One-Shot Summary: What is a soulmate?

It's like a best friend, but more.

"Varian, I swear to God if you do not get your butt out of that room, I am leaving you and taking the children with me!"

Varian rolled his eyes and pulled up his goggles. Though her words were worded threateningly, her tone told him that it was an empty one. He quickly wrote down what he was experimenting on before turning to leave the room.

He opened the door to find a fuming Juliet, hand raised to knock the door but was now resting eye-level with his head. He smirked and walked past her frowning form.

"I take it you haven't left with Shawn and Eliza yet?" Varian asked her. Juliet sighed and followed him up the stairs.

"You've been in that room for seven hours!" Juliet insisted. "You may be a grown man now, but that does not mean you can sit in there for that long!"

Varian rolled his eyes once they reached the top and turned to face her, taking her hand. "Jules…"

"I'm serious Varian!" Juliet said, leading him with their conjoined hands down the hall with two bedrooms. "What are you, allergic to sunlight or something?"

"Yes," he said seriously, before he broke out into smile. He reached down to peck her lips, which she accepted with a smile at first before she pushed him away gently.

"The kids wanted you to wish them good night," Juliet said, looking up at him with a twinkly expression. Varian smiled at the thought of Shawn and Eliza and walked to their room quickly.

He peeked open the door a little bit to see Shawn and Eliza already in bed, a small candle lit up on the stand between their two beds. This cast their sleepy forms in a soft orange glow, and he could make out that the two of them were nearly asleep with their dopey eyes and curled blankets.

He crossed over to their eldest child first, sitting on the edge of her bed and brushing away loose strands of her brunette hair. Crystal eyes the same shade as his peeked out from under her dropping eyelids as her little face broke into a sleepy smile.

"Hi, Daddy," Eliza greeted him, eyes blinking slowly. Varian's lips twitched into a side-smile at the sound of her voice.

"Hey, Eliza," Varian said, "I just wanted to ask you some things."

"What?"

"Well, have I told you that I loved you yet today?" Varian asked her. Eliza nodded and pulled her stuffed doll closer to her.

"Yes, Daddy."

"Have I told you that I'm proud of you?"

"Yes, Daddy."

"Well, good," Varian said, reaching down to kiss her forehead tenderly. "Because both are true."

Eliza smiled and yawned, rolling over a bit to be more comfortable. "'Night, Daddy."

"Good night, Eliza." Her breath evened out and Varian knew she fell asleep, so he stood and crossed over from his four-year old to his two-year old.

Shawn was curled over with even breaths, which meant he was most likely already asleep, a small curl of raven hair over his closed left eye. He leaned down to kiss Shawn's cheek.

"Love ya' buddie," Varian whispered. "Sleep tight."

Shawn mumbled something in his sleep but didn't stir from his slumber. He smiled at him for one more second before blowing out the candle and making his way towards the doorway, where Juliet stood leaning in the doorway with a small and tender smile.

She reached up to twirl her hands around his neck and he slipped his around her waist as they stood together for a moment, watching their two children sleep silently. Juliet leaned down her head to rest it where she always did, the place that seemed to be grooved out especially for her. He placed a sweet kiss to the top of her head before placing his chin on the tip of her curls.

"They're so cute like this," Juliet whispered. Varian snorted once in a kind way.

"Yeah, they are," Varian said.

"You know, we could have another."

It's the one person in the world that knows you better than anyone else.

Pregnancy was not sitting well with Juliet.

She had helped God knows how many animals through this process, and yet her own turn for this natural part of life was turning into something that was not agreeing with her. She was sweating all the time, nothing felt the same, and even the barest smell of food could force her into a spell of nausea.

She sighed and leaned back in her chair, her eyes shut as her stomach began to rumple. She had to eat something, she knew that if she wanted the baby to be healthy, but everything seemed ready to make her feel like she was dying.

She made move to stand before she felt someone take her hand and gently push her back into her seat. Her eyes opened to see the sheepish form of her husband staring back at her, eyes crinkled in a smile.

"Jules, you know what the doctor said," Varian said. "The baby's due any day now, he said that you have to be on bedrest."

Juliet rolled her eyes and leaned her chin in her palm. "I was just going to get something to eat. I wasn't going to go start a rebellion or something."

Varian's smile widened to reveal his slightly bucked teeth and he pulled out a sandwich from behind his back. He handed it to her, which she took with a quizzical eye.

"Don't worry," Varian said kindly at her look. "Lettuce and carrot sandwich, your favorite. No ham."

Her noise crinkled at the thought of said meat. "'Rian, I don't know you can eat that stuff. All moral reasons aside, it smells terrible!"

Varian laughed but she could tell his heart wasn't in it. It may have something to do with the fact she had called him 'Rian, something she hardly did anymore now that they were grown, except when she was on edge. Juliet cursed herself for letting it slip out, she had meant to quell doing that lately because the last thing they needed was Varian on edge as well. But in truth, this whole pregnancy thing was freaking her out and she just really needed her 'Rian – the sweet, kind, helpful boy that she had first fallen in love with.

She took a bite of it and was surprised (but grateful) that her stomach didn't turn at the food. "I swear, 'R-Varian, you will never get me pregnant again. One kid, that's it, do you hear me?"

Varian rolled his eyes and put his hands on his hips. "Works for me."

It's someone who makes you a better person. Actually, they don't make you a better person, you do that yourself…. because they inspire you.

Varian stared at the sleeping face of his partner-in-crime, hoping that sleep would find him soon. The longer he looked at the face of Juliet, of her calm, sleeping face, he felt that seed of doubt grow in him.

Was this act of treason, this second betrayal of people he once thought friends, really worth it? He couldn't find it within himself to find a reason as he looked at the face of his best friend. Her ponytail was grimy from being unable to wash it, her dress different parts of old ship sails and scrapes on her knees from running.

As he stared at her, he knew she deserved so much more than a life on the run. A life where she could have a dress that fit her properly and shoes on her feet, skin clear from cuts encountered from where they came a little too close for comfort to a member of the guard.

He dared not let himself think of this fantasy world where she got the life she deserved after everything she went through on that island, but for one moment he let himself get lost in this fantasy.

Juliet would have all the dresses and shoes she could wear, and animals far and wide would came to her for help when they were sick. She would be cleared of all crimes, her criminal past wiped way by Rapunzel herself as she realized what a broken person she made Juliet. One line he didn't cross was seeing himself in this perfect world for Juliet, because he couldn't let himself imagine where he could be.

If it was his perfect world, Juliet would be so much more than his best friend. How many times in the past few months had he thought about reaching out to her to place a kiss on her lips? To hug her much longer than friends did? To hold her close and reveal his greatest hopes and dreams and then hear hers and feel all at once everything was at peace.

But in her perfect world? He had no idea where he fit into the equation.

He sighed and leaned deeper into the small bundle of blankets, letting the sound of a sleeping raccoon and the even breaths of a fifteen-year-old girl carry him off to sleep.

A soulmate is someone who you carry with you forever.

"It's my pleasure to announce, for the first time, Mr. and Mrs. Varian Wry!"

Juliet laughed at the applause that came with that announcement, leaning into the shoulder of her newly minted husband. The group at their wedding was small – Quirin, Rudiger, Rapunzel, Eugene, Cassandra, Xavier, and Lance were the only ones they had ever considered inviting, but the applause from them seemed almost deafening as she let the pastor's words sink in.

She was Varian's wife now. No one could take that way. Not ever.

She smiled up at him and found that he too was bemeaning down at her. His goggles were still there but she didn't care. All she cared was that he was here, with her. He had married her. She was his, he was hers, and that was all that mattered in the world right now.

She shut her eyes and leaned her forehead against his, his breath soft on her nose.

"I love you," she whispered.

"I love you too," he whispered in turn, voice barely audibly above the continuing applause.

"Are you two going to kiss again?" Rudiger asked from a place near Varian's feet. Juliet opened her eyes, sunlight catching it harshly, and looked down at the raccoon silently before once again looking at her husband.

"What did he say?" Varian asked.

"Nothing important," she waved off. She placed a hand on his cheek and brought his head down to hers, meeting her lips to his for their second kiss as husband and wife. That sheepishness she once felt upon their first kiss was long gone, and all she could feel now was an excitement that bubbled in her chest and urged to pull Varian even closer to her.

But unfortunately, she did have to let him go eventually. The kiss broke to reveal a smile a mile wide on Varian's face and she chuckled at him.

"Yes! Way to go, kids!" Eugene called, using the old, generic nicknames he still used for them despite the fact that they were now twenty-two years old.

"Congratulations!" Rapunzel called, her now-shoulder length brown hair in a stylish side braid.

It's the one person who…. who knew you and accepted you and…. believed in you before anyone else did, or when no one else did.

"'Rian!"

A bundle of curly hair and red fabric is suddenly invading his senses, and he looks to see that Juliet is hugging him. Despite his growing ire at the people in the room, he smiles at her as she lets go.

"Hey Jules," he says, raising his handcuffed hands to wave at her.

"Wait-wait-wait," Eugene said from the corner of the room, crossing his arms. "The kids have nicknames for each other?"

Varian rolled his eyes. "You realize we're friends, right?"

And no matter what happens, you'll always love them. Nothing can ever change that.

"Dad, how come you never remarried?"

Varian looked at his eldest daughter in surprise. Eliza, now twenty-five years old, was looking across from him with concerned eyes. Varian raised an eyebrow and took a sip of his soup.

"Why do you ask?" Varian said. Eliza shrugged her shoulder and swung her spoon in the soup bowl.

"I don't know, just curious," Eliza asked. "It's just – it's been ten years since Mom died and I haven't even seen you look twice at a woman since. Why? I'm sure she would want you to be happy."

Varian hesitated as he mused over how to answer his eldest child. He hadn't even realized that Juliet had been gone for that long – he had been so busy with the kids and helping Dad with the town that he hadn't made much time to notice the length time from Juliet's death. He had, of course, noticed her absence and desperately yearned for her to comeback, but it was shock it had been ten years.

Eventually Varian sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I don't know. I guess I never really found anyone that I had the same connection with that I did with your mom."

"So, you've never been interested in anyone since?"

Varian laughed and shook his head. "Oh, no, I've met people that I was interested in dating, Eliza. Very interested in."

Eliza pretended to gag at his words. "Ew, Dad, ew."

"You asked, remember?" Varian asked slyly. He shook his head and returned to a thoughtful frown. "But, eventually I realized that I was just comparing them to Jul – your mom. And that wasn't fair to them."

Every time he got know one of the people he wanted to date, his mind would drift to how alike or unlike they were to Juliet. How they talked, how they acted, the way they reacted to new people. It wasn't right to compare them – after all, these women deserved a chance to be loved for who they were.

Perhaps one day he could learn to love someone the way he had loved Jules – the way he still did. But for now, being a single widower was where he would be.

"Do you think you'll ever remarry?" Eliza asked.

"I don't know," Varian said honestly. "Your mother was my best friend and soulmate, I know it sounds harsh, but it'll be hard to find someone I feel the same way about. If I do, then yeah, I might get married again."

Eliza reached to take his hand. "I just want you to be happy Dad."

Varian smiled and squeezed her hand. "I am happy, 'Liza. You, Shawn, the twins, all of you make me happy."

Make sense?

It's been awhile, sorry! I've been busy with 'If You Only Knew Me', my other Tangled fic, because it's multi-chapter and I'm trying to pre-write as much as possible because I've had a bunch of stuff going on so I wanted to have as much for that as I could.

And yes, that last one is canon in this Verse – Juliet did die. How? That's a story for a different time. In the meantime, you'll find me buried in a pile of chocolate chip cookies as I try to eat away the pain of killing her off.

I see this soulmate monologue a lot and I thought it was from Love, Actually (I've never seen it), but I still thought it was a sweet little description, so I looked it up to use it, but turns it out it is from Dawson's Creek (also never seen). I learn new things all the time!

Review Replies:

LilySings: You're a Rockstar of the Universe™, that review really made me feel super motivated to finish this One-Shot. Varian is one of my favorites (only after Eugene and Rapunzel, who are tied for first) and the second I saw he was a villain I was like – "Nope, time to fix this". Thank you so much for saying that about my writing, I'm really self-conscious about my ability to write because I know I'm not that good at it, but it means a lot you that you seem to like it. The Addams Family has escalated to one of my favorite musicals and the second I heard Crazier Than You, I was like "Juliet and Varian had this conversation", so I of course had to write it. This chapter is named after the titular song from The Phantom of the Opera, where Erik sings to Christine "Sing once again with me/Our strange duet", because Phantom is my favorite musical ever, even though it has some major problems in terms of characters.