Hello again, my dear readerers! (How long has it been since I last used that word?) Okay, as promised, secrets will be revealed this chapter. But I warn you now, there's a lot of info I need to get across this chapter, so IT WILL BE LOOONG!

DreamGirll: Favourite chapter so far, huh? Well then, let's see what you say after I reveal a few secrets... (;
Lady Hannah: I'm glad you liked the flashback; I'm pretty proud of it... And don't worry, they'll meet when the time is right... ;)
Trekrider: Thank you! (:
hera98: Rapunzel's ex? Well...
Ice Queen: I have started the next chapter, but I've been a bit bogged down with homework lately... I'll get to work on it ASAP...
tillyjane119: Thanks so much for the suggestion! I've already set in concrete when they're going to meet, but, again, thanks for the suggestion... ;)
phoenixbird264: Thanks!
The Violet 14: Like I said in my PM, thanks for your support!
Umbre0n: No, she was. Okay, all I'll tell you is that if you like Eugene and Melissa, you'll like one of the secrets I reveal... (;
MrAndersIversen: Once again, thanks for reviewing... I hadn't really noticed that great a difference in my writing, but it's nice to know that others have... :)
Kramy1223: Sorry... Here's an update for you!

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Chapter 14 ~ Matters of the Heart

December 5th 2011, New York City

'It's time.'

Izzy smiled as the text came in, knowing what the sender meant. It was lunchtime of the last Monday of the school year, and all the Year 8's had just had a double-session of electives. She and Kaitlin had been in Computing with Mr VanderVen, while the sender had spent the last two periods in Art, stuck in the same class as his crush for just under two hours. And now, now was the chosen moment when the sender would take that leap of faith and ask out his year-long crush, Taylor Bishop.

"You coming, Iz?" Kaitlin called from not too far away.

"I'll be right there!"

'Good luck, Christian. U got this!'

Sending the text, she jogged up to Kaitlin, "Okay, I'm here."

The ginger-haired girl beside her eyed her suspiciously as she slipped her phone back into her school bag, "Who was that?"

"Oh, nobody..." Izzy replied simply, smiling a knowing smile.

Kaitlin watched her for a moment as they made their way over to the picnic table, "It's about a boy, isn't it?"

"What?" Isabelle laughed as she asked, dumping her school bag on the ground and brushing snow off the table.

"Well you're extremely happy about something..." Katie replied as the two girls sat on the table and got out their lunch.

"Let's just say that something good's gonna happen to someone I care about..." Isabelle answered, refusing to reveal the exact truth. "Don't worry. If all goes as planned, you'll find out for yourself later..."

Kaitlin just shrugged, and began eating, "Taylor's taking forever today... You think she's okay?"

"Just be patient... She'll be here..." Izzy replied, feigning indifference to hide her knowing.

The minutes slowly ticked by, and Isabelle began nervously fiddling with the sapphire heart hanging from her neck. She knew how much Christian cared for Taylor, and how much she cared for him in return, and she wanted them to be happy together. But if she was really, truly honest with herself, she wanted them to get together in part for her own happiness... So that when she looked back in the years to come, she could look back and know that this was the day her best friend's greatest wish came true, not just the day her mum was diagnosed with the cursed illness that later claimed her life...

"Finally!" Kaitlin exclaimed, throwing her hands in the air.

Izzy's head shot up, and sure enough, there was Taylor standing roughly 30 metres away, with a certain brown-haired boy close at her side.

"Wait... Is that- Christian?"

Isabelle didn't hear the question, her hold on her mother's necklace tightening as she watched the young couple. They both seemed a little nervous, and even from that picnic table she could see that Christian was beaming. Taylor was talking to him with a soft smile and the faintest blush, and by the smitten look on his face, it was obvious that he was practically hanging on her every word. Once she was finished, he took her hand somewhat instinctively and, with that same goofy smile, said something back. After he hesitantly let go of her hand, they slowly backed away from each other, before turning to go their separate ways.

Isabelle smiled, letting go of the dark blue gemstone. There was no need for her to be informed of the result; their smiles said it all.

Taylor was walking towards them, her pace increasing the nearer she came. Isabelle pushed herself up ready to catch the love-struck girl if need be.

The young teen finally reach them, not wasting a second in informing them of the current situation, "Christian asked me out!"

Kaitlin squealed as she thrust herself up, tightly hugging Taylor.

"See. I told you!" Izzy smiled, also hugging her.

"Come on already Tay! What did he say?" Katie demanded, tugging at her arm.

The blonde's blush deepened, and she began repeating Christian's words. Isabelle smiled a secret smile, recognising some of what Taylor said from her own talk with Christian.

"... After that, he asked me if I'd maybe like to be his girlfriend, and I said 'yes'," Taylor explained, wiping happy tears from her eyes. "So, yeah..."

"And all that time you insisted that he wouldn't like you..."

Taylor rolled her eyes, "Alright, Izzy! I admit it! You were right, and I was wrong... Happy?"

Once again, Izzy's hand found the sapphire heart resting just below her collarbone, "Yeah..."

Taylor's eyes took on a look of guilt, "Izzy, I'm so sorry... I completely forgot today-"

"It's alright, Tay..." Isabelle assured her, the three girls hugging each other again. The rest of that lunch time was spent talking about the new couple, and when the end-of-lunch bell rang through the grounds, they made their way back to their school bags.

"So let me get this straight... Not only does he like your freckles, but you're letting him call you 'freckles'?!" Kaitlin asked in shock.

"He thinks they're gorgeous," Taylor shrugged, blushing again.

Isabelle laughed, pulling her books out of her bag. As she did so, she discovered a white envelope tucked between her books. Reaching into the envelope, she pulled out a piece of plain white card with only a hand-drawn picture on it; a rose with dark pink petals.

"Looks like someone else is gonna get asked out soon..." Taylor teased.

"Doubt it," Kaitlin shrugged, examining the drawing. "Roses have different meanings depending on the colour and number given. Dark pink roses are a symbol of gratitude, appreciation, thanks..."

Isabelle smiled, taking back the picture, "Come on. Let's get to class..."

Grabbing their things, the three girls began making their way to their next class, neither Taylor or Kaitlin noticing Isabelle fall behind just long enough to give the sender of the dark pink rose a grateful nod as she passed.

Eugene cast his eyes down the piece of paper, taking in each word. Completing the page, he picked up his pen and signed it, before putting it back in its file.

Today was one of those blissfully quiet days, where the people of New York were sticking to the law and there were no cases pending to be solved. All there was was paperwork and Christmas decorating.

Closing the file in front of him, Eugene looked around the precinct. Out of the 12 or so cops currently on that floor, he was one of the 5 finishing the last of the paperwork. Everyone else - including Jessica and Captain Johnson - was either stringing tinsel across the ceiling or decorating the small Christmas tree over in the far corner of that floor.

Getting to his feet, he quietly slipped out from behind his desk. Eugene walked into the empty break room, closing the door securely behind him. Maybe it was the warm, loving atmosphere, or maybe it was just the painful memories this day held, but for whatever reason, he felt out of place with the joyous mood everyone else was so easily enjoying.

Sighing, he silently made himself a cup of coffee, watching the streets below from the window. People of every age and race wove their way through the city, talking merrily amongst themselves as they walked in and out of shops in search of gifts for their loved ones.

Taking a sip of his coffee, he couldn't help but of think of all the times he and Melissa had done that. No matter what, she'd always insisted on coming with him, even on her worst year...

Snowflakes twirled in the wind like tiny feathers as they fell over the City of New York. The skies were close to black, from both the snow clouds looming above and the sun having set the best part of an hour ago.

Somewhere in the city, a man and his wife walked down a strangely quiet footpath beside the heavy traffic, carrying their Christmas shopping.

The man closely watched his wife with concern-filled eyes, making sure she wasn't getting too tired.

Moments later, she stumbled, her husband easily catching her before she fell, "Mel... Are you okay?"

Melissa straightened herself, shaking her head in attempts to wake herself up a bit, before continuing on, "I'm fine Eugene..."

Yet another cold chill weaved its way through the city, and Melissa shivered under its icy claws.

Eugene stopped, watching in sympathy as his lover struggled against the harsh, winter winds. He shouldn't have let her leave the house knowing the weather was this bad. Today was December 12th 2008; it'd been roughly a week since his precious Melissa was diagnosed with leukaemia. She was due to have her first lot of chemotherapy tomorrow; she should be at home, curled up on the sofa in her pyjamas, watching a movie with the heater on, not out here in the freezing cold, burdening herself with Christmas shopping...

Breaking himself from his thoughts, he transferred the bags in his right hand into his left, before quickly walking up beside her.

"Melissa, it's freezing out here... Let me wave down a taxi-"

"Eugene, we're 10 minutes from home, if that!" Melissa argued, again continuing down the footpath. "I'll be fine. It'll take longer to find an empty taxi than just making our own way home..."

Eugene sighed, "At least let me keep you warm..."

Melissa stopped, silently standing with her back to her husband. After a moment, she sighed, shivering as she cuddled herself up to his side. Eugene wrapped his right arm around her, welcoming her presence. Holding each other close, the two yet again continued down the oddly quiet footpath.

"There's no way you should be out here, you know..." Eugene pointed out. "You should be snuggled at home, getting your rest for tomorrow..."

"I want to be here Eugene..." Mel replied, adding softly, "If there's any chance that I won't be here next Christmas, I'm not going to let myself waste this chance..."

Eugene felt like someone had stabbed him in the heart, his grip on her automatically tightening. The thought of losing her to this infernal disease was unbearable. Heck, the thought of losing her at all was unbearable.

"There's no guarantee it'll come to that..."

"But it could, which is why I can't take these kind of chances for granted..."

There was a moment of silence between the two, before Eugene spoke up, "Are you scared about tomorrow?"

Huddling close to him, she replied, "Yeah... But you'll be there right? Waiting for me to be let out?"

"Of course I will! Where else would I be?"

Melissa smiled, nuzzling the side of his chest in attempts to stay warm. The two rounded a corner, and their apartment block came into view.

Eugene tenderly kissed his sweetheart's forehead, "Come on. Let's get you home..."

"Eugene?"

"Yes?"

Melissa looked at him with tired, love-filled eyes, "I love you."

Stopping, he turned and lovingly kissed her on the lips, hoping beyond hope she could tell how much he loved her...

A soft click brought him out of the memory. He turned around, finding another person in the room.

She stepped away from the break room door, and slowly walked toward him, "I can't imagine that coffee's too warm now..."

He looked down at the lukewarm coffee in his hand and sighed, pouring it down the drain and putting the mug in the sink.

Jessica quietly watched him for a moment, before walking up behind him and placing her hands on his tense shoulders.

"You work far too hard, you know..." Jess commented, pressing hard on the stiff muscles in hopes of loosening them up. "Your shoulders are almost as hard as rocks."

Eugene flinched as she attempted to unwind the tense muscles, answering, "I have a teenage daughter to raise. I have to work hard..."

"Still, you give so much of your time to others, but hardly ever take time for yourself..." she argued, adding after a few seconds, "I'm worried about you Eugene..."

Eugene turned to face her, and easily saw the concern in her eyes, "I know, Jess... But I'm fine, really... And I do take time for myself... I'm just a bit tired, that's all."

Jessica sighed, "Okay. Just- just don't over do it, okay?"

"Don't worry, I won't," Eugene assured her, checking his watch. "I'd better go get Izzy..."

"Drive safely," Jessica replied as he walked towards the door.

"I will, and Jess-" Eugene stopped in the doorway, sending her a grateful smile, "- thanks for loosening my shoulders up a bit..."

Jess smiled, "You're welcome."

And with that, he walked away, unaware of the concern his partner was still feeling for him.

Isabelle twirled around her room as she brushed her chocolate brown locks. December 5th; so tragic in 2008, but perfect now. One of her best friends, one of those people who stood by her in her time of need, had today been granted happiness unlike any other she'd ever experienced; today, Taylor and Christian had finally discovered each other's true feelings, and would soon be going on their very first date.

Setting down the hair brush, Izzy hummed softly as she braided her hair. A moment later, hearing footsteps, she silently opened her bedroom door and watched her dad slip quietly into his room. Once she heard a reassuring 'click' from the closing door, she closed her door and rushed over to the laptop sitting on her desk.

Isabelle jerked the mouse, and the darkened screen regained its light. Quietly tapping on the keyboard, she logged on to eHarmony just as a new message came through.

'Hey Eugene. Hope you've been having a good day...'

Isabelle smiled and, taking a deep breath to calm her current excitement, typed her replied.

'Mine was pretty quiet, but believe you me, Isabelle's been pretty much bouncing off the walls all afternoon!'

'Really? Big day at school?'

'Kind of... Her best friend Taylor and this boy in her class, Christian, they've had crushes on each other for the whole year and today they just started going out... And Izzy's thrilled!'

'That's great news! She must be really happy for them...'

'Yeah... I'm just glad December 5th can have some good memories for her...'

'I don't understand...'

'Today's the 4th anniversary of Melissa's leukaemia diagnosis...'

'Oh... How have you been today?'

Izzy took a moment to think about her dad's attitude that day.

'Not too bad... I've just been a bit down today... Knowing Isabelle's doing okay today is a help...'

'Her friend must be really happy... I still remember the first time I got asked out...'

Isabelle smiled at the reply. This was the perfect opportunity to ask some of the questions she'd had on her mind.

'Hey, Rapunzel... Can I ask you something?'

'Yes?'

'It's just... You're 32 years old. You have a good heart, you're amazingly talented, and you're stunningly beautiful... You don't have to answer this if you don't want to, but how is it that such an incredible young woman is still single?'

A few minutes ticked by with absolutely no response. Isabelle bit her lip. Maybe she'd asked something a bit too personal...

Just when she was about to apologise, a response came back.

'I'm guess I'm just a little picky when it comes to guys... When I was 17 and a half, I met this guy, Nathan. We started off just being friends, but then something just... changed... Anyway, we started dating a month before I turned 18, and he found out it had been my life-long dream to see the fireworks display at Disneyland on my birthday but I'd never gotten the chance to go. So, he struck a deal with our parents and agreed to take me to Disneyland on my 18th birthday, and... And I was thrilled... On my birthday, he came to get me at 6am and drove us there in his dad's Ferrari, and we spent the whole day at Disneyland together. That evening, he rented a gondola and took me out onto the lake, and we just floated there with fireworks of every colour bursting above us... After a few minutes he placed a hand on my cheek and went to kiss me, but his phone went off and ruined the moment.'

By the time Isabelle got to the end of the message, another had come in.

'A week or two later, I was at the shops buying paint when I saw him talking with some girl. I began walking towards him, but stopped when I saw how close she was getting to him... Before I knew what was happening, she practically threw herself at him and kissed him full on the lips. I just stood there, hurting and speechless, desperately waiting for him to push her away... But all he did was bring her closer... When they pulled back, he had this goofy grin on his face, until he saw me standing there. *wipes away tear* The tears were streaming as I started walking away. He caught up to me and started rambling on and on about how he was sorry and how that kiss had meant nothing to him, but by then it was too late for him to repair the damage... Ever since that day, I've been a bit paranoid when it comes to romantic relationships. That's why I've never...'

'... had a long-term relationship...?'

'*sighs, nods slowly*'

Isabelle felt like she could cry listening to Rapunzel's story.

'Do you still think about him?'

'(firmly) No. (hesitantly) Yes...? *groans* It's complicated...'

Izzy decided the best thing she could do was to let Rapunzel talk when she was ready, so she patiently waited for a reply. And sure enough, a message popped up.

'So. What about you, Eugene Fitzherbert?'

'Ah, yeah, well... I'll spare you the tragic love story of poor, widower Eugene Fitzherbert, it's a bit of a... well, it's a little bit of a downer...'

'*rests chin in palms and watches hopefully with interest*'

'*chuckles* Okay. For starters, remember how I told you my dad died back when I was just a kid?'

'Yeah...'

'Well, not having my dad around, there were times when it was really hard for me... Mum did her absolute best, but just before I turned 18, I got involved with this pair of twins, Daniel and Roger Stabbington, and things just started going downhill from there... They convinced me I needed a cooler name - which is when I started going by Flynn Rider - and then they started trying to turn me into the trouble-makers they were. Having grown up being taught to do the right things and with that strong desire to be a cop, I'd never been like them and never would be, and they knew it. One Friday night, they called me up and told me to meet them outside the apartment building Mum and I lived at... When I went downstairs, they pushed me into their car and drove up to this really expensive jewellery store... When we got there, Roger smashed through the window while Daniel explained that "we" were going to rob the place. I told him I didn't think it was a good idea, but he started playing on my weaknesses and managed to bully me in to it...'

Isabelle paused to send the message, before continuing with her father's backstory...

'Anyhow, they went in and immediately set off the alarm, so they started snatching from the counters and stuffing jewellery into a bag. I went to step in after them, but was able to come to my senses before I did something stupid. I started walking away just as the police showed up, and they took me back to the NYPD for a witness statement. Our current captain, Benjamin Johnson, he was just an officer back then; he was the one who questioned me, and called Mum after I told him everything... Luckily, my decision to not take one step into that building saved me from any charges, but Mum was absolutely terrified the Stabbingtons had pushed me into a downwards spiral. Captain Johnson suggested getting me out of NYC for a little while and told us about this camp his brother was running that coming June at his farm in New South Wales, Australia. Mum and I decided it was the best option for me, so I flew out to NSW and spent the whole of June 1996 there. The first day there, I stopped in the hall to get my bags inside when this girl tripped over my suitcase and fell into my arms, before we both toppled onto the floor.'

'Let me guess... Melissa?'

'Yep. We fell in love the moment we looked in each other's eyes, and the whirlwind romance formed soon after that. It was only a week later when we confessed how we felt, and by the time we made it back to New York we were engaged... I knew right from the first kiss that she was someone I could see myself being in love with until the end of time; that's part of why Izzy had to work so hard to get me on here... Melissa's the only woman I've ever loved, so when she died I just- I don't know... didn't know how to move on...'

Isabelle hit the send button and released a breath she hadn't realised she was holding, sending a mental reminder to herself to thank Uncle Kurt later on. There was a pause, but then she heard the familiar sound of a message coming in...

'Eugene?'

'Yeah?'

'Thanks for telling me... It can't have been easy...'

Izzy smiled at the message.

'Right back at you... ;)'

'Anyway... I better let you go... Good night Eugene.'

'Thanks Rapunzel. Sleep well.'

Sending the message, Isabelle shut down her laptop and climbed into bed. She snuggled deep into the covers, falling asleep moments later.

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Like I said, loooooong chapter... Anyway, I'm lost as to what to do for the next chapter, so suggestions would really help... Seriously, HELP ME!

Reviews are also welcome, as always... (: