Hey! Sorry this took longer than usual to update. I hope I didn't upset anyone! *Stares into enraged red eyes of subscribers* Oh, man.

But anyway, here's Chapter 9. I figure there'll be about 12 Chapters, or maybe (big maybe) 13.

Either way, hope you enjoy this one! Thanks for all the great reviews!

I have dreams of owning Tangled...

I also have dreams of being a superhero spider monkey.

Either way, neither of those are going to happen.


"Rapunzel!" Flynn yelled out, bursting through the door of her room. "They're just outside. I heard them getting closer."

Rapunzel gasped and leapt out of the bed, running over to Flynn. "What if they find the tower? What do we do? We have to get you out of here!"

Flynn sighed and held Rapunzel's hands in his own. What he was about to say wouldn't be easy—in fact, it'd be one of the most difficult choices of his life. But if Rapunzel could be safe…

…Nothing else mattered.

"No," he said quietly. "You have to stay. I'll leave. Once they get rid of me, they'll think we're both out of the way. You have a free run back to the castle, and then you can—"

"No!" Rapunzel shook her head, gripping his hands tighter. "No! I'm not leaving you! Eugene—"

"Rapunzel…" Flynn ran his hand through her short brown hair, and savored the moment with her, pretty sure that it would be one of his last. "I would give anything for us to be out of this situation, but I can't change what's happened. What I can change is if you get home safely or not. And I'm going to make sure that happens. I couldn't imagine living…knowing that you weren't safe. Over the past day it's driven me insane knowing that, and…" he sighed, thinking of the ultimate sacrifice he was making, but he knew that it was worth it. "…I love you too much to put you at risk."

"Oh…Eugene," Rapunzel said breathlessly, shutting her eyes tight. "I couldn't imagine life without you either…It almost happened once…I can't…I can't do that again—"

Flynn gently pushed her chin up so he could gaze into her beautiful green eyes, now brimmed with tears.

"You won't have to," he said with a tender smile. "No matter what happens, you'll always be my new dream."

Rapunzel nodded, wiping a tear from her eye.

"And you'll always be mine."

Suddenly, Pascal wriggled out of Flynn's pocket once again, staring happily at Rapunzel.

She let out a glad gasp. "Pascal!"

"I thought you'd like to see the frog—chameleon—agh!" Flynn chuckled. "I can never get that right."

Pascal scurried up Flynn's arm and across his onto the girl's. Rapunzel giggled as the little green creature climbed up to her shoulder and rubbed against her face, his scaly skin against her pure pink cheeks.

All Flynn could do was smile.

Just then, Pascal held up his finger to signify "wait a minute," and then scurried back towards Flynn, tucking himself inside his vest and scuttling all around, to the point where it tickled Flynn so much, he jerked and twitched with the most hilarious expression on his face. Both Rapunzel and Flynn had to laugh.

"What is he doing?" Rapunzel asked curiously.

"I—don't know—" Flynn laughed between twitches. "But it's really—creeping—me out!"

Suddenly, Pascal peeked up through the collar of Flynn's vest, staring up with a smile into Flynn's confused eyes. Flynn had no clue what was going on until he saw the little square box in the chameleon's hands.

It was the ring.

Flynn had completely forgotten…and now, when he probably never would see her again…there was no doubt about it.

Now was the time.

With a nod of thanks to Pascal, he plucked the case from the green creature's hand as he scurried out of Flynn's vest with a thumbs up.

Rapunzel watched, astonished, as Flynn slowly dropped on one knee, and then presented the ring to her, as she gasped, her hands flying to her mouth.

"I have tried…and tried again…tried a thousand times to plan this out," Flynn told her sincerely. "But, then I realized, all I was saying was the same old thing every single time. I…I love you, Blondie. And I want you to know, that when I'm long gone…I just want you to know that I always did love you…ever since the day I found you in that tower. You make me feel…indescribable. Because you are indescribable. Indescribably wonderful. And I only hope…that someone as amazing as you…could love someone like me."

Rapunzel was speechless, and at first Flynn was scared that he had done something wrong. But all his fears melted away as Rapunzel nodded, the tears of joy finally cascading down her cheeks.

"I do," she choked, "I do love you, Eugene. No matter what happens." She picked up the ring and slipped it on her finger, breathtaken. "Oh…Eugene…"

Then without any warning, Rapunzel threw herself forward, wrapping her arms around Eugene's neck and giving him a big kiss. Flynn, surprised at first, soon returned the gesture, caressing her face, wondering if he would ever have a moment like this again.

Probably not.

As Rapunzel drew back, Pascal flashed Flynn a smile and raised his eyebrows.

Flynn responded with a playful flick on the chameleon's nose.

Suddenly, the fond moment was interrupted by the urgent neighing of Maximus, and Flynn stumbled to his feet and raced over to the window, looking down at the scene below. He saw the white horse, rearing on his hind legs. He couldn't see the Captain and his team, but they must be nearby. Maximus was never wrong. Pascal hopped off of Flynn and scurried over to Rapunzel, racing up to her shoulder.

"Are they coming?" Rapunzel asked anxiously, though she pretty much already knew the answer.

Flynn nodded. The time had come.

"I…I have to go." Flynn said sadly. He gazed into his love's troubled green eyes, which were filled with pure joy just a second ago. It broke Flynn's heart to know it broke her heart, but this was the way it had to be, if she was to be safe. He just had one more thing he needed to hear.

"I need you to promise me something," Flynn took in a deep breath.

"Anything," Rapunzel nodded.

"Don't ever forget me," Flynn sighed, taking Rapunzel's hands into his own once again. He gazed into her beautiful green eyes, which were once again brimming with tears. "But, Rapunzel…I need you to move on. When I'm gone, I want you to…find someone new. To fall in love again. I want you to go out there, and meet someone else. Start a family. I want you…to be happy. Can you promise me that?"

The tears once again rolled down Rapunzel's cheeks. This was really happening. "I…I…" she took in a deep breath, and her last words came out as a mere whisper. "I…can't."

She then threw herself onto Flynn, burying her face in his shoulder, her body shaking with sobs. "I can't—Eugene…oh, please, don't leave me! I can't…I can't…"

"Rapunzel…" Flynn stroked his love's hair, and tried to comfort her, but it was no use.

"Don't leave me, Eugene…I need you…Stay with me…don't go! Please…"

There was nothing Flynn could say. He just held Rapunzel tight, fighting the urge to cry himself. But he couldn't cry. He had to be strong—for her. He knew, even though he'd be gone, everything would eventually be all right. Time would heal Rapunzel's wounds, and she'd be happy. And though that broke Flynn's heart, he needed to know that. She needed to be ok.

"I love you, Blondie," Flynn whispered in her ear. "Don't you forget that."

Rapunzel looked up at him, her eyes puffy and red from all her tears.

"How could I forget," she choked, "the most wonderful thing that's ever happened to me?"

Now Flynn was the one who had to cry. A stray tear fell from his eye, and he quickly wiped it away.

"Goodbye, Rapunzel," he whispered. He knew now was the time. It couldn't be avoided.

He had to go.

He held that beautiful girl's hand one more time, and then watched, brokenhearted, as it slipped away for the very last time.

Rapunzel stood, eyes stuck on Flynn, as he slowly walked across the room, and then kneeled down to pull up the trapdoor that led down to the bottom of the tower.

"I love you," Rapunzel said, tears streaming down her face.

"I love you more," Flynn told her, taking in the last view he would ever see of his precious Rapunzel.

"I love you most."

Finally, Flynn mustered up every ounce of strength he had, and pulled open the trapdoor to leave.

But instead of stairs, a terrifying sight met him.

For as he pulled up the wooden board, he found himself face-to-face with a gleaming sword.

And grasping on to that gleaming sword, was none other the Captain of the Guard himself.