Hello again! Lunanoir; omg another Disney wedding! They are the most magical, after all! Best of luck! Also, I'm not much into the Star Wars fandom but Princess Satine here (pronounced Suh-teen) is my personal Tangled AU world "Lost Princess". Just because I don't think Mother Gothel would have named Rapunzel the same name as the actual Princess and I just needed a name. No real meaning there. Anyways, thank you for the review!

And thank you too Guest! I'm so thankful to anyone who was here a few months back who has decided to still check in on my story. I know it's frustrating when authors just give up. But I have found my muse again and I'm pushing on! This story is too much fun to write to forget about for long…

21. Without words

Charley ran to the men falling breathlessly into the arms of his brother.

"Gypsies?" asked Will in an urgent hushed tone.

"Where?!" demanded Vlad drawing his dagger.

Charley tried to catch his breath, "T'ey're jus beyond t'at clearin', et looks like t'ey're plotting n' ambush!"

"Did they see you, son?" Vlad questioned looking around the dark trees.

"No! But we have ta move quickly. T'air coming t'is way! "

The men quickly got up reaching for their weapons as Trevor smothered out the fire.

"Damnit," he cursed looking to Rapunzel and Flynn, "what about Flynn n' his lass?"

"Go!" said Charley, "I'll tend to 'em. We'll hide, n' ef any one tries anyt'ing I won' hesitate."

Vlad gave him a worrisome look before glancing back to Rapunzel and Flynn.

"Go on!" Charley repeated, "you're th' best shot, t'ey need ye!"

"Come on Vlad, let us show these vagabonds how proper gents fight!" said Will running past the others with Trevor.

Vlad reluctantly nodded but gave Charley a stern glare.

"Take them into the woods. Make sure they are both hidden."

Charley nodded as Vlad ran off to join the others.

In the next moment, Charley had dashed to Rapunzel's side as she was trying to shake Flynn from his fevered fog.

"Good enough for you t'en?" he asked with a smirk.

"A natural showman!" she quipped before reaching for Flynn's arm.

"Here, he's come to, a bit. Perhaps he can help us carry his weight."

"Where are we dragging him to, again?"

"I'll need to be rather far into the wood. No one can see this, remember?"

"We shouldna go too fair."

"We'll need to. If anyone sees…" she shook her head, "I'm sure Will might have a few plans on which vender to sell me off to."

Charley furrowed his brow. He was bewildered by Rapunzel's need to keep healing her husband so hidden. All though, there was not much time to ponder suspicions.

"Help me now!" she demanded as the boy was quick to heave one of Flynn's arms over his shoulder.

As the two struggled to help Flynn, the unconscious man moaned in pain as Charley had a strong grip on his bad arm.

"Come on, Flynn," whispered Rapunzel. "You need to walk!"

He groggily was able to place his feet on the ground and slowly stagger on.

Charley glanced to Rapunzel who looked determined as ever to drag the man as far as they needed to go.

Their plan had started off smoothly enough. The diversion would spare Rapunzel a good while to try to save her husband's life. Though, it meant confiding in the less vocal of the brothers. While she trusted Charley, she also found she did not have much of a choice. Vlad was no different than her father. He wanted to protect her without letting her own voice be heard. If her plan worked out, she vowed to herself to never let the command of a man hold her back again.

Though, she was able to find an ounce of trust in Charley, the young man was having trouble trusting the self-proclaimed leader of their party. It troubled him to think of why she had to travel so deep into the woods with her partially dead husband.

"All right then, Charley," she said as they rested Flynn on the ground, his body propped up against a tree. "You'll have to leave me be."

"Well, t' others canna know I left ye alone!"

"Say you chased them off. We'll be here. Give me a good long while," She looked to Flynn, his face barely visible in the light of the full moon, "I haven't done this in some time…"

Charley nodded and was about to leave when he paused.

"How… how do ye plan ta heal him?"

She looked to him wide-eyed.

"I mean- what es you're hiding, exactly?"

She blinked, thinking for a moment. She searched for something that sounded convincing. Some lie, or maybe, a different way of saying the truth.

He could tell she was not sure of what to tell him, and he figured he was wasting too much of her time.

"Ne'er mind," he said reassuringly, "ef ye ever wanta tell me… ye can."

It was then that a thought struck him and he reached into his coat pocket.

"Here," he said handing her a small sheathed dagger, "jus' in case."

"Charley, I…"

"Keep et. Et's yours."

She smiled and thanked him before he ran off.

Rapunzel looked around suddenly finding herself in the dark silence of the wilderness. She looked back to the dagger in her hand. It was short with a thick blade. Without much thought, she raised her dress and shoved it into the lacing of her boot. After fixing her skirts she looked back to Flynn.

"Alone at last," she said with a dry laugh. Once Flynn had been rested against the tree, he seemed to fall back into his sleep. She worried if he had used the last of his strength…

She collapsed into the dirt, only able to stare at him for a long moment.

It was about three years ago. There was a bar fight. A good friend of Scottie's had received a bullet through the chest. There was no hope for him.

That was the last time Rapunzel felt a sense that she had to save someone.

There were not many times before that, either. In fact, there were times when she feared she had lost her touch, so to speak.

Either way, she was not sure where it came from.

Her father said the stars.

Vlad said God.

And mother…

Rapunzel closed her eyes as her heart raced. She pushed the thought of that woman out of her mind. She would not allow herself to fall into a fit of panic. She had a job to do.

She kneeled closer to Flynn as she noticed his breathing had changed. It was ragged and shorter than before.

"Flynn, if you can hear me, I need you to stay still and just… don't… panic."

He said nothing but she pursed her lips and nodded anyway.

"The one time we agree on something…" she sighed to herself.

She steadily took a breath before unclasping her long hair and shaking it out so it fell in wavy ringlets past her hips. She placed a hand on Flynn's injured arm, and then, closing her eyes she began to hum a soft tune;

"Flower gleam and glow,

Let my God be kind…

Make the clock reverse,

Bring back what once was mine."

Suddenly, her skin began to change to a tinge of vibrant white, and it was as if molten gold began to course through her veins. The glittering dust gleamed and shone beneath her fair skin. It spread throughout her body, each tip of her fingers, and every last inch of being.

Finally, the luminous white-gold burst through each strand of her yellow hair, illuminating the woods.

Her eyes closed as her head was pulled back be an unseen force.

Charley stopped in his tracks at the edge of the wood. He turned to see the leaves around him basking in the light of what seemed to be a thousand stars.

He turned around and swore he somehow saw flecks of gold twinkling in the dim light.

He looked to his hands to see the golden light had cast over his body.

What sort of magic could it be? He wondered to himself. He even worried for one crazed moment that perhaps the moon had fallen from the sky.

And then, in the next moment, the light went out, and he stood alone in the ordinary forest once more.

Rapunzel blinked open her eyes to hear the gentle quiet of the forest. Crickets chirping, the wind gently blowing the leaves above, her own labored breathing…

She took her hands from Flynn's arm with a sudden fearful thought that perhaps she had hurt him.

"Flynn…?" she gently asked before leaning forward.

He didn't make a sound… not one breath… not a single whisper…

She leant her ear toward his lips when suddenly-

"GAHH!"

"AHHH!" she screamed leaping back.

He sat up clutching his chest as if just awaking from a nightmare.

She looked to him after falling back into the dirt.

"Blondie?" he asked.

"Flynn!" she breathlessly gasped before throwing herself to his side. "Are you hurt?! Do you feel anything?! How's your arm?!"

She berated him with questions as her hands wandered from his arm to his face.

Her grabbed her hands and looked to her curiously.

"Where in the hell are we?"

"I had to come out here to save you! The others are just over there. Charley saw some men outside camp and we had to hide here. You were unconscious, I had no choice but to-

"Wait. Wait, wait, wait, wait," he said raising his hands to stop her.

"What? What is it?"

He pulled himself to sit upright and reached to feel his arm.

He made a small laugh in shock, then shook his head in disbelief.

"Rapunzel… you…"

She looked to him tensely, holding her breath for his reaction.

"Did you heal me…?"

"That stupid fool!" spat Will stomping back to camp. "I had my hopes up for a good scrap!"

"Didna we all?" asked Trevor shoving his dagger back in its holster.

"Mary Mot'er of Joseph…" gasped Charley at the sight of the men lumbering back to camp. He quickly darted back into the woods but stopped as he suddenly acquired second thoughts. He wondered if Rapunzel was done with her odd task. The thought of walking in on whatever he had witnessed made him slightly uneasy. Yet, he had no choice. Vlad would have his hide if he knew he had left them alone.

"Ready or no, witch…" he mumbled before making his way back to where he left them.

Rapunzel stared to him with her mouth hanging open and Flynn did much the same to her.

"We can't talk now, we have to get back to camp, and they'll be looking for us!" she said pulling his good arm so he would rise to his feet.

Flynn had no choice but to spring to attention. He realized in an instant the possible danger of being alone in the woods on the outskirts of the highlands. All though, a thick fog still clouded his mind. He felt as though he had been punched square in the face, knocked out, and then awoken in a den of wolves.

Rapunzel wrapped his arm around her shoulders.

"Go slow," she directed, "and not too fast."

"Blondie, there's no need. I feel fine!" he said.

"No," she said, "I've healed you but… well, Vlad doesn't know."

"Vlad? What does he have to do with anything?"

She shook her head, "I can't explain now. Just follow my direction and trust me, okay?"

He searched her eyes, barely visible in the night.

"Okay?"

She requested him to lean onto her as they hobbled out of the wood. After a moment, they were accompanied by an unnerved Charley who quickly leant an arm to help Flynn.

"Es he awake?!"

"Of course I'm awake!"

"No!" cried Rapunzel hushing Flynn. "Remember, the others think you're on death's door!"

Flynn shrugged, "Always meant to pay him a visit…"

Finally, the three emerged from the woods to gather the attention of the others.

"Ah!" said Vlad, "You didn't come across any trouble, did ya?"

Rapunzel looked to Charley, silently asking him for another distraction.

Charley looked to the men and shook his head, "Not'ing over here." He walked ahead of Flynn and Rapunzel as they took to where they had been seated before.

"Oh, aye?" asked Will, "And it so happens there was nothing down yonder, either."

"You're kidin' meh," laughed Charley, "perhaps t' sight af you all scared 'em aff!"

Will narrowed his brow, "I suppose so."

Rapunzel carefully helped Flynn lay back onto the log he had been propped on before.

"I don't understand," Flynn whispered as he watched her nervously look about. "Why can't the others know you healed me?"

"Charley and I created a diversion. We told them that there were gypsies near so I could take you off alone…"

He was about to reach for his wound when she stopped him. Now in the light, he would clearly be able to see that there was no longer a wound, or any mark at all.

"I need to wrap that. You can't touch it as you did before."

Flynn looked to her suspiciously, "You haven't answered my question... Why can't the others know?"

She glanced to him then back to the others, "Vlad can't know. He wouldn't let me…"

"Help me?!"

"Shhhh," she hushed, "please, it's more complicated than that."

"Then why don't you try to explain yourself a little bit better?"

What could she say? Proclaim that she had secret powers that healed the wounded? Helped the blind to see? Inspired the weak to walk again? Well, she did not know if she could do all that. But confessing her unknown abilities to Flynn would sound just as impossible.

She took a breath and reminded herself…

Hold tightly to what you hold…

Let no man see…

"Saint John's Wort," she said with a forced smile, "it was my last bit of the tincture… Vlad wanted me to save it for an emergency. It certainly is not easy to come by."

Flynn raised a brow, "Saint John's Wort? That's what you used to heal me?"

"… Yes?" she said bracing for anther onslaught of suspicious questions.

At first he narrowed his brow in skepticism. But then, his face alit in a bright smile and he threw his head back in laughter.

"Well my god! Does that stuff work!"

"Yeah?" she asked with an anxious smile.

"Yeah? Blondie! Are you kidding!? I feel like a new man! I feel like…" he struggled with a laugh to find the word, "God! …I feel like I thought I would never feel again!"

Rapunzel closed her eyes for moment, allowing herself to say a quick prayer to whomever held her fate.

He took her hand firmly and she looked back him as he still smiled to her.

"Thank you, Rapunzel. I would be a dead man without you."

"You're welcome, Flynn Rider," she said.

It was a simple enough statement, but to Flynn, it was the finest sound he had ever heard. The sight of her honey sweet smile, her tender hand in his, and those eyes as green as the rolling hills around them… He knew he was more than lucky, he was blessed by some God he never put a thought toward. Somehow, the heavens had given him an angel. And, all though she had just fought tooth and nail to keep him on earth, he swore, she had taken him back, somewhere past the skies.

"Well, I'm going to sleep!" yelled Will walking away from the others as they had been arguing over whether or not to make for further up the path. "If they return, I shall keep my pistol on the ready!"

Vlad glanced over to see Rapunzel clutching Flynn's hand.

"And what of Flynn?" Will stopped and looked back to Vlad.

"What of Flynn?"

Rapunzel listened tensely, remembering the lies Will had told Flynn of herself. She wondered briefly if Flynn recalled…

"If he's still as useless come dawn, you can do as you wish," said Will looking back to the pair. "But Rapunzel…" he called getting her attention. "I'm requesting you to accompany me. I'd be rather lonely with only these men, after all," he added.

Flynn felt an intense surge of anger. Rapunzel grasped his hand tighter reminding him to stay still.

"I think you're forgetting," began Vlad, "where the girl goes, I go. And we're leaving at dawn together."

Will chuckled, "The lass can decide for herself, she's a grown woman-"

"Why are you all acting is if this is some set plan?" she asked standing up to them. "Come morning we will all carry on. Flynn will recover and we will make it to Corona together, or not at all."

Will stepped closer to her, "I know you aren't knew to death. So please, stop acting so childish. It's tragic, but it happens to us all, even those who claim they are invincible."

"Then I pray to see the day you are lowered in your shallow grave," she hissed to him.

He looked down his nose to her, taken back by her venomous reply.

Rapunzel was sickened by his nonchalant attitude to the fact that her husband could have died. And she was confused by his sudden desire to have her accompany him as if they were old chums. She knew he had other intentions, however dastardly they may be. She no longer questioned the moralless nature of the swaggering businessman.

"Is there some bad blood between us, darling?" he asked in a whisper.

"You can ask my husband that, when he awakes tomorrow morning, right as rain," she sneered to him as realized she knew something she should not.

"And," she added walking back to Flynn's side, "we will see then who is undoubtedly invincible."

"Well then," said Vlad patting his horse, "I suppose the woman has decided."

The camp fell to a comfortable silence, and to be fair, there could have been a war still going on and Flynn figured he would not have noticed or cared.

Rapunzel had gathered leftover bread and bacon and brought it to their comfortable retreat from the others.

Flynn watched as she wrapped herself in her kilt and sat beside him, rummaging through her satchel for a new bandage.

"The others are keeping their distance, tonight," he noticed as he chewed on a piece of bread.

"They think you're catching," she said grabbing a roll herself, "They rather not take their chances. I don't blame them."

He nodded, "And… you're fine so far from the fire?"

She glanced to him, "Well, before your fever was enough heat to keep us both warm."

He smirked and there was silence for a long moment before he spoke up again, this time more earnestly.

"Will you let me place the blame on my illness for acting like such an arse?"

"That depends, do you still have that belt on you?" she was quick to question.

He smiled despite her sour tone.

"I don't suppose I will hear the end of that?"

She forced a smile and shook her head, "Something to tell the grandchildren," she chided.

"The grandchildren…" he laughed humorlessly looking up to the sky.

"You know…" he added, "I do not regret all of that night."

She ignored his comment that seemed to test her ability to forgive and forget. She produced a long piece of linen for his "wound" but realized she would need some way to distract him from actually looking at it. It was hard enough finding an excuse for why Vlad was unwilling to allow her to help him. She was certain she would be forced into a corner if Flynn realized there was no cut left on his arm at all.

She slowly leaned over him and he shifted under her sudden closeness.

Rapunzel looked into his eyes as his half lidded ones gazed back to her.

"What… what don't you regret?" she asked inching the sleeve of his tunic up his arm.

He cocked his head as he glanced to her lips.

"Well," he said awkwardly clearing his throat, "I think you can venture a guess."

She blushed fiercely before fumbling to wrap his upper left arm and keep contact with his gaze at the same time.

He raised his free hand up her arm and she tensed under his touch.

"Why do I frighten you?" he asked quietly.

She blinked unaware he was sense how her heart raced.

"You- you don't…" she hastily tied a knot, and then several more. "It just makes me nervous when… you look at me like that."

He laughed, "Like what?"

"Like you want to eat me…"

He placed his other hand on hers and she stopped her witty deceit long enough to notice him slightly raising his head to meet hers.

"I'd want nothing more…" he said pushing a strand of hair behind her ear.

She felt like a child again, waiting nervously in a bath tub as he seemed to play with the idea of kissing her. Though, the thought of her running off pained him more so than any blade ever could.

"Did I already thank you?" he asked.

"Yes," she whispered, surprised she had any voice to get the word out.

"Then let me say it again," he brushed a hand along her face and her eyes closed at his gentle touch, "without words…"

His lips pressed against her cheek and electricity seemed to course through her veins. She pressed her face against his and, for a moment, lost her sense of nervousness. She became intoxicated by his breath, by his strong musky sent, and by his rough hands brushing softly against her face as if he had never been so close to a woman before.

Though mouth did not dare wander to her lips, yet Rapunzel felt it was more intensely sensual than any kiss they had shared before. Listening to his steady breath as it warmed the side of her face reminded her that he was alive, and to her, there was nothing more fulfilling, and nothing that could have brought her greater joy.

For Flynn, it took every strength he had to not throw her to the ground, and take her as swiftly and quickly as an animal in heat. It was all he was used to, after all. Rapunzel was teaching him, in her own way, that not every act of love had to be rushed. Suddenly, the smallest things became so tantalizingly pleasurable. A thumb brushing against her shoulder, breathing in the scent of her soft hair, or the hand she placed on his chest to steady herself.

She pulled away from him gently and they could only look to one another, each seeming to plead the other for an explanation. They were new to love and at the start of journey neither one could comprehend the meaning of.

Rapunzel yearned for more of his lips, but hastily pushed the thought from her mind. He lowered himself back to the ground.

"I guess I know what it feels like to die now…." He sighed as she smiled to the ground, and his hand found hers again, "It's not so bad, Blondie."

"I don't understand, Flynn..." she suddenly confessed, "I realized, the other day, I don't know what I want anymore. And once, I was so sure."

"Stop thinking. You always knew what you wanted…"

"Yes. My plan… but it doesn't make sense anymore."

"Well… maybe now you can start a new plan."

Rapunzel swore she would never let a man command her. Let alone act foolish for one… but Flynn was no ordinary man. And maybe, she did not mind being a fool for him.

She nodded, "A new plan. I think it starts tonight, sleeping beside you."

Flynn laughed to himself as she nestled her head into his chest.

He looked up to the starry night sky lazily placing a hand on her back.

She sighed into the fabric of his shirt. She wondered how she managed to pull everything off without a hitch. She figured it must have been stupid luck. For once, fate did not have it out for her.

"I don't remember a night so calm…" she whispered into his shirt.

He smiled at the thought.

Remember… a night…

Flynn suddenly felt the smile leave his mouth as an odd conversation came back to him… the last night he remembered… the last thing he recalled before falling under that dark spell.

He glanced down to the woman on his chest.

"Flynn," she spoke up, "if this is only a dream… don't wake me up in the morning."

Flynn looked back to the stars, a troubling look read across his features.

"I won't."