Since Rapunzel got to play the mediator between Flynn and Maximus throughout the entire movie, I felt he deserved a turn to help her get along with someone. I also love the idea of her relationship with her mother after so many years of being "cared for" by Gothel, so . . . this is the result!

Standard disclaimers apply. I own nothing but my computer, and even that is conditional.

Rapunzel stormed from the library just as Eugene was going in, trying to find her. He took one look at her and decided not to ask. Sometimes, for a guy who'd been on his own for so long, her moods were a little too much to handle.

She had no such qualms. "I literally cannot stand being here, Eugene," she said, her voice exasperation tinged with anger. "Everyone has way too many expectations of me, that I can't possibly live up to, and I'm just going to end up letting everyone down. I just can't."

He frowned. Apparently feigned lack of interest was not the way to go. "Want to talk about it?"

"It's the quee– my mother," she glowered. "I was trying to read, only I guess I was late for some sort of lesson, and then she realized I was barefoot, and apparently princesses aren't allowed to bite their nails, either . . . Seriously. She yelled at me for reading. Is that even allowed?"

Eugene tried to take her, hand, but she jerked away, storming down the hallway, only to pace back. She let herself be pulled into an awkward hug, then pushed him back and started ranting again.

"I don't think we have anything in common, Eugene. What if coming here was a mistake? What if all we ever do is fight over dumb things like this and–"

"Calm down, Blondie," he said, holding up his hands and praying that she didn't start verbally attacking him, too. "Do you want me to talk to her?"

Rapunzel frowned, at the nickname that hadn't gone away when her hair changed or the genuine offer from a generally unsociable guy or some combination thereof, and eventually nodded. "I guess. I just – it's hard, you know? Moth– I mean, Gothel never really cared what I did as long as I didn't endanger myself – my hair, I guess – and now she's so overbearing and I just can't–"

He pressed one finger to his lips to shush her and gave her a little push down the hall. "I'll see what I can do. Go run barefoot and read somewhere else, Blondie."

She giggled. "I don't have to listen?" Her eyes were wide, innocent. He wondered disconnectedly if she'd ever broken a rule in her life, until he'd come along.

He winked. "You didn't hear that from me."

The queen sat on a small sofa by the window, unmoved from where her daughter had left her. A book was cradled in her hands, probably the same one she'd apprehended from Rapunzel. She sighed when she heard him approach.

"I suppose you're here to scold me as well, Eugene."

"That depends," he said, smiling at her. "Do you need scolding." He walked over to where she sat and lowered himself onto the cushion next to her. She shifted to make room for him and handed him a book. Aladdin and the Forty Thieves.

"I think you'll like this one."

"Thanks," he said honestly, setting it aside. They'd become close since he'd brought Rapunzel to the castle, closer than she had to her own daughter. He wasn't entirely sure why. But then, he'd always trusted the queen. And she was the first to trust him, the reformed thief who'd stolen the crown and almost caused her daughter's capture on the day of his scheduled execution. He was now pardoned and free to see Rapunzel thanks to her.

"Is Rapunzel okay?" Her voice was soft, concerned. She really loved her daughter a lot – Eugene could tell because, though he wasn't sure he would admit it, he did, too.

"She'll be fine," he said confidently. "This is weird for both of you. You've never had to take care of a daughter, and she's never really been cared for by a mother. You just want to protect her from anything else happening, and she just wants to get away from being controlled. It'll work out eventually."

"I'm not a bad mother, though. Am I? Eugene?"

He looked at her, completely serious for once. "You're not."

Her hands fidgeted restlessly in her lap. "I spent so much time hoping, praying for this to happen. For us to find her. But now that we have – I'm failing her all over again."

"You're not," he said again.

She sighed, looking very small and very much like Rapunzel in that moment. If her hair was a little shorter and her feet were bare, he wouldn't have been able to tell the two apart. "You don't have to say that. I know I'm not measuring up."

"I'm not," he assured her. "Anyone who goes to orphanages to read abandoned little boys stories about Flynnigan Rider when they have more important things to do, like running a country, is a good mother in my book."

The queen looked up, her green eyes wide. "You know about that?"

He smiled at her gently. "I was a part of that. I asked you to borrow the storybook once, so I could read from it to help the other kids fall asleep. I think I still have it, somewhere."

Her eyes filled with tears, and he reached out to squeeze her hands. "I didn't think anyone even noticed I was doing that. I thought, if I could prove I cared for children–"

"That Rapunzel would come back to you?"

She chuckled weakly. "I suppose."

He grinned, leaning back in his seat and crossing his arms behind his head. "Looks like it worked, too."

"All thanks to you." Her eyes met his. "You know I can't thank you enough, Eugene."

"Well." He runs a hand through his hair. "I could think of a few things."

She raised an eyebrow. "Oh?"

He laughed at her expression. "Don't look so worried. It's not bad." He ticked the list off on his fingers. "One, let me keep the book. I think Rapunzel would like if I read it to her."

The queen nods. "I think that can be arranged. Especially since it hasn't been a part of this library in . . . oh, fifteen years?"

He has the grace to look guilty. "Sorry about that. I wasn't exactly allowed to walk to the castle and return it. Two, let her go barefoot. Once she gets stung by something or stubs her toe a couple of times, shoes will start to look a lot more friendly."

She frowned. "Isn't that bad? Letting her get hurt?"

Eugene shook his head slowly. "Let her make her own mistakes, Your Majesty. I know you missed out on her childhood, but you have to let her grow up."

"I know. I just–"

They were interrupted by the library doors flying open with a bang. Rapunzel sprinted into the room on still-bare feet, carrying an armful of flowers. She still wasn't used to being able to explore nature whenever she felt like it, and the simplest plants and animals were enough to entertain her for days.

"Mother," she gasped. "You'll never guess what I found. All of these flowers were just laying on the ground in the garden, I guess they fell off the trees . . ."

The queen's shocked expression melted into something a little happier. "Am I forgiven, then?"

"Of course." Rapunzel pulled her into a big hug, which, after a moment, her mother returned. "And you know what? I thought we could make flower chains together. Unless you want me to go to my lessons instead?"

The queen chuckled. "I think you can skip for today."

"I'll leave you two to that," Eugene said quickly. He'd do a lot of things for his princess, but wearing flower jewelry for the rest of the day wasn't one of them yet.

Thank you, the queen mouthed over her daughters shoulder. He waved in response. Any time. After all, they deserved their happy ending. Just like in a storybook.

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Much love,
KnightNight7203