Well, I didn't really review this chapter after I finished it, so please let me know about any mistakes you find while reading it. Also, I've been thinking about doing a sequel to this. I was thinking that I'd just end this story where the movie leaves off, but in that other one I'd talk about the "years and years of asking" and all the stuff before they lived happily ever after. Would you guys be interested in reading anything like that? And if you would be, what are some things you want to see in that sequel? Either leave your response as a review on this story or send it as a PM to me. Thank you so much! And thanks for all the support and kind comments. All the nice reviews make writing this story worth while.

"Eugene," Rapunzel said, breaking the silence that had fallen over us. We had climbed out of the tower and were now standing with Max and Pascal the Frog. After explaining our predicament to the animals, I had apparently fallen into a state of quiet contemplation that was worrying Rapunzel. "Eugene," she repeated, concern seeping into her voice. She placed her hands on my face and turned my head so I was looking her in the eye.

"Right, sorry," I mumbled, snapping out of my trance.

I liked being this close to Rapunzel, being able to be open about these feelings she'd stirred up. I lifted one of the hands off my cheek and held it tightly in my own. Her other arm dropped down by her side, and we stood like that for awhile, just holding on to each other.

"What should we do?" she asked finally.

It was sweet that she trusted me enough to make that kind of decision, but I wasn't sure if I was up for it. I pondered this dilemma for a moment or two before responding, "Well, I guess we should go tell your…parents." That meant going into the kingdom—which alone was dangerous for me—and actually entering the castle to speak to the King and Queen themselves—which was probably the equivalent of voluntarily fastening the noose around my neck.

I glanced up and looked at Rapunzel. Her green eyes were wide in an expression of hopeless uncertainty. She'd never had a family, not a real one anyway. She needed this. So I decided to reunite her with her parents, no matter the cost. Perhaps the monarchs would allow me to just serve life in prison to make up for my (very extensive and quite impressive) criminal record. I tried not to think about the other, less-pleasant things they might find suitable for me.

"But won't that be too risky for you?" Rapunzel asked, not even attempting to hide her apprehension. "You're a wanted criminal."

I reached up to stroke her hair with my free hand in what was meant to be a reassuring gesture. I wasn't sure if I had her convinced, so I added, "Don't worry about me, Blondie. I'll be fine." I deliberated for a second, formulating a plan. "And I think I know a way to make amends with the kingdom." I really hope this works, I thought.

I climbed onto Max's back, pulling Rapunzel up behind me. With the chameleon resting precariously on my shoulder, I instructed the horse to take us to the lake. When Rapunzel asked me why we were going there, I told her that it was all part of the plan and that this would allow us to have a much smoother journey into the castle.

Now, I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but Max is fast when he wants to be. I'm fairly certain that his breakneck speed defies the laws of physics, but that certainly doesn't slow him down at all. We arrived at the lake's shore a surprisingly short time later, and I was wondering whether the safety risk posed by travelling this fast outweighed its convenience.

As Rapunzel and I dismounted Max, Pascal jumped onto her shoulder. I noticed that he looked even greener than normal, which I hadn't really thought possible. With the motion-sick frog in tow, Rapunzel and I walked over to the water's edge. I hunched over, examining the ground intensely.

"What are you looking for?" she asked me.

The sun glinted off a half-buried object a few feet away. "Ah-ha!" I exclaimed eagerly as I walked over to uncover this hidden treasure. I lifted it from the dirt and brushed it off.

"That's the crown you stole," Rapunzel pointed out.

I nodded, grinning. "The princess's tiara." I paused, contemplating how very weird this situation was. "Your tiara, I guess…Well, anyway, I'm pretty sure this will come in handy later on."

Rapunzel cocked an eyebrow at me, silently asking for more information.

I ignored her. I really just wanted to get this whole thing over with. I was getting increasingly more nervous with each passing second, and I would feel much better once she was brought back to her parents. I forced myself not to think of what would happen to me as a result of this meeting with the King and Queen, but it was hard not to imagine having to say goodbye to Rapunzel. It almost seemed too cruel for us to be separated so soon. I'd changed; I was in love. However, our less-than-an-hour-old relationship appeared to be moving toward an impending end.

"Well then…let's get going," I croaked out, my voice about an octave higher than normal. I cleared my throat and mumbled quietly, "Let's get this over with."

Rapunzel didn't push the issue, but she stroked my arm reassuringly as we rode Max into the kingdom. Her gentle touches didn't stop, even as we dismounted the horse in front of the castle's gate. She slipped her hand into mine and continued to rub circles on the back of my hand with her thumb. I took a deep breath and instructed Max and Pascal to stay put for the time being. With that, Rapunzel and I approached the guards positioned at the gate.

I cleared my throat to get the attention of the two men. They weren't wearing the traditional armor of the police force, but instead were dressed in decorative uniforms. This was as good as announcing that they weren't real guards, just little toy soldiers in charge of protecting the castle.

"We need to see the King," I announced, trying my best to sound authoritative and commanding. I think I managed it rather well considering the fact that my legs had turned to jelly and my stomach was doing flips (not the good kind of flips that happened when I kissed Rapunzel, but really unpleasant, nauseating somersaults).

One of the guards—the more arrogant-looking one—scoffed at me. "Right, okay," he muttered sarcastically. He took in my undoubtedly-ragged appearance with judgmental eyes. Then, a sudden realization dawned on him, and it was clear that he'd recognized me. "Hey…you're that Flynn Rider guy aren't you?" he demanded, suddenly hostile.

I sighed. I know I've complained about all the guards being absolute imbeciles, but this guy was truly an incredible idiot. My "Wanted" poster was hanging on the wall about two inches to the left. Honestly, how did he miss that?

"Am I? I hadn't noticed," I responded coolly. "We need to go see the King. Preferably now."

The guard and his partner pulled their swords and pointed them dangerously close to my face. It was a good thing I'd become so well-acquainted with the habits of these guys—even the "toy soldiers"—so I was able to shoot them a confident smirk. I let go of Rapunzel's hand and reached up to snap the tips of the blades clean off.

Here's the thing about guards-not-in-armor: they're merely for decoration. Their swords are fake as they have the easiest jobs. They're in charge of protecting the castle, but Corona's such a pleasant kingdom that stationing real officers outside the gates is a waste of manpower.

When the arrogant guard realized that he couldn't take me in using "force," he resorted to scathing sarcasm once more. "What do you want, Rider? Here to steal another heirloom?"

"Actually, I'm here to return one," I said, picking the crown out of the satchel and waving it in front of his face. "And," I added, "I have some information about the lost princess which I believe the King might be interested in, so I think I'll just go in and see him." All my previous nervousness was slowly ebbing away, replaced by exasperation at the slowness of these two men. Couldn't they see that I just wanted to meet with the monarchs? Surely a council with them, or whatever such meetings were called, wouldn't be too much to ask.

I made a move to step past the guards, but they shoved me back.

"What kind of information?" the man asked, and I was beginning to wonder if his partner was even capable of talking.

I sighed as if they were being the most boringly moronic people in the world—which, of course, they were. "Well, I've found her. I think that should allow me a visit with the monarchs."

The two men looked to Rapunzel, who was standing a few steps behind me, and seemed to be just noticing her for the first time. "How do we know that's her?" the other guard asked, finally speaking up.

I started to realize just how lucky I was getting. They seemed to be leaning in my favor. Perhaps, if I could convince them of Rapunzel's identity, they would allow us to go in and speak to her parents, regardless of my criminal history.

"Look at her," I told them, lowering my voice to be more dramatic. "I mean really look."

They stared at her for a second or two before turning to consult a mural that had been painted on a nearby wall. I could see realization dawning on their faces as they noticed her eyes—those eyes that were identical and unique to Rapunzel and the princess. The gears turning in their heads were practically visible as they calculated the age the princess would be today and compared it with how old Rapunzel was.

"Oh my," one of them muttered quietly. Their eyes had gone wide with astonishment and their mouths were hanging open slightly.

Apparently this discovery was important enough for them to forget who I was because they were soon ushering us inside the gates, murmuring excitedly between themselves.

Soon, one of the guards ran off clumsily, practically tripping over his own feet in his current state of animation.

The other one, the formerly arrogant man, turned to us and said, "Jerry's going to get the King and the Queen. I'll show you where you can wait for them." His expression hadn't changed from the bewildered one he'd been sporting after the revelation. Clearly he was still in a condition of shocked disbelief.

Well, no turning back now, I told myself. I slipped my arm around Rapunzel's waist and pulled her close. Who knew how much longer we'd have left together?

Remember to let me know what you thought about this chapter. Also, would you like a sequel? If so, be sure to send ideas or suggestions for that story as a PM to me or just a review on this.