Chapter 1
Flynn ran, sprinting away from the guards pursuing him, a wound in his side bleeding as he ran towards the tower.
"You'll never get away Rider. I'll always be right behind you"
He glanced back when he heard that voice, fear clenching his heart when he saw that familiar face, but he had reached the tower and began to climb. The guards yelled at him angrily, as they couldn't follow in their armor, but the man who taunted him quickly began to scale the wall after him. Flynn pulled himself into the tower and shut the window, pressing himself against the wall, then he sighed in relief as he finally found the one person who was on his side.
"Rapunzel. Can you help me?"
She looked at him coldly and said "Why would I help you?"
Flynn's face twisted in confusion "What? I love you, and you love me."
Rapunzel laughed harshly "You are just a petty thief, and I am a beautiful Princess. You are worthless, and no one could ever love you."
"It's true Flynn. You are a worthless lowlife with no purpose or plan. You are completely alone, and no one will ever love you."
Flynn turned towards the sound of the second voice and saw his enemy, then looked back at Rapunzel. "How could you say that? After all we've been to together?"
She narrowed her pretty green eyes, then turned away from him. "I don't need you anymore Flynn. Goodbye."
Flynn started after her, then felt a dagger stab into his side. He collapsed, looking up at the man who had killed him as he said "Goodbye Flynn. No one will miss you."
Flynn let out a tortured scream as he punched the dagger into his heart.
"Eugene! Wake up! Eugene!"
Rapunzel shook Flynn awake, sweat pouring down his face, his hazel eyes wild. "Eugene! You were screaming again."
He took several gulping breaths as he sat up, seeing that he was in his room in the palace. He ran a hand through his hair, then looked at Rapunzel reassuringly. "I'm okay. I'm sorry for waking you up."
Rapunzel looked at him worriedly as she sat on the end of his bed. "You've been having nightmares every night! What's wrong Eugene?"
"They are just nightmares Rapunzel. Nothing for you to be worried about." He reached out and grabbed her hand. "Anyway, I won't be going to sleep anytime soon."
She tucked her brown hair behind her ear, her expression still concerned. "Do you want to tell me about it?"
"No. I don't really want to think about it." Flynn slid out of bed, pulling a shirt and his old blue vest on, then started towards the door. "I'm going to take a walk in the village. You should head back to bed Rapunzel."
"Eugene….You should get some rest too. I don't think you've really slept in almost two months! You need to try and sleep again."
He turned around and flashed her one of his disarming smiles. "I am fine Rapunzel. You are worrying too much."
Rapunzel stood up and went over to him, placing her hands on his shoulders. "Alright, just as long as you promise to try and take a nap sometime today."
He kissed her lightly, then said "I'll try."
She smiled at him, then left for her room. Flynn walked out of the palace, his strides picking up pace as he saw that the sky was going to start getting lighter in an hour or so. He had to get to the Snuggly Duckling before Jared left, and he was going to be pushing it. After a few minutes, Flynn reached the pub and almost ran into Jared, who was just leaving. "Flynn Rider! haven't seen you around in forever! How have you been?"
Flynn smiled as the slightly shorter man slapped him on the back affectionately and looked at him with his cold, evaluating blue eyes. "I've been busy Jared. Though you wouldn't know anything about that!"
Jared laughed heartily, replying "No, not at all!" He studied Flynn's face for a few moments, then observed "Something's bothering you, old friend. Walk with me and tell me what's on your mind."
Flynn was silent for a few minutes as they walked back towards the Kingdom, then he asked "Have you heard anything about Thrae lately?"
Jared stopped, a horrified look on his handsome face "No! Have you heard something?"
Flynn kept walking as he replied "No, he's just been on my mind lately."
Jared walked quickly to catch up with Flynn's long strides and commented "No one has seen any sight of him since what happened with Celia, and if they had, he would have been dragged to the Captain of the guard so fast that he wouldn't have been able to blink." Shudders as he remembers "What she had to go through…."
Flynn cut him off as they finished crossing the bridge and headed towards a small house on the edge of the city. "I don't want to talk about that. I just wanted to make sure he wasn't around."
They stopped in front of the door, and Jared unlocked it and stepped inside. "Do you want to come in and catch up? I'm reasonably curious about what you've been up to the past few months."
Flynn grinned and stepped inside, glad for the distraction. They talked about everything, from the theft of the crown, all the way up to Rapunzel bringing him back to life with her magical tears, cause he knew he could trust Jared with anything, then finished his story with "And now I've been living in the palace, working as Her Majesty Crown Princess Rapunzel's Captain of her personal guard." Shrugs, and continues "Seems the King took a liking to me, and decided to use my love of Rapunzel and my unique knowledge and skills to his advantage."
Jared looked at him with awe. "Well, you ended up on your feet! I was sure I was going to hear that you'd been caught and hung one of these days, but it appears that the great Flynn Rider can do anything! Or should I revert to calling you Eugene?"
Flynn shook his head adamantly "No, stick with Flynn. I only let Rapunzel call me Eugene. Flynn is more natural now."
Jared shook his head, chuckling, then looked back at Flynn "What do you intend to do now?"
Flynn stood up, realizing that he had been with Jared for almost four hours, the sun already risen, and he was going to miss the first ten minutes of petitioners in the Throne room. "I'm not completely sure, but I do know that Rapunzel is going to be the center of it. I really do love her Jared."
Jared stood and showed Flynn to the door "I can see that. But I have yet to meet her, so you can't marry her yet."
Flynn shot him a mocking glare at Jared as he walked out the door, then they waved goodbye and Flynn headed back to the palace, a lightness in his step, his nightmare forgotten. He quickly walked to his room and changed into his more formal black vest, then walked into the Throne Room. He smiled as his eyes found Rapunzel, then he stopped dead in his tracks as he saw the blonde haired man who was standing at the Princess's side, kissing her hand. Flynn's face paled as the man stood up straight, his green eyes watching Flynn's reaction with amusement. Rapunzel turned and saw Flynn, her eyes lighting up as she skipped ore and dragged him to the small group. "I want you to meet my new tutor! Eugene, this is Thrae Skandar."