I've decided to write this story for Newfound Love because I'm not ready to leave this world behind yet. The idea for this series has been around for months and the idea is that this is a place for you guys to see parts of the story that weren't covered in the main fic. What happened to Anna after that day in the changing room that made her accept Rapunzel for who she is? How does Rapunzel get on with her old friends after being reunited with Arianna?

Things outside of the timeline of the story will also be covered. How did Arianna's relationship with Frederic change towards the end? Or her relationship with Rapunzel once they're both older? How about Cass and Elizabeth right before the crash? Chapters will be from any POV, even more minor characters. I want you readers to have a large say in the things you want to see, so feel free to send me your requests or leave them in a review. Now, on with the story!

Takes place: between chapters 8 and 9
POV: Cass
Summary: After months of searching, Rapunzel's mother was finally found. Now all Cass had left to do was to catch her up on everything she'd missed.
Content warning: mentions of self harm and depression
Requested by: smc-smfan1

"I'm going to head home first," Rapunzel said as she collected the letters back into the box they came in. It was nice to know that she had begun to see our house as a home, even if she could possibly be leaving us soon.

"Will you be alright?" I asked.

She nodded determinedly. "I'll be fine. I just want to be alone for a bit if that's okay."

"Yeah, sure."

"Tadashi and Hiro should be back in a few hours too, so I'll see them then. In the meantime, I want to look through these. Can I take them back?"

"Of course. They're yours, after all."

Rapunzel gathered her things and made her way towards the door. "I'll see you tonight?"

"Yeah. I'll get us some dinner. Any requests? You can pick what we have."

She paused, face scrunched up deep in thought. A few beats of silence passed before she finally spoke again. "Pizza Planet?" she asked hopefully.

I smiled and gave her a thumbs up. "Got it. Be safe on your way back, okay?"

"Always."

The door clicked shut, the brunette probably rushing to get back to pour over those letters. I couldn't say I blamed her. After having them kept from her for so long, I'm surprised she could stand the ride back without ripping them open.

I turned my attention to my computer. My next priority was to track down her mother. Working closely with the police had its advantages, including access to an entire civilian database. Nothing incriminating, just names, addresses, occupations, the like. Even though Arianna wasn't born in San Fransokyo, her name would likely be in the system since she moved here officially.

My keyboard made those annoying clicks they did whenever I typed. Tadashi had insisted I get cherry blue keys, or something along those lines. He went on a long rant about how they were better for faster office work or programming, and would be suitable even if I wasn't a programmer.

Why I humoured him sometimes, I had no idea.

"Arianna Hollen…" I mumbled, typing each letter into the database. There were a few with the same first and last name, so I scrolled through, looking through the middle names.

Beatrice… Faith… Grace… Jessica...

There it was. Arianna Katrin Hollen. My eyes scanned over the information before settling on her mobile number. Pulling my office phone over to me, I punched in the number and held the receiver up to my ear. The dial tone rang for a few moments, my heart thudding in my chest before she finally picked up.

"Hello?" The voice on the other end of the line was so cheerful and upbeat. Much like Rapunzel herself.

"Hi, am I speaking to Arianna Hollen?"

"Yes this is her."

"Hi, Ms Hollen, this is Cassandra Hamada. I'm calling on behalf of the San Fransokyo Police Department."

"The police?" Her voice cracked with a sudden rising panic.

"A subdivision of the police department. I'm not an 'officer' in the traditional sense, but I work closely with the SFPD."

"Oh."

There was a pause between us. I knew how important this was to Rapunzel, but I also knew how important it must have been for her mother. I needed to think of a way to phrase this carefully.

"...is there a reason you called?"

I shook my head, pulling myself from my thoughts. "Right. Of course. Yes. Um, might I suggest you be sitting down for this next part?"

Movement could be heard on the other end of the line. The telltale sound of wood scraping against wood.

"Is anything the matter?" Her voice was wound tight with worry.

My fingers drummed mindlessly on the wood of my desk. I took a deep breath before I spoke again. "Okay, this may be a lot to take in so I'm just going to cut to the chase. I'm a subdivision of the police, a social worker. Ms Hollen, we've found your daughter."

There was a sound on her end which I could only assume was a sharp intake of breath, but otherwise, utter silence.

"I… is this real?" Her voice was barely a whisper.

"Yes, it is. Rapunzel Leah Hollen, seventeen years old. She's been under my care for the last few months as a foster child since May of this year."

"Rapunzel has been with you this entire time?"

"Well, no. Like I said, it's only been a few months. Prior to this, she was staying with her legal guardian, but they've since passed. We've been searching for relatives since then."

Unsurprisingly, I could hear sniffling on her end. It must have been overwhelming, to be told your lost daughter has been found after over seventeen years. I couldn't say I blamed her.

"I'm sorry," she tried to laugh it off, but it was cut short by a loud intake of breath as she tried to regain composure.

"Please, don't be. It's understandable. This must be a lot to take in."

"Is Rapunzel there?" she asked. "Can I speak to her?"

I shook my head before remembering she couldn't actually see me. "No, not at the moment." It wasn't specified as to whether that was the answer to her first question or her second.

I waited for her to say something, to say anything. Right before I was about to prompt her, her voice came through the receiver again.

"So what happens now?"

"The procedure for gaining custody of a biological child in San Fransokyo is relatively straightforward, especially since you're the only available applicant." I drew up a file on my computer, watching the lines of text pull up on the screen. "There are two main components. Firstly, a medical examination needs to be conducted at the station. That can be done by myself or an officer. After that, a home session will be conducted. That will be done by me. Just going to your place of residence and checking to see whether the conditions are suitable for you to take Rapunzel back into your care. We'll also have conversations to find out a little more about you. Since Rapunzel is on the older end of the spectrum, it will be a little easier than, let's say, gaining custody of a baby for example."

"How long will the process take?"

"Well, like I said, Rapunzel is older. Her safety is of the utmost priority, but arrangements will certainly be easier logistically. Depending on how quickly you can work with us, I'd say we can set up a meeting for you two within the next few days, and after that, it's a matter of your schedule. How long it will take you to make sure there are proper accommodations for her."

"Can she stay with me throughout the process? Until custody is made official?"

"I'm afraid not."

"But why? I'm her biological mother, I thought it'd be easier. I didn't think we'd have to spend much more time apart." The disappointment was clear in her voice.

It was hard to get the next line out of me. "Ms Hollen, this is going to be difficult to hear, but I need you to know that up until she was placed under my care, Rapunzel had been living in a rather abusive environment."

"Abusive?" Her voice cracked. It was so painful for me to hear. For a mother to be destroyed in such a way.

"Not physically, but certainly psychologically."

"Oh God…"

"So you must understand that we need to be very careful with the environment we put her in next. She may be less than a year away from legal adulthood, but she's still a child in the eyes of the state. She needs to be kept safe."

"And yet she's been living with you for months, a complete stranger she doesn't even know." The tone of that line was bitter, so accusatory, so defensive and hostile. I had to fight the urge to snap back, keeping in mind how she must have been feeling.

"I'm a registered foster parent as well as a social worker working in close ties with the SFPD. I would argue that the environment within my home is safe for her. Considerably safer than how she had been living prior to this." My voice was miraculously level.

Arianna fell silent again.

"But with regards to the process, we're trying to get it done as soon as possible. My office hours are nearly over but the station is still open. If you're able to, in the next hour or so, come down to the main station in the city. At the front desk, you'll meet a Flash Slothmore. Ask him to see Officer Judy Hopps. The medical examination will be done by her. We have your address on record, so I can swing by tomorrow for that next step. Afterwards, depending on the results, you may be able to meet Rapunzel prematurely before she officially moves in, because I'm sure you'd need to make preparations before then."

There was no response.

"Ms Hollen? Are you there?"

"...yes, I'm here. That's fine. Yes, I can be at the station in an hour."

"Fantastic. And with regards to tomorrow-"

"Anytime is fine. I'll be home all day."

"Does 10am suit you?"

"Yes."

"Alright, I'll see you then, Ms Hollen."

She hung up.

XXX

Crescent Road certainly lived up to its name. The curve of the road was a near perfect reflection of the crescent moon Rapunzel had pointed out the night before. I was on a call with Judy, my phone connected to the car through Bluetooth.

"The poor woman," she lamented over the phone. "Has a history of self harm, though nothing in recent years. Think it would have been around the time Rapunzel and her were separated. Baymax said the scarring would have been from over a decade ago and nothing since. As of now she's certainly fit to take Rapunzel in. No history of substance abuse, smoking, alcoholism, no terminal illnesses. Kept asking when she'd be able to meet the kid."

"I can't even imagine what she must be feeling. To know your child who you've been separated from for so long is out there, but you still can't meet her."

"If all goes well today, she could technically meet her tomorrow. Seems to me like she's definitely eager to."

"Rapunzel is too. I know I couldn't tell her much but she kept asking. I can see how they're related." Somehow, I was at the end of the road. "God damn it, I missed the house. What was the number again, Judy?"

"As always, you have a knack for directions," she laughed.

"Hush, you," I jibbed.

"It's number 21. Look, Cass, I've gotta get off the line. Bogo's on my tail again."

"What've you done this time?"

"You always assume the worst of me."

"Can you blame me?"

"Fair point. I'll catch you later, keep me in the loop."

"Yes, ma'am." The dial tone was the last thing I heard as I put my car in park and aligned it with the sidewalk, just outside 21 Crescent Road. It looked like a lovely little home, small and quaint surrounded by greenery.

When Arianna answered the door, I was shocked to say the least. It was as if I was looking directly at Rapunzel twenty years into the future. Those same green eyes, heart shaped face, kind smile. The only difference was the wrinkles beginning to set in, just under her eyes, as well as her eyes which looked slightly red, possibly from crying but I wasn't about to ask.

"Hi, Ms Hollen," I greeted, shaking her outstretched hand.

"Please, Arianna is fine."

"Well in that case, you can call me Cass," I said with a smile, following her inside.

"I'm sorry I don't have any coffee or tea to offer you. I had some neighbours over earlier in the week and haven't been able to stock up since then." She led me to her living room where I sat on a plush sofa, sinking into the material.

"It's no problem," I reassured her. "I'm not much of a coffee person either way."

Arianna sat on an armchair to my left so we were perpendicular from one another. "I want to apologise for yesterday," she said sincerely. "On the phone. I realise I was quite rude towards the end."

"Oh, that's fine-"

"It wasn't fine, though," she insisted. "You were just doing your job, just enforcing the law. I shouldn't have tried to work my way around the rules, no matter the circumstances."

"It's really okay. I can only imagine what you must have been going through at the time. There was a lot of information overload. Trust me, when Rapunzel found out about you and that you were in the same state she was, her reaction was just as eager."

"If I may ask, how did you find out about me? I assumed she would never know. I'd been writing to her for years but never got a response."

I watched Arianna's face morph from one of curiosity and concern to one of anger and outrage as I told her of the letters hidden under the floorboards, and of Rapunzel's confinement, albeit in less detail. I wanted Rapunzel to be able to speak for herself. By the time I had finished, her fists were curled up in tight balls by her side.

"That wretched woman was never fit to raise a child," she muttered under her breath, her hands trembling with rage. "How has she been since? Rapunzel, I mean. Has looking after her been difficult after everything that's happened?"

"She's been an absolute joy to look after," I assured her. "There have of course been some psychological effects, as well as mild issues with socialising, but we've been working to overcome those."

Arianna seemed to calm at these words, taking solace in the fact that her daughter was doing better. "And what happens now?"

"I need to just ask you some questions. I'll be taking notes as well. Then after that, I'd need a tour of the house if that's alright. To assess future living conditions for her."

She nodded in understanding.

"Apologies in advance, but some of these questions may be a bit… personal. But they're state mandated so-"

"No, no, please. Ask away. I'll answer anything if it'll bring her back to me."

"I'm also required to inform you that any lies or obscuring of information can result in loss of custody and a fine."

"I understand."

"Okay, we'll get the easy stuff aside. Full name?"

"Arianna Katrin Hollen."

"Age?"

"Thirty-seven."

"Were you born in San Fransokyo?"

She shook her head. "I was born in North Carolina, only moving to San Fransokyo in May of 2032."

"Occupation?"

"Freelancing artist, specialising in traditional 2-dimensional mediums. I mainly do commissions and have recently struck up a few exhibition deals."

"Do you have any other children the state is unaware of?"

"No."

"Any criminal record?"

"No."

"Any physical chronic illnesses which could hinder your ability to look after her such as auto-immune diseases or similar?"

"No."

"Are there any genetic diseases she may be at risk of having?"

"None."

"Do you have any history of mental illness and medications you've taken to cope with this?"

Arianna hesitated for a brief moment, wringing her hands together. "Yes. I was on antidepressants and anti-anxiety medication in November of 2015 for a few years. Sleeping pills for a brief period too. I gave the specific names of the pills to Officer Hopps during the physical examination."

"And you're no longer on this medication?"

"No. After two years, I stopped taking them regularly. As of now, I haven't needed to take a pill in over a decade. It was a very long time ago."

I nodded sympathetically, knowing from experience how draining it could be to rely on medication to even function. I made a note to ask Judy for the names of the pills and extract the medical records from Baymax.

"As you prepare to take Rapunzel back into your care, you're going to need to make a lot of arrangements. A school for her to go to, there needs to be a place in your home for her to stay, you need to be open to getting her any physical or psychological help she needs as she adjusts to her new environment and failure to comply could result in loss of custody." Maybe I should stop phrasing every question with a threat. Arianna looked stricken with panic every time I mentioned the possibility of her losing Rapunzel again.

"I'm already in the midst of making preparations. There's a private school nearby that's able to take her in. My friend has two girls going there. And I already started placing furniture orders last night. Come, see." Arianna rose to her feet and I followed her as she led me down a hallway on the right side of her house.

To the left a door was left open. The strong smell of paints and turpentine wafted through and a brief look at the contents of the room indicated it must have been Arianna's studio. Rapunzel had gushed for hours about the interview she saw, absolutely ecstatic to have an artist for a mother.

She opened the door on the far end of the hallway, on the right side. Inside was a spacious bedroom, a large bed frame against one wall, missing a mattress. Other than that and a plush carpet on the floor, the room was entirely bare. The windows didn't even have curtains yet.

"This is all there is for now, I'm afraid," she sighed regretfully. "But it can be fully furnished in a matter of days."

"This room is lovely," I commented. "She'll love all the natural light that comes through the windows."

"A necessity for any artist." Arianna glowed with pride, truly perking up for the first time since I'd been there. "Every place I've lived in, I always made sure I had a spare room for her. For a long time, I thought it had just been wishful thinking. I knew we weren't even in the same state for most of the time I was doing it, but it was still a comfort. And now… well, now it's worked out."

Arianna led me through the rest of the house and I let her words wash over me. It seemed like such an amazing environment for a kid to grow up in. Good area, safe neighbourhood, incredibly spacious. Although I loved our home in the city, a part of me wondered how things could have been if I had brought up the boys in a place like this.

Once we were back at the sofas, I had run out of things to ask, All seemed well. Although Arianna was inexperienced at this, she was eager and determined to learn which made up for it. Plus, inexperience didn't necessarily equate to incapability. I was living proof of that even if I didn't really believe it myself.

"Do you have a photograph of her?" she asked, twiddling her thumbs in her lap.

"Oh, yes." I pulled out my phone, selecting a photo from one of our earliest movie nights, all of us huddled up in our little den together. "This is her," I said, passing the phone to Arianna. "Her hair has gone brown since then, like yours."

There was a sharp intake of breath. Tears brimmed in her eyes and I noticed her gently stroking her finger over the screen, as if she could somehow touch her daughter through the glass, the image of her frozen in time. "Oh, my little girl," she whispered, zooming in closer, inspecting every minute detail, from the dimples of her cheeks when she smiled to her short, messy hair. "Look how much she's grown." Her voice was trembling, like someone walking on a wire.

"Looking after her has been a complete joy." I felt the need to say it again, not sure how else I was to fill the gaps in the silence.

"And are these your sons? The resemblance is uncanny."

My heart lurched at this comment, intending to be innocent but with the potential to stir up so much more. "No, those are my nephews. My sister and my brother-in-law passed away years ago. I'm their legal guardian."

"I'm so sorry." I knew Arianna meant well, but sorry didn't feel right. Sorry was what you said when you accidentally bump into someone or when you're late to a meeting. The weight of losing those you love seemed worth so much more than trivial apologies, but what else could be said?

"It was a very long time ago," I said simply, staring down at my feet. Shaking my head to clear the clouded thoughts threatening to seep through, I stood up, taking my phone back from her outstretched hand. "Well, I'm glad to say everything seems to be in order," I informed her, enjoying the beaming smile that stretched across her lips. "If you're able to, I can bring her over tomorrow."

"Tomorrow? To move in?"

"Not to move in yet, but it's mandatory that we have at least one meeting between parent and child before custody is officially granted. I won't be present and it's just a way for you to get to know each other, catch up on lost time." I slung my handbag over my shoulder. "After that, an official move in date will be settled, and between tomorrow and the date we decide, you two can be in correspondence by text or call or however else you fancy."

"Yes, of course, tomorrow. Meeting. Yup, let's do it. Some time like today is alright for me if it works for you two." Arianna's grin grew as she led me towards the door, her cheeks taking on a rosy blush.

"I'll bring her round tomorrow, same time as today."

"Is there anything I should prepare for her? Anything I should know in advance?"

"You two will have plenty of time to get to know each other so there's no need to stress out about it now." I said with a kind smile. "But her favourite drink is hot chocolate."

A/N - Hello dear reader! I hope you liked this chapter. I've never really written anything like a spin-off story before so I'm kind of just seeing where this takes me. I've had a lot of ideas about future chapters and what parts of the story to write about (I can already promise there will be some Rapunzel x Arianna smut) but as I've mentioned, this is a space for you guys to request things too. Feel free to leave a review here or drop me a PM on something you want to see and I'll do my best to make it happen.

As to how regularly this story gets updated, I can't really say. Chapters might come out weekly for a while then stop for a few months. This is just an outlet for me to write when I'm in a block or have nothing else to work on. When new stories come out, this one likely won't stop. As always, drop me a review with anything you might want to see and until next chapter, stay safe :)