Disclaimer: I don't own Tangled and Rise of the Guardians. And Jack Frost and Eugene. UNFORTUNATELY.

I Remember

By TheMaskedGirl

Jack Frost stood by the entrance of the church. He wanted her to look at him. He wanted her to see him. He wanted to be seen by others before, but this time was different. He was desperate.

She stood by the altar and looked incredibly beautiful. Although her precious hair was cut short, she still looked so wonderful. He wanted to hug her then and there. He wanted to caress her face and hold her in his arms.

Unable to take it any longer, Jack walked up to her. He didn't care about the guests. He didn't care about the king and the queen. He didn't care about Eugene, the man she was marrying.

"Rapunzel," he said with so much pain and longing. He reached out. His hand was a few inches away from her face. He wanted to touch her, but he was scared. He was scared that he wouldn't be able to.

She turned her head. She heard him. She looked around the church to look for whoever called her. She looked back at Eugene and asked, "Was that you?"

The ex-thief looked at her questioningly. "What?"

Rapunzel smiled and whispered, "Nothing."

"No," Jack said. "It was me, Rapunzel. It was me. Look at me. I'm here. Please look at me. Please look at me." Tears started forming in his blue eyes. "Rapunzel."

"There it is again," she whispered to herself. She looked around. Nobody was calling her. They were all waiting for the rings. "It sounded like someone I knew."

"What's wrong, Rapunzel?" Eugene asked. "Are you worried about the rings?"

She smiled at her soon-to-be husband and assured him, "No, no. It's nothing."

He grinned. "Okay."

Jack's tears fell down his face as he watched Eugene stroke Rapunzel's cheek. I want to touch her like that too.

He saw how she smiled when she looked at Eugene. I want to make her smile like that too.

Maximus and Pascal, the horse and the chameleon, entered the church. They were holding the rings. Eugene took it from them and slipped it on Rapunzel's finger. She did the same to him. The crowd cheered.

The two kissed for the first time as husband and wife. Jack looked at them, forlorn. He felt like his heart was being torn apart.

The newlyweds exited the church, followed by the townspeople. Jack stared at them, feeling weak and tired and lonely. He collapsed on the floor and his body shook as he sobbed uncontrollably. Only one thing was on his mind. Rapunzel, I love you.

He stayed in the tower for weeks. It was very messy, but it was his sweet haven. He met Rapunzel there for the first time. It was a year before Eugene met her. When Rapunzel was still in the tower, she was his. Eugene Fitzherbert was a nobody.

He remembered how they laughed and talked about trivial things. He remembered how he promised to stay by her side forever and how she promised the same thing. He remembered how he left when they fought about something so simple. He remembered it too.

He was so upset when Rapunzel said spring was more important than winter. She was wrong. But she pointed out so many facts that he couldn't say anything anymore. So he walked away to nurse his bruised ego. He came back three days later and found Mother Gothel lecturing Rapunzel.

"Do you not understand, silly girl? He is not real," Gothel said. "Not real. Not at all. Just pure fiction."

Rapunzel was crying. "But mother, he is real. I saw him. I talked to him."

The older woman shook her head. "Oh, poor dearie. Of course you didn't. You were just imagining things."

"I wasn't!"

"If you weren't, where is he now?" Gothel asked. She strolled around the tower. She looked at the paintings on the wall disapprovingly. Especially the one of a boy with unusual white hair and striking blue eyes.

Rapunzel just continued crying, unable to answer the question. She didn't know where he was.

Gothel sighed. "I told you, didn't I? Jack Frost is not real."

Jack took a sharp intake of breath. "But I am," he whispered.

"Believe me, darling. Mother knows the truth."

The girl nodded her head.

"Tell me, is Jack Frost real?"

She shook her head. "No."

Gothel looked at her smugly. "Good. Now wipe your tears and make dinner."

Mother Gothel left the tower the day after. When Jack saw her walking away, he flew to the window. Rapunzel was there, holding a book about him. She looked at it lovingly and then threw it down.

Jack was surprised and asked, "Why did you throw that book away?"

She ran away from the window and lay down on her bed. She started crying.

He entered the tower and immediately walked to her. He sat on her bed and said, "Please stop crying. I'm really sorry for taking off like that. I won't do it again. I promise."

"You promised," she said. "You told me you wouldn't leave me. I believed you. But those promises were lies. Everything was a lie."

He shook his head vigorously. "No, Punz, I swear, I'm not going to leave you ever again."

"All this time, I thought you were real," she whispered. "But you're just a figment of my imagination."

Jack felt his heart breaking. Tears started to fall down his face. He shook his head. "No. No! I'm real." He reached out to touch her and to tell her he was real, but his hand just passed through. "NO! Rapunzel, I'm here! I'm real!"

She just continued crying. She couldn't hear him. She stopped believing.

"Rapunzel…"

"I remember," Jack said. "I remember my promise."

He flew away from the tower to Rapunzel to stay by her side. Like he promised.

"He's so beautiful," Rapunzel said as she held the tiny baby in her arms. She gave birth to her first baby.

"I know. He looks like me," Eugene said with a laugh. "What are we going to name him?"

"Jack," Rapunzel said with a smile.

Jack looked up from his spot on the chair. "You're going to name him after me?"

"Why?" her husband asked. "It sounds so… simple."

"Hey!" Jack protested.

The new mother cradled the baby and replied with tenderness, "Simple but beautiful. Just like a snowflake. It's just an ice crystal, but it's so lovely."

Eugene smiled. "I like it. Jack Fitzherbert."

Jack walked to Rapunzel who was on the bed. "Thank you for naming him after me," he said with a small smile. It hurt him, but it was better.

"Jane!" Rapunzel said with a sigh when she spotted her young daughter. "What are you doing here?" She put a coat around Jane. "I wonder why it's snowing. It's springtime now."

"Snowman!" the little girl said. "Play, play, play! Jack make snowman!"

She looked at her daughter questioningly. "But sweetheart, your brother is in the library, studying."

The little girl's green eyes glinted. "Not Jack brother! Jack no shoes!"

The words of her daughter dawned on her. "No… shoes?"

"Hey, Jane! I got some flowers-" Jack stopped talking when he saw Rapunzel kneeling down in front of Jane. Her back was facing him. "Oh. Your mother's here, eh? Looks like I have to go now. See you tomorrow, Jane? I'll make it snow for you again." He walked to her and ruffled her hair.

"Bye bye, Jack!" Jane said.

Rapunzel looked at the direction Jane was looking at, but she saw nothing. "Who are you talking to, sweetie? Come, it's too cold here."

Jack was perched on the tree. He watched Rapunzel looked around. He hoped she was looking for him. He hoped she remembered.

Rapunzel lay on the bed alone. She was old and weak and sick. Her hair grew longer, but it was not as long as before. Her skin was wrinkled. She was smaller. But she was still beautiful. Her eyes still shone brightly.

Eugene had passed away three years ago and she knew her time was coming soon too. The kingdom was in their son Jack's hands and he took care of the kingdom well. She was going to die peacefully.

She felt the wind get colder. Something landed on her bed. She sat up and saw an old book beside her. She took it and observed it. She opened it and saw her name on it. She knew then that it was hers.

She read the title and she felt something stir within her. She threw that book away years ago. The only way it could be returned to her was if… "Jack Frost," she whispered. "You're real, aren't you? She lied to me. You are real."

"I am." A figure stepped out from the shadows. Moonlight shone on Rapunzel's room and she saw who it was. Jack.

Tears poured from Rapunzel's eyes. She stood from the bed and tried to walk to him. He saw her struggle so he walked to her instead. He sat her down on the bed. He took a seat beside her.

She touched his face and cried more. "You're really real. Why did I believe her? I'm so sorry, Jack. I'm so sorry."

Jack hugged her tightly. Decades passed, but he still felt the same thing for her. He still loved her. "It's okay. I'm just glad."

Rapunzel felt tears falling on her shoulders. She broke the hug and saw him crying. "You were there, weren't you? You were in my wedding. You were the one calling me."

He nodded. "But you didn't see me."

"I'm so sorry, Jack. I'm so sorry."

"I was always beside you. I was outside your room when you were giving birth to Jack. When you gave birth to Jane, when the King died, and then the Queen. I was beside you when you were being crowned queen. I was there," he explained with tears streaming down his face. "I was there when Eugene died. I wanted to comfort you so badly, but I couldn't. You couldn't see me."

"I'm sorry I stopped believing in you, Jack," Rapunzel said sincerely. "But thank you so much. Thank you so much for keeping your promise."

He looked at her in the eyes and asked, "You remember our promise?"

She just smiled. "Jack?"

"Yes?" He wiped away his tears.

"I'm going to die soon. Will you stay beside me until I pass away?" Rapunzel asked him. "I envy you. You're still young and handsome. Maybe that's why she used my hair. Am I starting to sound like her?"

Jack shook his head. "No. Not at all."

"I'm mumbling again." She laughed. It was raspy, but it was the same. It was the laugh he loved so much. "Jack, can you help me lie down?"

He helped her lie on her bed and covered her with her blanket.

"I'm tired," she whispered. "I'm sorry I stopped believing."

"That's not important now," he said sternly. He held her hand.

"It is. You must have felt so alone. I'm sorry." She raised her other hand to touch his face. "Thank you."

He squeezed her hand. "Thank you too. And Rapunzel?"

"Yes?" Her breathing became ragged.

"I love you."

She squeezed his hand gratefully.

They stayed like that for a while. The silence embraced them, creating a calm and beautiful atmosphere.

Rapunzel closed her eyes and broke the silence. "Goodbye, Jack."

"No."

"Thank you. I feel at peace now. Maybe that was why I struggled, why I wanted to live. I was waiting for you." Rapunzel felt everything crashing down, but in a good way. She was tired, but she was happy.

"No. Please." Jack started crying again.

Rapunzel squeezed his hand one last time. She smiled. The smile he loved so much. "And our promise? I remember."

A/N: I seriously cried while writing this. I felt tears streaming down my face. I felt so weird but it was so heartbreaking and all that. Anyway, you might think, Rapunzel couldn't have died so easily like that, right? But she's weak. She was about to die, but she was waiting for someone. Jack. He was her first friend, maybe her first love too. She stopped believing because she trusted her ex-mother a lot, but deep down, even if she thought otherwise, she KNEW he was real. That's why she heard him when he called her. She couldn't see him because she stopped entertaining the thoughts of him being real.

So, I hope you enjoyed it! AND I'VE ALREADY WATCHED ROTG! Yey! It's AWESOME. Please leave a review if you can! Thank you!

Love lots,

TheMaskedGirl