A/N: Here we are with chapter 10! Thank you all soooo much for your lovely reviews! They encourage me to write so much. Originally, this chapter and the next were going to be one, but it was getting a bit long, so I decided to split it up, SO this chapter doesn't have a whole bunch of action. Just so you know, I know I said in the last chapter that there was going to be more action in this chapter!

As far as owning Tangled goes, I'm thinking I might try the evil Macon approach and randomly kidnap Disney so they'll let me own Tangled.

Rapunzel stumbled over something in her path as she and Ellie followed behind Macon, who was leading them to the abandoned cabin he'd talked about. Rapunzel felt dizzy and for once, all she wanted to do was to rest. They'd been walking for hours – first looking for the midwife, and now that it was afternoon, they were going to the abandoned cabin. At least they had food, she told herself. They'd taken the picnic basket she and Eugene had brought with them that was stuffed full of things to eat. She winced as she tried to ignore the pain of a contraction.

Ellie, who had been watching the princess, knitted her eyebrows together. "Princess Rapunzel? What's wrong?" she asked.

Rapunzel gave a weak smile as she answered, "I'll be okay."

As the day had gone on, Rapunzel experienced steadier and more consistent contractions. She wished they would stop, not only because they were uncomfortable, but because she didn't want the baby to come right now. She had silently been telling it to wait, but so far it didn't seem very obedient. After all this time waiting for it to come, of course it would pick a time like this. As Eugene had informed her on several occasions before, it was a very mischievous child.

An old, abandoned cabin, that really looked much more like a shack than a house of any sort, came into view. Macon grabbed Ellie's and Rapunzel's arms and led them up to the house and inside.

"Mr. Macon," Rapunzel spoke up, trying to straighten things out, "I'm sure that this all must be a misunderstanding, I'm sure – "

Macon turned around as he responded. "No misunderstanding. That midwife killed my wife."

Rapunzel looked completely shocked. That couldn't be true! Dana would never do such a thing; it wasn't even possible!

"Please, let us go, I'll bring her home and find my husband and go back to the castle, and no one will ever know we've been gone! I won't tell them anything." She pleaded after a moment, not daring to disagree with Macon for fear of what he would do.

"You think I'm gonna believe that?" he asked.

She sighed. Oh, why did she have to be so stupid? She'd tried to escape with Ellie while they were looking for the midwife and Macon's attention was diverted, but that only resulted in Macon distrusting her.

"And I found these on the trail." He said, reaching his hand into his pocket. He brought out his hand and sprinkled strips of fabric to the floor. They were strips of fabric Rapunzel had torn from her skirts and scattered in a trail behind them as they walked, hoping someone would follow. "You can forget about anyone coming to find you."

She couldn't figure out how he found those strips of fabric. But she did know that now all her efforts had turned out to be unproductive.

"I could write Dana a letter to tell her that you'd like to speak with her, and Ellie could deliver it to her." She spoke up again hopefully. That could be Ellie's way out, and then Ellie could bring help!

Macon scowled. "A bunch of people'd come with her. Now sit down." He said, pushing her back to sit on the chair behind her.

Rapunzel wished she knew what Macon wanted. She didn't want to put Ellie or Dana in danger, but every second she was away from Eugene…oh, she didn't even want to think about it.

"You could tell her to come alone." She finally said quietly, deciding to risk it.

For the first time since the night before, Rapunzel saw a grin appear on Macon's face.

"I got a better idea. We'll send a message to the midwife. And if that husband o' yours is still alive, we'll send a message and tell 'im I've got you. He's the reason that midwife wasn't here."

Rapunzel's heart pounded.

If that husband o' yours is alive.

He…he had to be! He was, wasn't he?

Inside, she knew there was definitely a possibility he wasn't.

And what was this about Eugene being the reason the midwife wasn't there?

She willed her spinning and tired head to understand everything that had been happening the past few hours, but no matter how hard she tried, nothing made any sense.

She fought back tears and swallowed hard.

"Okay."

oOo

"Dana, I've got those herbs Ellie was – "

Ellie's mother stopped in her tracks at the disarray of the midwife's house as she walked in the open door. A chair or two was thrown over, books lay on the floor, something had shattered into a million tiny glass pieces – but the most frightening thing was the trail of rust red.

She gasped, dropping the basket to the floor and running forward. Was Ellie here when this happened? Was she here now? And if not, where was she?

oOo

Back at the palace, a few hours after breakfast had been served, a maid knocked on the door of Princess Rapunzel and her husband's bedchambers. When the two were absent at breakfast, it was assumed that they either were sleeping in or that Rapunzel didn't feel well.

"Princess?" the maid called upon receiving no answer. She heard not even the slightest noise coming from behind the door. "Are you feeling all right?"

Not a single sound.

She tentatively tried turning the doorknob, but in vain; the door was locked. As she certainly couldn't just walk into a royal's bedroom unannounced in the morning, especially those two, she turned on her heels and left, deciding to check back later.

At noon, still no one had seen or heard from the princess or prince consort. Pascal had been spotted scampering around the castle, Maximus was in the stables, and the rest of the royal family was attending to their daily duties – but no Princess Rapunzel or Prince Consort Eugene. Finally, Rose decided to investigate.

"I don't care what they're doing." She said as she trekked up the steps with her husband, Wilson, at her side. "I'm going to find them."

"I don't know what they could be doing." He said.

"Oh, they're probably working on a second one in there. And Rapunzel already had the baby. Silently." Rose giggled and shrugged. "Either way, I'm finding out."

"I don't even want to know."

"Then why are you following me?" she asked playfully.

"I'm getting Benjamin." Wilson mumbled.

"Uh-huh. Sure you were." She said, watching him go. She came to Eugene and Rapunzel's bedroom and tried opening their door, even though she'd been told it was locked – which was an accurate piece of information. She turned and opened the door next to theirs, the room that was hers until she married. The room connected to Rapunzel and Eugene's through another door, and when the baby came it was going to be used as a nursery.

"Okay, rise and shine, you two lovebirds!" Rose called as she opened the door. Her smile faded as she realized that Eugene and Rapunzel were nowhere in sight.

She walked about the room, in case she just didn't see them at first, but as she did it became clear that they weren't there. She darted out of the room, down the hallway, and to her son's room.

"Wilson," she called to her husband, who was standing there holding the little boy, "They're not in there."

He frowned. "They're not?"

"No." she answered. "And no one's seen or heard them since last night."

"Have you looked outside and in the library?"

Rose nodded. "I did earlier this morning."

"They probably snuck off into the kingdom. You know how Rapunzel can't stand staying in the palace grounds all the time."

Rose held out her arms to take Benjamin, looking doubtful.

"I think if they were going to sneak off, they'd make sure no one would know they were gone, because they'd know they'd never hear the end of it."

"They could be exploring the castle."

"I don't think they're here. I think we would've at least heard them running around if they were."

"Well, where do you think they are?"

"I don't know." Rose shook her head. "That's what bothers me. Eugene wouldn't let her go too far, I know that. He worries about her too much. I wouldn't think they'd go any farther than the village." She sighed. "I'm going to go find Mama and Daddy."

She left the room and walked to the library with Wilson following behind her. The king and queen were there, attending to kingdom matters.

"I don't think Eugene and Rapunzel are here. Their room was empty." Rose reported when she walked in the room.

The queen raised her eyebrows and sat up. "Are you sure?"

Rose nodded.

"They're not in the castle?"

Rose shook her head. "I don't think so. No one's heard from them all morning."

Both parents looked troubled.

"We should've known they'd sneak off like that." The queen said quietly.

"We'll have some guards look for them in the kingdom." The king said, getting up and starting towards the door. "And the castle grounds too, just in case they're here and we don't know it."

oOo

Rapunzel gasped and squeezed her eyes shut.

It was really all she could do, being tied up.

The baby was definitely coming, and she knew it. But there was nothing she could do to stop it.

"You make sure and tell her to come alone. You got that?" Macon was instructing Ellie. Ellie nodded and he turned to Rapunzel.

"You stay put. Alright?"

Rapunzel pleadingly looked up at the man through glassy eyes.

"Please," she whispered, trying to keep her voice steady, "what do you want with us? Please – just, please let us go."

Macon only scowled at her and turned back to Ellie.

"Go on out there, girl." He told her, pushing her out the door and following behind her.

oOo

Eugene panted as he climbed over a fallen tree in the forest. He'd found a trail of fabric strips from Rapunzel's dress and was unwaveringly following it. But now, the trail seemed to be disappearing. He couldn't seem to find any more clues.

What was happening? Was she alright? Was the baby alright?

oOo

Hours later, it was evening, and the Queen and Rose, who was holding her son, stood in the village after being given the report that Eugene and Rapunzel were nowhere to be found. The guards had also reported that a village girl whom Eugene and Rapunzel knew hadn't been seen since early that morning, when she was told to go to a midwife's house – the same one, in fact, that was supposed to deliver the latest addition to the royal family - to tell her about the herbs her mother had for the midwife. When the mother went to the midwife's house later that morning, the place was in disarray and there was a trail of blood across the floor.

Rose furrowed her eyebrows. "What if Rapunzel has to have the baby wherever they're at right now?"

"They'll be alright." Queen Rosemary answered, although truly, she was still trying to convince herself.

Rose glanced up into the hills and fixated her eyes upon something. As it came closer, she cupped her hand over her mouth and gasped. "It's Eugene." She said, pointing to the figure coming towards them. The rust red stain on his once crisp white shirt flowed down nearly the entire left side of his shirt.

"Rose, get the doctor." The queen commanded, hurrying towards Eugene.

Rose nodded and bounded off before appearing again in record time with the palace's doctor at her side. Eugene was ushered inside of a small medicine shop in the village. He recounted the events of the day and the night before as the doctor attended to his wound.

"There weren't any more markers," he panted breathlessly, "The trail just died. I don't know what happened, where they went…I tried to find her."

"We know, Eugene." The queen said.

"He's lost some blood," the doctor said, "but he'll make it. The wound wasn't very deep, and there's no sign of infection."

"I shouldn't have slept the rest of the night last night. I should've been looking for her."

"You were right to come back here." The queen assured.

Eugene shook his head restlessly. "I have to find her."

The queen didn't have time to respond before a voice of a child called out, "Eugene! Eugene!"

Recognizing the voice, Eugene immediately shot up.

"Woah, woah, there." The doctor said. "Take it easy. We'll see what she wants."

Eugene grunted, though he didn't really agree, and laid back down some.

Outside, the little girl was greeted with hugs and a crowd that gathered around her, but she urgently exclaimed, "He's got her! He's got Princess Rapunzel!"

Upon hearing this, Eugene, though it was painful and he'd surely be scolded, slowly but determinedly got up and made his way outside.

"Ellie," he said, kneeling by her, "you've seen Rapunzel?"

Ellie nodded vigorously. "That man that's got her wants to see the midwife. He sent me to find her, and I don't know why, but he said if I couldn't find the midwife, to get you. He said for you to come by yourself, or he'll kill her."

Eugene's jaw seemed to harden, and his eyes had a concerned look about them.

Ellie sighed and frowned as she looked around. "Rapunzel said to bring help." She said quietly.

"Where is she?" Eugene looked seriously into Ellie's eyes as he asked urgently.

"An abandoned house in the forest. He tied her up there."

Eugene nodded and smiled at her. "Thank you." He gave her a look of concern. "Are you okay?"

She nodded, and just then her parents joined the crowd and knelt beside her, hugging her and asking where she'd been.

Eugene stood back up. "I'm going to find her." He muttered, taking steps to where Maximus was standing, boots clicking on the cobblestone streets with determination.

A/N: There it is! Don't forget to revieeeeeeeeew!