A/N: Hi everyone, so this is my first EVER Tangled fic...actually this is the first fic I've written (or updated) in around 4 or 5 years (Oops), but I have just fallen in love with this film all over again. I hope you like it and I apologize in advance if it's a little rusty. I did write a similar story for Step Up, but never finished. This time the idea is NOT for going away lol. Enjoy :)

Summary: Could You fall in love with Your kidnapper? 26 year old Flynn Rider had never had a good life. An abusive alcoholic father and a mother who walked out. Now that the two of them are gone, Eugene, Flynn's younger brother and best friend is the only family he has left, but when Eugene becomes seriously ill and needs an operation to save his life Flynn begins to worry. Insurance won't cover it and there isn't enough time to raise the money…so Flynn and his two friends, Scott and Mike Stabbington do the only thing they can think of. Kidnap the Princess of Corona. Seemed simple enough. Only problem is, Flynn didn't plan on falling in love with her...nor she with him.

Rating: T for now but will probably rise later on.

Disclaimer: Alas, I own nothing but the idea...

...

Chapter One

He stood and watched her for what seemed like hours as she sat huddled in the corner of the attic, the image of the cable cutting into her ankles and wrists forever engraving itself into his mind. He hadn't been the one to tie her up. Hell, he had been against the idea right from the start, but after her attempts at self-defence, which resulted in Scott taking a fist to the face, they couldn't risk it. The last thing he wanted was for anyone to get hurt, or worse. Everything had to go according to plan. This wasn't about them any-more. It was about him.

Sighing, he slowly made his way towards her, her crying getting louder and more hysterical with each step he took. She scooted closer into the corner, her skinned knees pressed tightly to her heaving chest as she tried to create as much distance between the two of them as possible. She didn't get far. It wasn't until her back hit the wall that he saw just how terrified she actually was. Tears stained her beautiful face as she continued to wail, her thick golden hair sticking out in every direction. Her usual pouty lips were dry and cracked from chewing on them; a nervous habit he had discovered. The only thing he could openly admit to being happy about was the ratty black blindfold that hid the fear in her emerald-green eyes.

Ever so gently, he picked her up, causing a small gasp to escape from her throat. She was waiting for the impact of hitting the ground, or a sharp pain across the jaw, but instead all she felt was the softness of the mattress under her as he lowered her down.

"Please..." She choked out, her voice thick with fear "Please...tell me what I've done. What have I done?"

He couldn't bring himself to reply. She looked so young...So innocent. He remembered earlier that very evening, sitting at the bar watching her every move. He had never seen anyone smile so much in his life. It was contagious. He noticed everyone light up when she was around, and before long he even found himself cracking a smirk or two. He watched as she danced with a few people around her own age, but none of them grabbed her full attention. He watched as she moved to the side of the club to comfort a girl whose boyfriend had gone off with another woman, something that had surprised him since the girl had no idea who she was. But it wasn't until she made her way to the bar to buy a round of soft drinks did he catch her eye. She smiled, blushing slightly before turning quickly to look at the bartender, embarrassed at being caught. In any other situation he would have found the whole encounter rather comical. Would have probably shot her a smile and wave before going over to introduce himself. He was older than her, probably by a good eight years, yet it didn't stop her from smiling once more as she took her drinks and left. He loved her smile, and it had killed him knowing that he would be the one who would make it disappear.

"Please answer me..." She spoke softly, snapping him out of his daze "Please tell me what I've done wrong. I am so very sorry for whatever it is I have done."

"...You've done nothing wrong." He finally answered, his own voice sounding that of a strangers "This has nothing to do with you."

"Then let me go home!" She pleaded, her voice cracking as her sobs filled the room once more "If I have nothing to do with this then please…please just let me go. I promise, I promise I will not say a thing! I just want to go home."

He swallowed the lump that had risen in his throat, his own eyes beginning to burn with tears which were threatening to fall. The waves of guilt washing over him were almost unbearable as he watched her slight body heave with each breath she took, and he couldn't help but think the whole time 'Is it really worth all this?'

"I...I can't do that." He finally replied, looking down at the battered floorboards.

He tried to hide the pain in his voice, but it was inevitable.

"...You...you're going to kill me...Aren't you?" She whimpered; her head falling forward as her body began to heave once again "I'm going to die here…"

"No..." He managed to blurt out, causing her head to snap back up "If we were going to kill you we wouldn't have bothered blindfolding you." Standing straighter, he began to back away from the girl "Just...Just believe me when I say, you'll be home soon, ok? I promise you that you'll be home soon."

"When?" She asked, doubt lacing her voice.

But he didn't answer. Instead he turned and made his way out the door.

"WHEN!?"
...

Locking the door, Flynn turned and slid to the floor, his back resting against the chipped wood as his mind slowly began to process the day's events. What the hell had he been thinking? Was this truly the easiest way? Was this their only shot? He didn't know. All he knew was that if they didn't try, then everything else would be pointless. They'd end up in prison and he would...he would end up...

He couldn't even imagine.

Feeling tears burn the back of his eyes Flynn sighed and slowly got to his feet. He could still hear her soft whimpers through the other side of the door. Hear her begging and pleas for freedom...But nothing she did could change anything. Running his fingers through his hair, Flynn headed downstairs, the drunken laughter of the Stabbington Twins becoming more and more audible. How could they rejoice at a time like this? How could they have no mercy? Turning into the living room, Flynn came face to face with Scott and Michael. His accomplices.

"Woo! Here's the man of the hour!" Cried Michael, tossing Flynn a can of beer "She cryin' her eyes out? Screaming for her Mommy?"

Michael, or Mike as he preferred, stood at around 6ft 2" and was built like a tank. He wasn't much of a talker usually. Not since he got into that bar fight where he lost his eye. But alcohol and adrenaline sure did the trick at bringing him out of his shell.

"Shut up guys." Flynn replied, setting his beer down before collapsing onto the sofa.

"Hey Flynn..." Scott smirked, quickly joining him on the couch "When do we...you know...have a little fun? I could do with a bit of fun."

Scott was probably the most sadistic person Flynn had ever encountered. He had met the brothers during detention in High School, and since that day, they had gotten into more trouble together than he had in his whole teenage life. Scott was probably slightly bulkier than Mike, and definitely held a more menacing look. He had a large scar on his chin and a set of side burns that would give Wolverine a run for his money, but apart from that, Flynn doubted that he would hardly be able to tell the brothers apart.

"Are you fucking kidding me, Scott!?" Flynn cried, jumping to his feet "No one's to touch her. She's here for one thing and one thing only. Money! So for once in your miserable life can you stop thinking about your dick and remember why we are all in this situation in the first place!"

Kicking over the coffee table, Flynn stormed out the house, slamming the door as he went. He didn't need this shit. All he needed was for everyone to stick to the plan. Sighing for what felt like the millionth time that night, Flynn lent over the railing of the porch and lit a cigarette, a habit he had kicked along with many others, but had found himself doing more of recently. It was so quiet here. Although 'here' to him, usually classified as 'nowhere' to others. There was no traffic. No buildings. There were no kids playing in the streets, or women yelling from their apartment windows. All there was, was an old house, a broken down truck and a starry sky. All there was, was them.

Taking a drag from his cigarette, Flynn pinched the bridge of his nose feeling a migraine beginning. If only his baby brother could see him now. See what he had become. What would he say? Well, he'd slap him up the back of the head for starters. A few times, probably. Then the yelling would start. But he had to do it. He couldn't just sit back and let nature take its course. He couldn't let it win. He had to fight back.

It had only started a couple of months before. The double vision, the headaches. They had just put it down to a simple migraine. That's all it could have been. So life continued on as normal. But weeks began to pass, and the migraines continued to get worse. His speech began to slur and his memory was a bit off, but Flynn, ever the optimist, knew that it wasn't anything serious. Stuff like that always happened to other people. He didn't have to worry about the amount of painkillers that were going 'missing' or the amount of days he had stayed in his bed. He was just tired! But as more time passed, Flynn could no longer pretend that everything was fine.
...

Flynn walked into the small house, dumping his car keys on the coffee table as he headed to the kitchen for a bottle of water. It had been a long stressful day. The type of day that Flynn knew could only be fixed with a game of basketball and a few cold beers. He had to get out of the house for a while. Watching Eugene sleep on the couch all day was not healthy. But he knew everything would go back to normal soon enough.

Passing the living room, Flynn noticed that his little brother was missing from his usual spot.

"Hmm..." He smiled "He must be feeling better."

Feeling his mood lift a little, Flynn carried on to the kitchen, humming a little as he went...but that's when he saw him. On the floor with his back pressed up against the counter sat Eugene, blood pouring from his nose onto his white t-shirt. He looked at Flynn weakly, his eyes drooping slightly.

"F-Flynn..." He finally spluttered, his body shaking slightly as he tried to get up "I'm not feeling too well."

And with that he toppled back to the ground.

"Eugene!" Flynn cried, quickly skidding to a stop by his brother's side "C'mon man. C'mon bro, don't do this to me!"

Cradling his brother's head in his arms Flynn whipped out his phone and called for an ambulance. He couldn't lose his brother. Not now. Not after everything they had been through together. A drunken mom. An abusive dad. He was the only thing that had made everything bearable. Sure they hadn't always seen eye to eye. Flynn had only been eight when six-year-old Eugene Fitzherbert came to live with them, so obviously there had been some tension and hostility, but that quickly went. They became friends. Best friends. As far back as Flynn could remember Eugene had been the only constant thing in his life. He was always there, covering for him when he stole and crashed their Mom's new car. Helping him fight the addictions and get clean. And of course, caring for him when he was ill. They were each other's security. They needed each other, because with parents like theirs, they had no one else.

The paramedics arrived within a matter of minutes, although to Flynn it had felt like hours. He could only watch as Eugene was strapped into a gurney and wheeled out to the waiting ambulance, the obvious questions running through his head. Was he going to die? Would he be left on his own? Flynn's optimistic views were quickly fading.

The journey to the hospital lasted a lifetime, but when they finally arrived, Eugene was wheeled away, leaving Flynn to sit in the waiting room and fill out paperwork. The hours passed slowly, but Flynn couldn't sit. He continued to pace up and down the small room, silently praying for God to save his brother.

"The relatives of Eugene Fitzherbert..." Was what snapped Flynn out of his retrieve.

"Here." Flynn replied rushing towards the small doctor.

"I'm guessing you're his brother." She said, writing on some paper "Name please."

"Flynn Rider." He answered, the doctor looking up at him in confusion "Adopted brother."

"Alright then, Mr Rider." The doctor said "We managed to find the source of the pain that your brother has been experiencing lately, and I'm sorry to say that it isn't good news. Unfortunately we found a large tumour in your brother's brain which is pressing against his right frontal lobe. We do not know what has caused this. Many times these things just develop and in other cases they can be genetic."

But Flynn wasn't really listening. When the words 'tumour' and 'brain' had left the doctors mouth his world came crashing down. He didn't need to know why it was there, or what had caused it. It was there, and that was enough. He felt the tears burn his eyes, frustrating him further. Flynn was not the type of person to show his vulnerable side. Crying was a sign of 's what his dad used to say.

"However..." The doctor carried on, bringing Flynn back to the matter at hand "There is some good news. The tumour is operable. Unfortunately though your insurance won't cover the operation and the whole process will be quite costly."

"I don't care!" Flynn cried, his voice breaking as his hands found their way to the back of his head "I'll get the money. I don't know how, but I'll find a way. How much we talking here? Nine...ten grand"

The doctor looked at Flynn with sympathy, very reluctant to tell him.

"I'm sorry to say Mr Rider, that for this kind of procedure we will have to order in special equipment. On top of that are your hospital bills and post op treatment...I'm afraid you'll be looking at around $250,000."

The floor fell out from under his feet, causing Flynn to take a seat. Was it even possible to raise that kind of money?

"...H-how long...you know..." Flynn stuttered, staring into space as the news sunk in "How long does he have left if he doesn't get it?"

"...Roughly three to four months." She replied "I'm...I'm terribly sorry."

And with that, Flynn was left alone. He had no idea how to raise that kind of money in such a small space of time. He'd be lucky if he got two and a half grand for his old motorcycle for starters, and he highly doubted that holding a garage sale would be much help. For the first time in his life he felt totally helpless, useless even. But he couldn't give in. Through all the shit that he had managed to get himself into over the years, Eugene had not once given up on him, and Flynn would be damned if he did any different. But finding 250K would not be an easy task.

He started out by contacting his banks in search of a loan, but they quickly shut the doors on him. He visited some local drug dealers from his past, but after parting on bad terms they weren't as willing to help. His friends couldn't help and his parents were long gone. Even tracking down any of Eugene's biological relatives turned out to be impossible, and with savings of just over $5000, he was quickly beginning to realize that he may just lose this battle.

The weeks continued to pass, and Flynn was becoming more and more anxious with each passing day. Scott and Mike asked around on his behalf, but soon came back empty-handed, something that didn't surprise Flynn too much. He had quickly learned through the years that if you had a past involving drugs, people were less inclined to be 'charitable'.

"Can you think of anyone?" Flynn asked, pacing back and forth as Scott and Mike lounged about watching TV "Anyone at all!? Relative's? Friends? I mean there's got to be someone in this damn city that can help!"

"Rider...we tried, man..." Scott began, sadness evident in his voice "Don't get me wrong, I love Eugene as much as my own brother...but sometimes you need to know when enough is enough. And believe me; it kills me to say that. I would do anything for him."

"Have you considered a loan shark?" Mike asked, taking a sip of his beer "Hook would probably help you out."

"No way man! Do you remember what happened last time I saw Hook!? I took a knife to the shoulder." Flynn sighed, collapsing onto the sofa "What the hell am I going to do? I can't just sit back and watch him die you guys...I can't."

The room went silent, the only sound coming from the old telly in the corner, where His Royal Highness, King Fergus of Corona stood with his wife and daughter, waving to the cameras. Flynn couldn't help but glare. He never had to worry about money, or about his family getting ill. His daughter probably got anything that she asked Daddy for. She must have only been about 18 and nothing more than a spoiled rich kid.

He continued to watch as King Fergus shook hands with the President, his wife and daughter smiling as the crowd applauded. Something about building a Corona Embassy.

"Great..." Flynn scoffed "There's something we need. An embassy for the people of Corona! Screw a health service that we could all use. Who needs that when we can have a new building!?"

"Tell me about it..." Scott replied "Although I can say one thing, it sure is great to have a nice little piece of ass like that hanging around now."

"What?" Flynn asked.

"Her Royal Highness, Princess Rapunzel of Corona." He continued, tapping the screen where the vivacious beauty stood "Since turning 18 she's decided that she would like to spend a year or two on American soil. Go to university and shit."

"She's gorgeous." Mike smirked "You never know, maybe we'll see her around. I could definitely tap that."

But Flynn wasn't listening, all he could do was stare at her, and then it hit him. He knew how he was going to save Eugene.

"That 'Nice piece of ass, gentlemen, is what is going to save my brother." Flynn smiled, standing up and pointing at the screen "Pretty girl like that I'm sure is worth a lot of money, especially to a man like Fergus."

"...What are you talking about man?" Mike asked a little confused "Are you talking about…" Realization hit, causing his eyes to widen "She's the Princess of Corona, Flynn! Are you crazy!? You can't just…take her! She'll have bodyguards everywhere! You'll be shot before you can blink."

"Look, I'm not saying that it would be my first choice. I mean I don't want to harm the girl in any way..." Flynn replied "...But it'll work, and believe me. There'll be a moment when she's alone, and when that moment arrives, I'll be there."
...

That had been three weeks ago, but Flynn could still remember it as if it were yesterday. It had seemed a good idea at the time. Take a rich man's daughter and force him to pay a hefty ransom to get her back. Fergus would be happy to have her back, Rapunzel would be happy that she had returned home safely and Eugene would survive. No one could lose. So after keeping tabs on her for a few days; quickly realizing that she had stayed in America alone, something that had come as a convenient surprise to all three of them, Flynn finally made his move. And now she was sitting in the attic, cold, scared and alone. She was exactly where he wanted her.

"...So why do I feel like shit..." He murmured to himself, taking one last draw from his cigarette before throwing the butt into the long grass.

Turning, Flynn looked up at the attic window. He could hear them. Scott and Mike, that was. Mocking her, laughing at her. Again he could feel the dreaded tears burn the back of his eyes, but he wouldn't let them fall. He couldn't. He had to stay focused. For Eugene's sake...and for hers.
...

A/N: Thanks for reading guys, and please review. I'm a little rusty and need all the advice I can get. I have got most of this story written and planned out, but just want to see how it does before uploading any more. Thanks :)