After a bit of searching, Rapunzel and Eugene managed to locate a suitable spot for spending the night. It was next to a stream (which meant there was a possibility of getting fish), had a good spot for a fire, and the ground wasn't too hard. "Believe me, out here, this is a luxury," said Eugene.

"Then I guess we're really lucky, huh?" said Rapunzel.

"Uh, yeah, I guess."

After that, he went into the stream to look for fish while Rapunzel set about building a fire. She had had some experience with that; just get the right wood together in the right way and light it—which was made a lot easier by the fact that Eugene happened to have some matches on him. "Survival essentials," he had explained.

Unfortunately, the night also brought mosquitos, which began to buzz around Rapunzel and land on her. But fortunately, this was exactly was Pascal needed for his own dinner. As she set about getting the fire ready, he crawled on her shoulder, back, and head, his keen eyes picking out his prey and his long tongue snapping them up. Eventually, the mosquitos seemed to realize that it wasn't a good idea to be in that area and took off, but by that point, the chameleon had already eaten his fill.

Soon after the fire was blazing and the mosquitos were gone, Eugene returned, a fish in each hand. "Got lucky," he said. "All right, that's one and a half fish for me, half a fish for you."

Rapunzel gave him a look, and he sighed. "Oh, fine. You can have a whole fish."

"Thank you, Eugene."

His reaction to his real name was less severe than before, but it was still there. But this time, she didn't immediately follow up on it, and waited for him to cook the fish—which actually turned out to be quite good. "Well," he said after they had finished, "it's dark, and we've got a lot of traveling to do tomorrow." He yawned. "Time to hit the hay."

Rapunzel sat up. "Hold on," she said. "I'm curious to know more about you. Eugene Fitzherbert, huh?"

He clearly wasn't eager to breach the subject. "Yeah, well, there's not much to tell."

Rapunzel kept her interested expression, and he sighed. "Fine. But like I said, not much—it's the sob story of a poor orphan. First life he ever knew was in the orphanage. Never had much, and all that."

Rapunzel blinked. She was beginning to understand the scornful-slash-envious tone that he had used earlier. He had been raised with almost nothing, and seeing someone on the opposite end of that spectrum was sure to bring up all kinds of feelings for him. "So…that's why you became a thief?"

He looked at her for a moment, then nodded. "Yeah. For someone like me, it just seemed like the best option."

"Why did you change your name?"

His face lightened a bit. "There was a book I used to read to the younger kids, all the time. The Tales of Flynnigan Rider. Your classic swashbuckling rogue: brave, good-looking, adventuresome…all that good stuff. I found myself wanting to be more like him."

"Was he a thief, too?"

Eugene's face fell slightly. "Nah. He was really rich, actually. Could do anything that he wanted to. The thieving part…well, like I said, it just kinda came with my own situation."

They were silent for a moment as Rapunzel absorbed this. So, this was the secret behind the infamous Flynn Rider…he was just a poor orphan who wanted more. It was a tragic tale, not a classic good-versus-evil scenario.

"But, uh, don't tell anyone," said Eugene, cutting into her thoughts.

"Why not?"

"'Cause it'll ruin my whole reputation. And, hey, a fake reputation is all a man really has."

Rapunzel smiled. "Okay, fine."

He sat back. "So, there you go. Not much compared to the life of a princess, but…"

Rapunzel sighed. "Well…"

Eugene raised an eyebrow and sat up. "What's that mean?"

"It means…" She hesitated. "I don't know, it's just that…my life seems to be missing something a lot."

"Missing something? What could you be missing?"

"That's what I'm trying to find out. It's actually why I'm here in the first place."

He blinked. "You've lost me."

"Well, I was out for a ride in the woods today, and I saw this path that I hadn't taken before, and…I just got to thinking that maybe I needed some more adventure, some more excitement. So I went down this path, and ended up running into the bear. Then I got separated from Maximus, and, well, that's when I found you."

Eugene cocked his head. "Well, it certainly sounds like you found adventure and excitement."

She looked at him. "I did, didn't I?" She chuckled. "Maybe Marcus was right."

She thought she saw his body stiffen. "The captain? What's he got to do with that?"

"Oh, it's just something he told me a few days ago. He told me that if I wasn't satisfied, I had to go out and find what made me satisfied." She paused, noticing that he hadn't eased up. "Sorry, I forgot that you and he aren't on very good terms."

Eugene snorted. "That's putting it lightly. He'd love nothing more than to see me dangling from a rope."

Rapunzel shuddered. "That's terrible."

"It's how it is. But I suspect you knew that already."

"Well…yeah. But I've never really gotten to know a thief before." She paused. "I know you want to keep your fake reputation, but…maybe I could put in a word for you, or something."

He blinked. "Why?"

"Just because…I don't like the idea of you…you know."

He scratched his head. "Uh, that's nice of you, I guess. But I can take care of myself."

"Marcus is a capable captain. You shouldn't underestimate him."

He rolled his eyes. "Oh, of course."

"Of course what?"

"You're defending him."

"Sure I am. He's been my best friend for my whole life."

Eugene raised an eyebrow. "And…?"

"And what?"

"Come on, I've heard what people have said." He looked at her meaningfully, and Rapunzel felt like she was back in the ballroom on the night of her birthday. "Have you set a date yet?"

Her mood took a downhill turn. "Don't assume things," she said.

"Is it assuming if everyone knows about it?"

"It is if it's not true."

That caught him off guard. "Huh?"

"Marcus and I are not in love. Never have been."

"Huh," he said again. "Hm. Okay, then."

She blinked. "That's it?"

"What's it?"

"That's all you're going to say about that?"

"Why should I say more?"

She hesitated. "Because everyone else has."

He grinned. "Well, in case you haven't noticed, I'm not everyone else."

"No, you're not." She sighed. "People…people are just kind of disappointed."

He snorted. "Disappointed? Why?"

"They really wanted us to get together. And they had it set in their minds that we were."

"So what?"

"So we disappointed them. We let the rumors and postulations get out of hand, and didn't set things straight until it was pretty late. It was irresponsible."

Eugene shrugged. "Maybe. But it's not like everyone's perfect." He laughed. "Heck, look who's talking. We all make mistakes."

She nodded, reminded of her having said similar words to Marcus after his own failure. Maybe she should take her own advice. "That's true."

"Of course it is. I said it."

She snorted. "And you're right about everything?"

"Pretty much." He hesitated. "Also…I mean, I've heard a bunch of stuff about you. Well, obviously; it's how I knew about all that you-and-the-captain stuff."

"And what of it?"

He grinned. "It's all really positive. The people love you. Even if you disappoint them, they'll get over it eventually."

She smiled. "Thanks. That's good to hear."

"It's always good to know that you're liked."

"Does that…" She paused, and he raised an eyebrow. "Does that have anything to do with why you saved my life earlier today?"

He blinked. "When?"

"You stopped me from eating that berry."

"Oh." He shrugged. "I dunno, that was just by instinct. Er, not that I wanted you to die."

"It would have resolved the issue for you."

"Um, I guess. But hey, come on. I'm not completely heartless."

She smiled at him. "I'm beginning to wonder if you are at all."

"Well, come on. I've stolen all sorts of things from all sorts of people. I've lied too many times to count, and betrayed a fair number of people. I'm not exactly what you'd call a good person."

"Are you proud of what you've done?"

"Eh?"

"Are you?"

He hesitated. "I dunno about proud…but it's how I've gotten by."

He did seem more troubled than his words would suggest, but before Rapunzel could press the issue, he changed the subject. "So, what was it like growing up with that old stick-in-the-mud of a captain?"

Rapunzel let out a laugh. "You wouldn't be calling him that if you had seen him outside of his duties. Marcus has two sides to him: the serious captain who's devoted to his job, and the playful friend who loves making jokes."

"Playful? Jokes? You can't be serious."

"Sure I can. He takes after his father that way." Her face fell. "His father was a great guy. He was always cheerful around us when we were kids, and even teenagers, but I knew that he still possessed a single-minded devotion to the kingdom."

Eugene nodded. "That does sound like a good captain. Think I had a few run-ins with him myself. Never considered him a friend…but couldn't help but admire some of his qualities. That was…Julius?"

"Yeah. Marcus absolutely idolized him. His death was a huge blow, and I don't think he's completely gotten over it."

"Really?"

Rapunzel nodded. "He's a lot more sensitive than he lets on."

Eugene chuckled. "So I'm not the only one around here with a fake reputation…"

"Well, it's all a man really has. So you can't tell anyone about this."

He grinned wryly. "So you'll keep my secret if I keep his?"

She frowned; she didn't like the sense of that; it was if both of them had something hanging over the other. "It doesn't have to be like that," she said. "Just…we'll both keep each other's secrets."

He looked slightly taken aback, but shrugged. "All right. Besides, with any luck, I won't see him again."

She looked up at him. "What are you planning to do after this?"

"Pretty much what you'd think. Go somewhere, sell the crown, live off that."

She looked down at the satchel. "Where?"

He chuckled. "Hold up, there. I can't tell you all of my secrets. Just know that it's far away from here."

She felt a slight pang at the thought that she wouldn't see him after this. He might have been a thief, but getting to know him had been really interesting. "Well…hope things go well for you."

He raised his eyebrows. "Wait, you actually want me to get away?"

"I…it's hard to say." If Marcus caught him, he wouldn't have to deal with a crushing failure, like the one that had brought him down the night of her birthday. But if Eugene got away, he wouldn't have to spend the rest of his life in prison—or have it cut short.

He shrugged. "Well, we'll have to see what happens. What will be will be and all that."

"I guess."

They sat in silence for another moment before he let out a yawn. "Well, we'd better get some sleep. Gotta keep going tomorrow."

"Oh…right."

He lay back, his head up against a nearby log. "You can probably use the satchel for a pillow," he said.

Rapunzel looked down at the satchel. "Yeah."

After a moment of silence, Eugene yawned again and closed his eyes. "All right, good night."

"Good night, Eugene." She hesitated. "Oh, and…"

He opened one eye. "Yeah?"

"For the record, I like Eugene Fitzherbert better than Flynn Rider."

He raised an eyebrow. "Really? You'd be the first. But, uh, thanks."

"You're welcome."

He closed his eyes again, and Rapunzel set about settling down herself. As he had suggested, the satchel made an okay pillow, so long as she didn't put her head on the crown inside. Next to her, Pascal curled up. "It's been a crazy day, Pascal," she said.

The chameleon nodded, and cast an eye in Eugene's direction, then sent a questioning look at her. "I think…" Rapunzel lowered her voice to be barely audible. "I think he's all right."

Pascal didn't look as though he shared the exact same sentiments, but was too tired to press the matter, and closed his eyes. Rapunzel followed suit…though the swirling thoughts in her mind meant that she would not fall asleep for a while.

She wasn't the only one. Flynn (he still thought of himself with that name) found that sleep did not come easily. That was the longest conversation he had had with anyone in a long time, and it was about some pretty heavy stuff. And so, despite his efforts to keep his thoughts under control, they went in all sorts of directions, many of which he didn't want them to go in. For instance, was he really pleased with what he had done? He hadn't lied when he had said that thieving had been the best option for a poor orphan—especially one who was so good at it—but that didn't mean he was entirely happy.

Well, I don't have to be happy just now, he tried to tell himself. I just have to wait until I can get that crown back. Then…then I'll be living like Rapunzel. Just hopefully, without that sense of something being missing that the princess had expressed.

He had to admit, she was one of the most intriguing people he'd ever met. She had everything that he had ever wanted, but still wasn't entirely satisfied. He had a hard time imagining that. And she was particularly trusting for someone who was stuck with the infamous Flynn Rider.

Come to think of it, he had been pretty trusting, too, what with giving her his back story and all. Sure, he hadn't told her all of the details, but she had gotten the picture. He thought he had even detected some sympathy in her expression. Part of him didn't want her sympathy, but the other part was almost touched that someone like her would actually think that he was worth caring about.

He shook his head. Man, he was going soft. The old Flynn Rider—who had only become old slightly earlier that day—would just take the satchel from her right now and be off. They weren't too far from the kingdom, so if she just kept going in the direction they had been going in, she was bound to run into one of the patrolling guards sooner or later. They were probably out looking for her at this point, anyway. Sure, they hadn't been able to find him, but he had been actively trying to not be found. She would be actively trying to be found. Yeah, her odds would be good at this point.

He cracked an eye open. Could he take back the satchel right now? Or, if not the satchel, the crown inside it? That was all he really needed, anyway. He probably could; she looked asleep, her breathing steady. Of course, there was no way to tell for sure. If he called her name lightly and she was awake, she'd get suspicious. But even if she wasn't asleep, he might be able to sneak around, get behind her, and reach into the satchel…

He was starting to move when an image sprang unbidden into his mind: how Rapunzel would react if he did do that. She'd probably be pretty devastated, after all, he'd have betrayed her trust.

Well, what should she have expected? said a part of him. I'm Flynn Rider.

Not to her, another part of him claimed. To her, I'm Eugene Fitzherbert. Someone he hadn't been for years…and, to be honest, it wasn't bad to take up that mantle again, if only for a short time. It reminded him of other times…better times? He had had much less money…but he remembered the other kids at the orphanage. They had been younger than him, so he hadn't been able to connect with them completely, but they had been fun to be around. They had always seemed to bring his mood up…

He shook his head again. Jeez, now he was reminiscing. He hadn't done that for years. What was it about this princess that was changing him like this?

He heaved a small sigh. Well, it would all be over in a day or two. Most likely one. They were close enough so that she could probably be confident enough in her ability to get back after just a few more hours of travel. Just so long as they didn't run into any more bears or anything.

Repeating to himself that it would all be over in a little while, he was somehow able to drift off to sleep…but not without feeling an odd sense of disappointment…

Mother Gothel was preparing to settle down for the night when she caught movement at her window. Swiftly, she made her way over and saw a crow perched on the sill. She knew this crow; it had delivered messages to her before, from someone who had some good information to give.

As usual, it had a message tied to its leg. She untied it, unrolled it, and read it over.

Her eyes widened. The princess was lost in the forest? This was something new…and something certainly worth knowing. She had to act quickly; she couldn't let anything happen to Rapunzel if she wanted to keep using her magic. Yet…at the same time, this could be the opportunity she had been waiting for. Maybe she could snatch up the princess now, and no one would have any idea that she was behind it. She'd still have to work out the details, but there were definitely all sorts of possibilities. This was it. This was what she had been waiting for. She would resolve everything then and there.

But she needed go get going. She dismissed the crow, then put on her dark traveling cloak. No doubt the guards were also out looking for Rapunzel, so she had to find the princess before they did. After gathering a few small items—one of which was a particularly sharp knife—she lifted up the trapdoor in the tower and headed out.

Marcus was fighting back a rising panic that was threatening to take him over. He and his men had been searching the forest for a couple hours, but they were no closer to finding Rapunzel than they were to finding Rider. He tried not to think about what that would imply—if Rapunzel were okay, she'd be looking for them and calling out for them, right? And wouldn't he have heard that by now?

He told himself to calm down. The forest was a big place; she could be anywhere. But he had split his men up, and there hadn't been any report from them yet, or a floating lantern signaling that she was safe and returned to the castle. Keep calm, he kept repeating. Dad wouldn't have lost his cool in a situation like this, and you won't, either.

He had just finished thinking that for the umpteenth time when he heard something shuffling around, not too far ahead of him. "Hello?" he called, before remembering that it could be Rider instead of Rapunzel, and silently cursing himself for giving away his position.

But whoever it was didn't seem to be repelled by his call. In fact, the noises got closer, and Marcus felt his heart rise. Could this be Rapunzel, just too tired to respond to him?

A figure emerged from the trees, and he started. It was Maximus. "Maximus!" he said, riding over and dismounting. "Where have you been all this time?"

The white horse looked exhausted. He had a few scrapes and a lot of leaves and twigs stuck to his body. "You look like you've been through a lot," said Marcus.

Then, he noticed a more sizable scratch on the horse's hindquarters. They looked like…almost like claw marks. Fear instantly surged up in him, but he forced it down. "Maximus," he said, struggling to keep his voice calm, "where did that come from?"

Maximus only whinnied in response. "I don't…I don't know what that means," said Marcus. "Look…did…where's Rapunzel?"

The horse shook his head, eyes worried. "You don't know?" said Marcus. "What about…what about whatever gave you that scratch? Did it…" He took a breath. "Did it get to Rapunzel?"

Maximus shook his head, and Marcus felt a small wave of relief. "Good boy. But…you lost her?"

The horse nodded. "Can you show me where?"

Maximus steeled himself, then nodded. "Thanks," said Marcus, patting him on the nose. He swung back up on Faustus and followed the white horse through the trees, a small bit of hope making its presence known. He had a lead now.

The three of them continued through the trees for several minutes before Maximus came to a stop. "This was the place?" said Marcus, and Maximus nodded.

Marcus looked around. There was no sign of Rapunzel anywhere—and it was too dark to see something like a bit of fabric from her dress, or a strand of hair that had fallen off. (Though Marcus was pretty sure her magic hair didn't fall off at all.) "You've searched the area?" said Marcus, and Maximus nodded again. "Hm. Well, maybe she's moved since then."

For another while, he, Maximus, and Faustus scoured the area, Marcus calling out Rapunzel's name from time to time. But their efforts were fruitless, and they became more and more tired as the time went on. Finally, when Maximus looked like he was on the verge of collapse, Marcus called a halt to their efforts. "You're exhausted," he said to the white horse. "And that scratch doesn't look too good, either." He shook his head, blinking several times in a futile effort to stave off his own fatigue. "We…we might need to return to the castle."

Maximus looked at him, and he could tell that the horse was as reluctant to do so as he was. "I know," said the captain. "She's still out there."

His anxieties resurfaced in full, and he found himself bending over, almost overcome. Then, his mind shifted, and he thought about what other people might say: his father, Rapunzel, even Tara. He had done everything he could, and he was at a disadvantage in the dark. He would do better when it was light out, and he had had some rest. And besides…Rapunzel was strong. She could make it for a night out here.

He straightened up in his saddle. "Yeah, we have to go back," he said to Maximus. "We've both done everything we can. Right now, we need to get back, so that we can both get some rest and you can get that scratch looked at." When the horse still looked troubled, he sighed. "Maximus, you know Rapunzel as well as I do. She's strong, and she can manage on her own."

The horse whinnied in a resigned tone. "C'mon," said Marcus, and, slowly, they made their way back to the castle. He had instructed the other guards to return themselves when they became spent, too, and so he didn't expect any others to still be out at the time. Except for maybe William—so long as he didn't push himself too far. He was the kind of person to do that.

Fortunately, he ran into William as he was returning. "Captain!" said William, and his gaze went to Maximus. "You found Maximus?"

Marcus nodded. "But not Rapunzel."

William sagged slightly, and Marcus realized how tired he must be; he had been on patrol almost constantly since early that afternoon. "Come on, William, we're going back," he said.

"What? Without the princess?"

Marcus heaved a sigh. "We don't have a choice. We're all exhausted already, and the dark isn't helping. The best thing for us right now is to rest up so that we can be ready to go again tomorrow."

William yawned, his body still sagging. "I suppose," he said, his tone resigned. "But I don't like it."

"Neither do I. But we have to trust that Rapunzel will be fine."

William gave a small smile. "She is a tough nut to crack."

Marcus returned the smile. "That she is."

They returned to the stables to find Graham the stable boy still there. "You should get some sleep, Graham," said Marcus, suppressing a yawn.

"Jus' wanted ta make sure you all made it back, Cap'n," he said. "You two're the last ones."

"Thank you. Where are the king and queen?"

Graham gestured, and Marcus saw them sitting on a hay bale, leaning up against the wall, fast asleep. "They wouldn't go back without news of the princess," he said in a low voice. "Ah take it ya didn't find her?"

Marcus shook his head. "We'll resume our search tomorrow morning, but in the meantime, the best thing we can do is rest up so that we can perform our best then." He gestured to Maximus. "Also, Maximus has a bit of an injury that needs attention. Would it be possible for you to grab someone to look at it?"

"O' course, Cap'n."

Graham led Maximus away as Marcus looked over at the sleeping king and queen. With a small smile, he noticed that they had fallen asleep holding hands. "Don't worry," he said quietly. "I'll get her back. You'll have your daughter back before you know it."

He yawned widely, and, too tired to drag himself up to his room, he sat down on a nearby pile of hay, leaned back, and closed his eyes.