A/N:
PampleMousse07: My most treasured and constant reviewer. Thank you very much.
Melay08: Thanx for reviewing. Of course PunZ isn't ugly. It's just Mother Gothel. To Flynn, she's beautiful in her strangeness.
Chapter 8: The Deal
Even in her limited point of view about the world, only seen from the windows of Mother's apartment, read and understood from the three books, and imagined in her execution of her paintings, Rapunzel knew what Mother had done was wrong. Lunging and slashing at the man with a craft knife was wrong. She could have hurt him.
But there was also some truth in what Mother had said. The man could be a criminal. How could he have entered the Tower without help from the staff? And he was incoherently moaning about the manuscript Life After Rachel before he passed out. Why was he so concerned about it even at the time of near death? Did he get it from somewhere? Did he take it from someone? Did he steal it?
Rapunzel knew Mother was trying to cajole her into believing that she was fine and the incident that happened in the Tower an hour ago was just a one-time thing, but Rapunzel was on red alert. She knew there was something wrong with Mother and she did not want to make her angrier now.
But there were things that she needed to do for herself too. Mother on the other hand, would take care of herself.
"I'm taking the day off to be with you, Rapunzel," Mother announced when they had entered the apartment. She locked the door and so destroyed all her chance of experiencing the outside world after that.
"You don't have to, Mother. This is home. I'm safe here," Rapunzel said.
"Oh no. You know how much I love you dear," Mother said and kissed her bald head.
"The criminal! I could have lost you back there," she moaned next, her eyes almost in tears.
Rapunzel thought about it again. He didn't do anything to her except trespass and see her half naked. But she could question his motivation for breaking into the Tower. Suddenly, Mother's cell phone rang. Mother picked it up after her face changed when she saw who was calling her.
"I'm at my house, Mr. Grimmney," she paused. There was a faint sound of a man shouting at the other end.
"But-"
Shouting continued.
"There is no replacement for the face character."
More shouting.
"Yes, Mr. Grimmney."
Rapunzel saw Mother tearing at her hair in a moment of weakness. But then she sucked in her breath and smoothen her maroon theme park staff shirt.
"Look what you've done, Rapunzel. Now Grimmney is mad at me because of the Tower. I have to go back there," she said between clamped jaws.
"I can go with you and we'll sort this thing out," Rapunzel implored.
"After all that had happened? No, Rapunzel. Letting you go outside was a big mistake. You must stay in here, for your own good."
"And give me the book and the pen," Mother commanded, her hand held out. Rapunzel searched her tie-dye bag for the items. She was not very upset about giving them up. The book and the pen had been a nuisance to her anyway. Mother took them and clutched them tightly in her vice-like grip.
Without another word, Mother went out. She locked the inner door after she went out of it so Rapunzel could not see the view from the front door to the street.
She was alone again. Rapunzel would not dwell anymore on Mother and she headed upstairs to the window where she could see the Chinese eatery. Did he know her from their brief but intense encounter? Would he be there as he moved on with his life after the Tower incident? Would she be able to see him again? The questions went running through her mind. It was five o'clock and the late autumn darkness had set in. She was thinking how it could have been if it was differently handled. What if he had not try to come in her defence when Mother was roughing her up? What if he had continued sleeping?
Rapunzel looked out of the window, a tune escaping her lips. The one she heard from the giant wheel of spinning dead horses. This went on for a few minutes until she saw a familiar gait of a person on the street below. She felt like she was being watched. She focused on the person. He was looking up at her. It was him. The person who stumbled into Rapunzel's Tower. And there was no way of hiding from him. It seemed to her that both of them had known each other for a long time and the incident of the last hour was a much anticipated reunion. Still looking at her, he moved out of her sight. Rapunzel breathed again. She would try to forget him and he would absolutely forget her in no time with no effort at all. Rapunzel felt her stomach grumbled and she headed to the kitchen. She planned to make an omelette and make some mashed potatoes. Rapunzel went to the refrigerator and took out some eggs and onions. She began putting three potatoes in a pot of boiling water.
She was reaching for the frying pan when she suddenly she heard a creaking sound from the direction of her painting studio. She never had creepy feelings when she was alone and she heard strange noises in the apartment. Rapunzel was so frequently left alone ever since she could remember that she had come to believe that the apartment breathes like humans do to. But this time the noise seemed real. It was not the sound of the apartment breathing. It was like someone was making that noise. And the noise was very near and deliberate. Rapunzel turned off the stove. The frying pan meant for the omelette became her only weapon.
Rapunzel did not switch on the light in the corridor that led to her studio but hid in the shadows when she poked her head in the crack of the door of the room. She gasped and retreated when she saw the tall form of a man entering the studio from a window. It was unmistakably him. The man walked on around the studio, presumably looking at her paintings and sketches before he headed out of the room.
That was the moment Rapunzel swung the frying pan to his face. But he had quick reflexes too because he knew that she was waiting. Rapunzel's weapon hit him in his lower arm that was shielding his face.
"Augh!" He yelled in pain as he stumbled backwards and fell into a chair.
Rapunzel charged, frying pan ready. She was about to hit again when his strong arms sprang back and as quick as lightning, held back her advancing hands. But he held his face away from her, wincing.
"Wait! Not the face! Not the face!" He yelled.
"I don't want to hurt you," he continued, still wincing.
"I want to talk. We need to talk," he said, letting go of her hands.
"Who are you? Why did you come in here?" Rapunzel asked, weapon still held aloft.
"OK Baldie," he said, apprehensively referring to her hairdo.
"The name's Rapunzel," she hissed.
"Ra- what? Whatever. I work across the street, in the Chinese eatery."
"You don't just work there. You stole something and chose the theme park Tower as a hide out."
"Yeah, yeah. See the thing is," he paused and continued, "I need that manuscript, Life After Rachel, and I believe that you or your mother, or abusive guardian has it."
"How dare you break into my home and threaten me so I can give you what you want."
"Believe me, Baldie. I tried the front door. Knocked like a mad man. But I think the door is like a space ship containment chamber or something, and I had to find another way in. Scaled the back of the apartment, pried apart the padlock, trade secret, so here I am, asking you nicely," the man said. The amount of words he used amused her. And his request was very interesting.
"By the way, the name's Flynn Rider," he said giving her a smile with all his upper teeth showing and his eyes drawn to slits as his head tilted to one side. Rapunzel pursed her lips in discomfort. What was he trying to do with his face like that? Her grip on the frying pan tightened. She had to speak now before he did many more of his strange antics.
"Alright Flynn Rider," she enunciated.
"You will get back your backpack and manuscript on one condition."
"What is that?"
"You must take me to Medieval Weekend. I want to see everything there - the Kingdom Dance, the Jousting, the Classes, the launch of the Lanterns for the missing children. And only after I deemed myself satisfied with your conduct as you take me through the events, only then, I will bring you to your backpack and the manuscript."
The man's face looked as if he was being tortured.
"Oh come on, Baldie! Medieval Weekend is the most idiotic event ever held by the University. Make believe battles, costumes, and the resources-wasting floating lanterns. I've been in the University four years and not once I attended Medieval Weekend. But I did enjoy attending one of the free classes on writing fantasy. Are you sure you wanna waste this 'ransom-holding' thing with Medieval Weekend?"
"To each her own. I want this. Or you can tear apart the whole town and never find the manuscript."
"Look, Baldie. There is so much promise in our future together. And you just want to destroy everything with this bad beginning? I know you've been looking at me all the while as you sit near your window."
"And you I," Rapunzel replied and continued, "you even gestured at me a few times. While I was looking at you out of purely artistic interest."
"I can see that," the man Flynn Rider said as he looked at the nearest sketch pinned to an easel. It was a study of the male anatomy.
"I can see how inspired you were when you did this. You even got the nose right, among other things. Well done!" He exclaimed.
"Is it a deal?" Rapunzel asked for confirmation. The man Flynn Rider gave no response. He seemed to be thinking deeply.
"Because if you agree to this deal, I will make sure that you will get your Rachel."
He was still mulling about it, his lips twisted with the effort of thinking.
"And when I make a promise, I never break that promise. EVER."
The man sighed. He looked at her and breathed. He seemed to have given up on her from not making him make a promise.
"I don't wanna have to do this but you leave me no choice," he said solemnly.
"Here comes the smolder," he continued under his breath.
What? She asked inside. Smolder. What does the word mean? Mother had used the word once. The fire was still smoldering the next day. It was a snatch of memory from the accident which claimed their first house. From that sentence alone, she had been able to gage the meaning of the word. Smolder. To burn slowly without a flame. Was he going to slowly combust right in front of her?
Flynn Rider lowered his face and then held it up again. His lips were twisted like he was in pain and his eyes were like Mother squinting when she was trying to look at something too far away. Rapunzel gnashed her teeth impatiently. And after a few seconds, Flynn Rider seemed to have given up on his endeavour, whatever it was.
"It's not working, is it?" He asked, traces of the so-called 'smolder' still remaining on his face.
"Is it supposed to work?" Rapunzel asked she held up her once lowered frying pan.
"Oh alright," Flynn Rider exclaimed in frustration, and made the deal.
"I'll take you to Medieval Weekend, the dance, the events and the lanterns."
"Yes!" Rapunzel squealed with joy. The man looked at her as if she was an alien from outer space.
"And then I will get my Rachel."
"I promise you, Flynn Rider."
"Are you sure you're not under medical arrest for chemotherapy?" Flynn asked her and gestured at her head.
"I don't have cancer," Rapunzel said, now slightly embarrassed at her mother's insensitivity to fashion.
"OK let's do this. Twenty four hours and we'll part ways happy and complete individuals," Flynn announced as he got up from the chair. Then he stopped in the midst of his stride.
"But how about your mother?"
"She wouldn't know. And by the time I get back it's too late for her to do anything."
"You just make sure she'll not find me again OK? Because I don't think she likes me."
Rapunzel nodded. In the outside world, would Mother wield the knife like she did in the cramped and narrow Tower where no one could see her? She wouldn't dare, Rapunzel thought.
"Let me worry about my mother, Flynn Rider. You worry about me enjoying myself during Medieval Weekend."
