[A/N: Found this as I was cleaning out my school binder. It's a Johanna-centric ficlet that I wrote to celebrate the movie's release… and I only just found it again. Go me. XD
Rapunzel
By: Suzuki Mi-Chan
For as long as Johanna Barker could remember, she'd always been cooped up in her room. Though, she had to admit, it was somewhat of a self-confinement. She much preferred sitting in her bedroom doing needlepoint all day to spending time with her "father", what with his lecherous leers and all. Of course, she wasn't entirely sure that their separation was stopping his ganders, but she felt somewhat safe if she didn't think about it.
Sometimes Johanna would play make-believe. She would pretend to be a princess locked in a tower, like Rapunzel. She remembered the story from when she was younger: a fairy tale about a princess with long, beautiful golden hair, and the evil witch who kept her locked away with only a window to the outside world. Whenever the witch wanted entry into her tower, she would call for Rapunzel to let her hair down as a rope. Eventually, a handsome prince found the princess and they lived happily ever after, but Johanna couldn't help but feel that she would never get that chance. For now, make-believe was all she had.
Sometimes she would sing during her daydreams. Johanna never really had too much of an audience, except perhaps an old beggar woman. Everyone knew of Judge Turpin's reputation and how he dealt with strangers he even suspected of eying his ward.
But today was different.
Today, a young man stood there, gazing at her window, seemingly entranced. Slightly taken aback, she smiled at him. He was a sailor, it seemed. The sailor boy removed his hat and smiled back at her.
Johanna decided that maybe she had just found her prince.