful, but I had to do it like this so to explain the things that are going through Rapunzel´s mind, what had happened after the reunion with her family and what´s going on with her and Eugene.

Disclaimer: I don´t own tangled or anything in this chapter.

*Edit: Phew! How could you guys read that? It was horrible! But anyway I fixed that now, so there you go.

Prologue

The night was cool and clear, the moon shining brightly in the starlit sky washing the vast kingdom with its pale silvery light. The streets were deserted, the night air whispered through the quiet and dark alleys in the kingdom like a faint echo.

It was a peaceful night indeed

But for her it was just a terrible reminder. The darkness of the night seemed to hide shadows, moving and waiting to creep out from the corners. The eerie quiet was almost deafening. It was too much like that night, too much like the day it all went wrong.

A week was not enough to erase the horrible memories.

It had been a week since Rapunzel´s return. The kingdom had celebrated her return grandly, seven days of festivities and partying. But now that it was all over and the kingdom was slowly returning to its usual activities, it was easier for the memories to come back, threatening to overcome her and send her into a panic attack.

She couldn't lie though, she had so much more than what she would've ever dreamed of, and for that she was extremely grateful. The realization that she was the lost princess of Corona had been at first overwhelming and a bit frightening. She had been worried that they wouldn't believe her, that she wouldn't turn out like her parents had been expecting, that she would be a disappointment. Most of all, she had been terrified for Eugene's safety. Going back meant returning to the people who wanted him dead and she couldn't afford to lose him again. Not after everything they'd been through.

For some some odd reason everything had turned out perfectly fine. One look at her and her parents had instantly accepted her as their long lost daughter, not even hesitating into welcoming her back. And surprisingly enough, they were so grateful for the return of their daughter that they had insisted in rewarding Eugene for bringing her back, pardoning him of all his crimes to begin with, -much to the Royal Guard's dismay- but Eugene had politely declined their offer, insisting that knowing that Rapunzel was safe and back with her real family was reward enough for him.

It may had been enough for him, but not for the young princess. She refused to be separated from Eugene, he was the only thing she had left -aside from Pascal of course- and her social ineptitude and limited knowledge of the outside world made it difficult for her to adapt to her new situation. He was the only one who understood that, and she was not about to let him out of her sight. After much pleading from her part (and a little help from Eugene's charming and charismatic self) the King and Queen had begrudgingly accepted for him to stay in the palace as long as he desired. If it were for Rapunzel, he would stay there forever.

All in all, things had turned out much better than she had expected. It was a strange feeling though, she had never felt so loved, never had she been accepted for who she was, without snide comments about her appearance or hurtful critics about her tendency to babble and daydream. Her parents were loving and patient, they never criticized her or made her feel bad about her clumsiness. They even seemed excited to know more about her, encouraging her exploring curiousness.

And whenever things threatened to be too overwhelming, she always had Eugene to turn to, always willing to help and explain whatever she still didn't understand about this new world she was just beginning to explore.

Rapunzel was more than thankful. But even though her life was now better than she would've ever imagined, at nights, when she was left alone with her own thoughts and nothing to distract her, the memories returned, and the emptiness in her heart seemed to grow into a bottomless hollow.

It was probably wrong to miss her tower, the place she had called home for her whole life. It was ridiculous to miss the coziness of her bed compared to the enormous mattress that made her feel lonely with all the space to spare. It was certainly selfish to miss the familiar walls, decorated with the murals she had painted for as long as she could remember, when she had an entire gallery for herself destined only for her paintings. It was clearly dumb to miss the soothing sound of the waterfall behind the tower, when the nights here felt too quiet for her taste.

Most of all it was completely wrong to think about Gothel. But she couldn't help it, whenever her mind was invaded by the memory of her tower, her thought always drifted to a darker place, where Gothel was always awaiting.

All that anger and betrayal that had overcome her when she discovered all the lies had somehow dissipated, and she was left with a feeling of emptiness, a hurtful hollow in her heart. Despite everything she had done to her, Rapunzel had loved her like a mother, and her betrayal had hurt more than she cared to admit. Gothel had taken away everything she had, her freedom, her family, her life and even her self-esteem, leaving her empty and probably with a huge inferiority complex and serious trust issues that would take years to overcome.

She'd never wanted things to end like that though. The memory of that day in the tower haunted her at nights, and in the darkness and solitude of her bedroom she let herself crumble, her cheerful mask coming undone to reveal the real heartbreak lying underneath.

Falling asleep wasn't an easy task lately. It would take hours of tossing and turning in her bed before sleep finally enveloped her in comforting darkness. And whenever she welcomed unconsciousness, her peaceful sleep would be invaded by gruesome nightmares and horrible flashbacks. She would see those images over and over again in her sleep; Gothel's sneer as she shackled her to the wall, Eugene's body lying in a puddle of his own blood in the middle of the dark tower, Gothel's screams as she consumed in on herself, the years finally catching up with her as she fell to her death, Eugene dying in her arms this time never to return again.

Each nightmare was more terrible than the last, and Rapunzel found herself slowly sinking into a bottomless whole of terrifying memories and heartbreaking losses. Her night terrors were getting worse with each passing day, and when at first she woke up out of breath with a startled gasp now she found herself screaming until her throat felt raw.

Tonight was not any different. Her own whimpers and screams woke her up, her chest heaving with each gasp, fighting to regain her breath. A cold sweat covered her whole body, her limbs trashing and fighting against the sheets tangled between her legs, and in her haste she accidentally threw Pascal off the bed.

The poor chameleon hit the floor with an undignified squeak.

"Oops! Sorry Pascal." Rapunzel whispered, scooping the tiny reptile in her hands and settling him back on the pillow that was now Pascal's favorite spot to rest. Pascal's brown orbs inspected Rapunzel, concern etching his features.

"Don't worry, it's just another nightmare." Rapunzel tried to smile reassuringly, but Pascal knew better than to be fooled by his friend. Rapunzel's nightmares had been getting exceedingly worse as the days passed and this was starting to worry the tiny chameleon.

Rapunzel sat up in her bed, still trying to control the tremors running through her body. Gothel was gone, she was dead, she knew that, she had seen it with her own eyes. She couldn´t return, she could no longer harm her. And Eugene was safe in his own room, probably snoring overcome with exhaustion from the day's activities, and most importantly; he was alive.

But the nightmares felt so real and the terror felt raw and heavy in her chest. The image of Gothel stabbing Eugene would be forever etched in her mind, and nothing she did was enough to forget the feeling of his cold dead body lying in her arms. She had had enough. She was tired of pretending that she was fine when she was clearly not. She had tried so hard to be strong, but the fear was threatening to overcome her. She needed to see him, to reassure herself that he was fine.

Rapunzel stood up, tiptoeing silently towards the double doors. But before she could reach them a warning squeak made her stop in her tracks. She turned around and was met with the sight of a very indignant Pascal. His tiny arms crossed over his chest.

"Don't worry Pascal, I'll be right back. I'm just going to visit Eugene for a while. I won't take long, I promise" But the chameleon shook his head with a disapproving squeak.

"Oh, come on Pascal, I need to see him." The little chameleon started squeaking in that odd reptilian language that only the princess could understand.

"I know, I know, but I'm not going to let them see me. I'll be careful, don't worry." Pascal knew better than to argue with his friend. When something got in her head nothing could change her mind. But Pascal knew it was a great risk. If anyone saw the princess in the ex-thief's room, both would be in huge trouble. Besides, there were guards everywhere, especially near Eugene's bedroom. It would be a miracle if Rapunzel got there undiscovered.

So Pascal climbed to her shoulder with a determined look on his reptilian features, he wouldn't let Rapunzel go alone. Rapunzel rolled her eyes, but otherwise made no move to shoo Pascal away. She walked to the doors and crept out of her room as silently as possible. The corridors were completely dark, making it almost impossible to see, but she had memorized the way to Eugene's bedchamber as soon as she had arrived to the castle.

It didn't take as long as she would've imagined. Tiptoeing her way around corners and sneakily avoiding the guards patrolling the hallways, she silently made her way towards the ex-thief's room. She wasn't exactly known for her stealth but thankfully she had learned a thing or two from Eugene's experience as a renowned thief. He was right, it was entirely too easy to pass unnoticed by the royal guards.

Soon enough she was standing outside Eugene's bedroom.

She pressed her palm against the simple oak door that was the entrance to Eugene's modest bedchamber, suddenly hesitant and unsure. What if she was being ridiculous? She was probably just exaggerating and there was absolutely no need to come all the way here just to reassure herself of something that she already knew was true. Eugene was safe, sleeping soundly in his own bed and there was no need for her to come anyway.

What if she accidentally woke him up? Then he would be annoyed with her for disrupting his sleep for something as petty as a nightmare. She was a grown woman, she didn't need to be comforted after a bad dream like a little girl.

She was snapped out of her thoughts by Pascal tugging at her hair. He nodded encouragingly toward the door, motioning with the end of his tail for her to enter. Well she would only see if Eugene was okay and then she would go out as soon as possible without waking him. Yes, he would never even know she was there, and that wasn't entirely creepy, or so she told herself.

Rapunzel held her breath as she carefully opened the door and entered. The room was engulfed in darkness, as was the entire castle at this hour of the night. The pale silvery moonlight the only thing illuminating the dark place. She tiptoed further inside, closing the door behind her with a soft thud.

A lump in the bed revealed a sleeping form snoring softly, the blankets discarded messily around his body as if he had tossed too much in his sleep and thrown some of them off the mattress. Clothes were scattered around the floor, he had probably been too tired to pick them up and fold them neatly before he went to sleep.

Rapunzel walked silently towards his bed, careful not to trip on something an accidentally wake him up.

She stood near enough to see his face, barely illuminated by a speck of moonlight coming through the window. She tilted her head, silently admiring the way his eyelids fluttered in his sleep, his dark eyelashes casting shadows over his flushed cheeks. His soft hair was messy, sticking out in odd directions making him look adorably disheveled. One of his arms was hanging limply over the edge of the bed and she resisted the urge to tuck him in and cover his sleeping form with the blankets he had throw off the bed.

He looked so peaceful, something that was rare in him. His sharp features turned soft, without a trace of worry lines or that trademark smirk. Asleep he looked even younger, and she memorized every inch of his face, promising herself that she would paint him later. Watching Eugene that still was a rare occasion. She was sure that if he were awake he would either be weirded out by her staring, or teasing her for admiring him so blatantly obviously.

She told herself that watching him sleep wasn't creepy at all, even though she knew it was a huge lie. But she couldn't help being entranced by his peaceful features. After all, being able to analyze Eugene -because that's what she was doing, she was totally not admiring his good looks- was not something she could do everyday. She was content with staying there silently, seeking comfort in his own calmness.

Pascal on the other hand was anxious to return to the princess' room. He knew that Rapunzel had a tendency to get so wrapped up in something that she would lose track of time. It was already late enough and if they didn't make it back by dawn and one of the maids came looking for Rapunzel and didn't find her, the entire palace would panic.

But Rapunzel didn't seem to notice Pascal's anxious fidgets. Her fingers itched to tuck Eugene's disheveled locks back in place. She hesitantly raised her arm, running her fingertips through his soft hair carefully combing it back to a somewhat neater style. She ran her knuckles tenderly over his cheekbone, a soft caress almost too gentle to perceive.
A soft smile settled over her lips as Eugene's nose twitched in his sleep, and a surge of affection warmed her belly.

She couldn't pinpoint the exact moment in which she had fallen so helplessly in love with this man, maybe it had happened too slowly for her to notice, or entirely too quickly. It had creeped up on her and before she noticed she was already in too deep. She was that hopeless that a simple twitch of his nose made her almost coo at the cuteness of that particular action.

Of course, stupidly enough, she never counted on Eugene being a light sleeper.

His eyes flew open with a start, his face flinching away from her touch. Obviously Rapunzel hadn't been expecting that, and she stumbled back a few steps with an embarrassing squeak of surprise.

"Rapunzel! What are you doing here?" Eugene's voice was gruff with sleep, his eyes groggy as he inspected her carefully, a hint of concern tainting his face. "Are you okay?"

Rapunzel felt her face heating up with an embarrassed blush as Eugene's eyes swept over her, suddenly becoming aware of the fact that she was only clad in her thin nightgown. But either Eugene was tactful enough not to mention it, or he was too tired and bewildered by her mere presence to even notice it.

"Is something wrong?" He asked again, sitting up in his bed and rubbing his eyes tiredly.

Rapunzel averted her eyes, her blush deepening with a sinking feeling as she realized that Eugene was in fact shirtless and she hadn't even realized that before.

Could this situation get any more awkward and embarrassing? Guess she was about to find out.

"I-I'm okay, everything's fine, don't worry. I just... had another nightmare and couldn't sleep." She stuttered sheepishly, feeling entirely too dumb for even coming for something so trivial as a nightmare. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to wake you up..."

Eugene's face softened, a small smile settling over his tired features. "It's okay, Blondie. I don't mind."

He scooted over, making room for Rapunzel to settle beside him and patting the spot he had vacated for her, silently inviting her to sit next to him.

She hesitated a moment before gladly accepting his offer, cuddling in next to him. Eugene's arm settled over her shoulder, pulling her closer as she rested her head in the crook of his neck.

"So... do you want to talk about it?" He asked hesitantly, rubbing his thumb soothingly over her shoulder.

She really didn't, reviving the memories seemed a bit too painful. But then again she might feel better if she shared her fears with someone else. After a moment she opted for the later option.

"It was Gothel." Said Rapunzel, her voice quiet and quivering. She was annoyed by the tears that threatened to spill from her eyes. She hadn't even explained what happened and she was already crying? She could clearly hear that cold voice inside her head, the contemptuous sneer gracing every syllable: 'what a pathetic, immature child'. She shivered as the memories rushed in her mind, but she forced herself to continue.

"She stabbed you again and… and I couldn't do anything. I couldn't save you..." Her voice broke in a quiet sob, tears streaming down her cheeks and she tried to wipe them away and control the tremors running through her body once again. She didn't want to seem weak, she was tired of being that helpless innocent girl.

Eugene's arms tightened around her quivering body, his hand drawing small circles on her back as he whispered soothingly in her ear. His thumb caressing her cheeks, wiping away her tears.

"Sshh. It's ok Blondie. I'm right here. Everything's fine." Eugene's soft voice whispered in her ear, his warm breath tickling her neck. She buried her face in his chest, trying in vain to erase the image of his lifeless body lying in the cold floor back in that tower.

She didn't want to admit it, but she was actually terrified. There was a nagging feeling in the pit of her stomach. It wouldn't let her sleep at night. It was as if Gothel's presence still haunted her, as if she would creep out from the shadows at any moment, ready to finish what she had started. And what would she do if something happened to Eugene? This time she didn't have her healing powers to save him, and the thought terrified her beyond words.

"I don't want to lose you again." Her voice came out in a broken whisper and she tightened her arms around his shoulders, his presence anchoring her, preventing her from drifting away in a sea of desperation and fear.

"And you won't, love. Everything's fine. I'm not going anywhere. I'll be here for you no matter what." He tilted her head up, his light brown eyes meeting her own, and he smiled reassuringly, his thumb caressing the side of her cheek.

"And besides, what would keep me away from you? It's not like Gothel is coming back from the dead." This time his soft smile turned a bit teasing, his voice tilting with his usual humor.

"Yes, I guess you're right." Rapunzel's lips pursed in thought. There was still and uneasy feeling twisting inside her, but she pushed the thought to the back of her mind.

"That's impossible right?"

But destiny was cruel, and it had other things in stock for them. Little did they know that their happiness wasn't destined to last much longer.

So… like it? Hate it? Please let me know what you think! I would love at least one little review. And by the way, sorry for any grammatical errors or spelling mistakes. Love you all and don´t forget to review.

*Edit: Yeah, I'm honestly grateful for every single review and favorite I recieved back then because this was honestly a huge mess.