A/N: So this chapter was kinda short, more of just a transition into the next chapter, I guess. Once again, I loooove reading reviews, so leave me some of those!


I'm still to this day not exactly sure why, but I couldn't leave my tower without cleaning everything up. Maybe it was because it was still my home, as much as I hated to admit it, seeing it in disorder bothered me. Maybe it was because when I looked at the mess on the floor and thought about leaving it, it just felt like I was leaving the story unfinished. Eugene thought it ridiculous that I made a point of wiping his blood up off of the floor, placing the knife in a drawer in the kitchen, and sweeping up the broken shards of glass, disposing of them in the waste bin we kept in a corner of the tower. Then I turned back to the many feet of hair, and a troubled look came over my face. What was I to do with the hair? There was so much of it that it almost felt like a waste not to do something with it. I inhaled sharply, standing tall, trying not to show how weak I felt. I was emotionally and physically drained, and all I wanted to do was collapse into my bed, but I trooped on. I set to work braiding the long brown tresses, my fingers loving the familiar feel of the silky smooth hair. Once it was all braided I looped it up, much as one would do with a rope, and placed it inside of one of the empty cabinets beneath the sink. "That should do the trick…" I murmured weakly. Eugene, who had been sitting in the same blue chair I had once tied him to, stood then and came to my side, and we both silently stood and inspected my work.

The tower looked as it always had: clean, bright and cheery. My paintings still covered every inch of the walls, bringing a very homey feel to the tower. Someone obviously lived here. I would miss the paintings and the memories I had made in this very room, and though they were little to nothing compared to the memories most had of their childhood, they were all I had. I felt as if I hadn't really started living until three days ago, when I had made the decision to leave my tower, and in three days I had done a lot of growing up. Part of me wished I could just stay here now, say I was home, complete the journey and call it done. But I knew that I had other matters to attend to. The King and Queen – my father and mother, I couldn't help but think with a sharp tinge of anxiety – needed there daughter back, and I needed the family I had never had. So not going back just seemed plain silly now. I glanced out the window, longingly looking towards the expansion of woods that separated me from my new family.

"They can wait a few days," Eugene put a hand on my shoulder, almost as if he had read my thoughts. "The sun is starting to go down. What do you say we just stay here for the night, and then make the journey in one day?" Both of us were too weak to travel, I could tell, and I was more than relieved when he suggested such a thing. I nodded before turning to face him. He looked good as new, as if he had never been stabbed or chained to the wall. I knew I was a mess: there was still blood on my skirts, I felt grimy and dirty from being dragged across the floor, and my head was starting to throb from the long day I'd had. The idea of one more night in my own bed sounded appealing, so I nodded in agreement with Eugene's idea.

Before long I had a pot of soup going on the stove, and Eugene was sitting at the kitchen table, flipping through one of the few books I'd had through my life. As much as I enjoyed Eugene's company, something felt off with him being here instead of Gothel. As a creature of habit, I wasn't used to a man being in the tower, or around for so much time, in general. Before Eugene, I had never even met a man… That idea was shocking to most, but when you lived your whole life shielded away from the world, well that put a bit more perspective to it. Eugene was sweet, though, and he had a calming sort of affect on me. I didn't feel frightened or worried or trapped when he was around. The tower didn't feel too small, and the outside world wasn't as tempting as it had been before this whole adventure. I could easily go on living like this, I couldn't help but muse as I stirred the soup. The sun had gone down over the horizon in the short span of time, and my stomach was growling hungrily. After a few more stirs, I deemed the meager soup done and grabbed two bowls and spoons and ladled soup into both. I then grabbed the book from Eugene's hands, pushed the soup in front of him and the spoon in his hands and instructed, "Eat." He looked at me with one eyebrow raised. I was too tired to be patient right now, and I hurriedly sat and ate my soup in silence. My mind was completely blank, and I could feel Eugene's eyes on me as we both ate.

"Rapunzel…?" His voice was soft, and I jumped a bit as his hand reached out to take my free hand. At his touch every hair stood on end, and my heart picked up its pace again. I could feel the blood rushing beneath my skin, and I vaguely remember wondering why Eugene had this affect on me.

All of the sudden, everything that had happened that day hit me like a ton of bricks. I felt like I had been punched in the stomach, and I gasped for breath as the tears slowly slid down my cheeks, staining the table cloth. Eugene, taken aback by this sudden mood swing, pulled me close, holding me tight against his chest. The embrace took me by surprise. Up until today, the way Eugene touched me, and how often it happened, had been limited. I could count on one hand the number of embraces we had shared. There was the dance earlier this very day, but there had been plenty of space between our bodies, and it hadn't lasted longer than a few seconds. And then there was earlier, when I had practically thrown myself on him out of sheer happiness. The only time I had ever actually been held was when Gothel hugged me close, maybe because of a bad dream or my being upset over breaking a pot or something like that. Even then the embraces had been infrequent and devoid of emotion. This embrace was so much more than that. As I cried on Eugene's shoulder, he stroked my hair, quietly shushing me and whispering in my ear that everything would be all right. I believed him. I believed everything he told me, and my heart raced as I realized that this was the first time anyone had actually cared enough to hold me close and reassure me. This just made more tears come, and I gasped for breath as my emotions conflicted inside of me. It was all so new and different, and I didn't know how to organize my sentiments.

After a minute or so of just kneeling on the floor in our embrace (we'd sunk off of our chairs, something I hadn't realized), I pushed away from Eugene, and he gently wiped the tears from my eyes with his thumb. I inhaled deeply and straightened up. My chest felt ready to burst with emotion. Part of me wanted to flee this horrible place, and make all of the monsters go away. Another part of me just wanted to stay and feel at home again, though most of me knew that I could never feel truly at home here. And then there was that emotion that was making my heart race, causing my blood to rush and my cheeks to flush at the thought of being so close to the man who had saved my life. What was the best word for that emotion? I knew most emotions, from happy to sad to jealous to frustrated, but I knew nothing of love or lust or fondness for another person. I sniffled, then, and smiled shyly at Eugene. "I'm sorry, I just…"

He gave me an understanding smile and took my face in his hands. "It's understandable. You've had a long day and should probably get some sleep," he said, his eyes kind as he brushed some hair from my face. I leaned back on my feet and nodded, and he slowly stood, then pulled me up as well. I leaned against him, still feeling extremely weak as we started up the small flight of stairs and towards my bedroom. I sighed as I flopped backwards into my bed, looking up at the painted ceiling, wishing that I didn't feel so overwhelmed right now. Finally I sat up on my elbows and looked at Eugene curiously. He was hovering in the doorway, looking unsure as to if he could come in or not. I needed to change into my nightgown, but that could wait.

"There are sheets and pillows in the linen closet beneath the stairs," I told him, my head tilted to the side. "Or you can sleep in… in the bedroom next door," I said softly, not wanting to talk about Gothel. He frowned before answering.

"I don't think I'm going to sleep tonight," he told me with a small smile. "I'll just read one of your books, if you don't mind." I nodded and bit my lip. Would I be able to sleep tonight? I'd probably have nightmares all night, but at least Eugene would be there to comfort me if I woke up screaming. Part of me wanted to tell him to stay in here with me and to come hold me like he had a moment ago, but I felt odd asking, so instead I just remained silent.

"Well… goodnight, I guess…" I murmured softly, a small frown on my face. Eugene smiled at me then.

"Goodnight," he said. Without another word he had gone out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him. I felt flushed and flustered, and hurriedly changed out of my gown and into my night dress, then stepped over to my mirror and looked at my hair for the first time since I got the new do. My breath caught in my throat and one hand gingerly reached up to touch the brown locks. I couldn't stop the overwhelming sadness that swept over me, and a few tears slowly trickled down my cheeks. I had loved my hair. It was the only thing I ever had felt I had going for me, and now it was gone. I was plain and average and… nothing. I was a nobody; just a lonely girl who knew nothing in the world, stuck in a world far too large. I hurriedly crawled into my bed and cuddled one of my extra pillows close. I fell asleep crying that night, and I should have known from that it wasn't going to be a good night.

The dream that followed my tears was easily the worst I'd ever had. We were in the tower and Eugene had finally just climbed up into the tower. Gothel stabbed him, and I screamed, but nothing came out. I watched in horror as he fell over, obviously dead, and I was dragged down, forever, into the gaping earth, which had opened for me and Gothel to ascend into.

I woke up covered in a cold sweat, screaming and thrashing. Eugene was at my side only seconds later, his face distorted in panic, a dripping cloth in one hand, and a glass of water in the other. He sighed in relief when he realized I was awake, which lead me to believe I had been screaming for quite some time now. "Eugene," I breathed as I untangled myself from the sheets. My chest was still heaving, and the fear was still there, though it was slowly ebbing. Eugene sat on the edge of the bed next to me and handed me the glass of water. My throat was sore and parched from screaming, and I thankfully gulped the water down. While I was drinking he gently dabbed at my forehead and cheeks with the cool cloth, and then moved down to my neck, still dabbing gently, removing all traces of sweat. I finished off the glass of water and handed it back to him before leaning back against the backboard of my bed and inhaling deeply. Eugene looked at me with sympathetic eyes.

"You started screaming and… I…" he stopped and cleared his throat, his eyes avoiding mine. I took his hand and he pulled me in for another tight embrace. "I thought Gothel had come back and was trying to steal you away," He admitted. He whispered it quietly in my ear, and I shivered as his warm breath ruffled my hair. My heart was racing again, but not out of fear from my dream; this was a different kind of racing. I was sure it was caused when Eugene's body got this close to mine, because I noticed it only happened when he was close to me, or when he just touched me, or even just looked at me. Maybe it was just Eugene in general that did this to me. This feeling was strange and new, but I found I liked it much more than some of the other feelings I'd experienced before. I held onto Eugene, wrapping my arms around his neck and burying my face in between his shoulder and neck, willing him to hold me tighter; the tighter he squeezed, the better I felt. It was as if he could make all of my fears disappear just by being close to me. I knew that he would take care of me, and do anything to protect me, and that was comforting.

I exhaled and inhaled deeply, finally feeling much better. It was only then that I realized the sun was slowly crawling up over the horizon. "Should we go now?" I asked him softly as I lifted my head from its place on his shoulder. Eugene sighed and looked out of the window in my room, then looked back to me.

"We can leave whenever you are ready to, Blondie," he told me. The familiar nickname made me feel a bit more at home, and I smiled softly as a small laugh escaped my lips. He was obviously trying to make me feel better, and it was working. Somehow, Eugene just knew how to brighten my spirits. I pushed back the covers of the bed and slid out, shivering as my bare feet hit the cold flagstones that made up the floor. I folded my arms over my chest and pointedly looked at the door then to Eugene.

"Would you mind? I need to change…" I told him with a small, innocent smile. My nightgown was cotton and cut off at the knee, and I could feel Eugene's eyes on me. They averted to my face when I spoke to him, though, and a small blush colored my cheeks as he nodded and stepped outside, pulling the door closed behind him. I let out all of my breath and started humming to myself as I rummaged through my closet. First came the petticoats, over which I laced up my corset. Next was the gown itself, this one the same as the last. I always made more than one of the same dresses, mostly because I would always have extra fabric, and if I didn't use it mother would fuss over how much she paid for the material only for me to waste it all. After lacing up the front of my dress, I sighed and smoothed out my skirts with one hand, and the other worked through my hair. I chewed on my lower lip as I gingerly picked up the hairbrush that my mother so often used to brush my long golden locks and ran it through my new hair, smoothing out the choppy layers and trying to get used to the new look. But it would take forever for me to get used to it. I sighed once again as I grabbed a small ruck sack from my closet, and hurriedly filled it with clothes as well as my hairbrush and a few small trinkets from in my room. First was the only pieces of jewelry I owned, which consisted of a small silver ring, a silver locket, and a bracelet that was braided leather. Next went my three books, and finally the small journal I had occasionally written in, and mostly doodled in. That was all I had. I slumped back onto my bed after fixing the sheets for the last time. My whole life was getting flipped upside down, and there was nothing I could do about it. I felt like crying again, but I held the tears back, finally standing after a few minutes of sitting, and headed out into the main room once more.

Like me, Eugene had been busy packing things for our journey including a small amount of food and water, as well as a few blankets and candles. As I entered the room he stood from where he'd been squatting, inspecting the contents in my paint box. "I wish I could take them with me, but we've got to travel light," I told him with a small shrug of my shoulders as I started down the stairs, my hand trailing down the smooth railing as I stopped at the foot of the stairs. I wished I could pack up all of the walls and take my paintings with me, but I knew that wasn't possible. A small sigh escaped my lips as I looked around one more time. I would miss this place, I really would. Sure, life would be excellent outside of this tower, and I was more excited than ever to leave and start a new life. But this tower… it was part of me. I'd lived here for the past eighteen years, and leaving it for a second time seemed almost as hard as the first time.

I jumped a bit as Eugene put a hand on my shoulder. I had been absorbed in my own little world, something that happened all too often when I was around Eugene. My smile wavered as he pulled me into a close, tight hug, and once again I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, and the blood rushing at incredible speeds through my veins. Did he feel the same way when he touched me, or was it just because it was all so new? I inhaled sharply, once again burying my face into the niche between Eugene's shoulder and his neck. It was so comforting, the way his strong arms seemed to hold me up, how I could feel his slow breathing, in and out and in and out… even his scent, very earthy, comforted me. My fingers clutched at his shirt, a soft material, and one of his hands comfortingly rubbed up and down my back. Just this embrace was enough for me. I felt Eugene's body tense then, and he gently removed my arms from around him and looked me in the eyes. "Are you going to be ok?" He asked me, his voice hushed as if we were in a place that had a sacred meaning. I nodded, wide-eyed and still a bit sleepy, but ready to leave none the less. The longer we stood here, the more paranoid I got. Maybe Gothel would be back to come get me, or maybe I would finally wake up from what I had been suspecting was a dream these past few days. Eugene kissed my temple, then, and smiled tenderly at me. "It's going to be fine," he added, his fingers intertwining through mine as he started towards the small trap door. Pascal, who had been sleeping on my bed still as I had packed, had meandered his way out from my bedroom and was waiting next to the trap door. I scooped him up, placing a gentle kiss on the top of his head, and then set him on my shoulder as we started our descent.

The sunlight was bright as we left the tower, and the meadow looked as beautiful as ever. I couldn't help but smile as I squished my toes in the grass, once again remembering how amazing the feeling was of the grass between my toes. Eugene was still holding my hand, and he pulled me along as I tried to stop and look into the stream. "C'mon, Princess," he said, a goofy grin on his face. "We want to get you back home safe and sound," he informed me. This was true. I was eager to get back to the main city and meet my new family, though my nerves were starting to build in my stomach. The sun was still low in the sky, indicating it was early morning, and I estimated that if we made optimum time and kept up a decent speed, we would arrive back in Corona a little bit after midday.

We emerged on the other side of the ivy-covered cave and I inhaled deeply. Once again my emotions were conflicting. I was feeling happy, excited, and saddened and nervous. "What if they don't like me?" I asked Eugene, panic filling my voice. The worst-case scenarios started running through my head, and I grabbed at Eugene's arm as we started in the right direction. "What if they don't recognize me and turn me away?" I said breathlessly, still worrying. Eugene just smiled and shook his head at my craziness.

"Everything will be fine," He reassured me as we trudged on. We had quite the journey ahead of us, and both of us were anxious to get back to the city and start a new life.