A/N: You're all amazing! Thank all so much for the reviews/alerts/favorites and for just reading
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Chapter Three

The trek back up to the attic came all to quickly for Rapunzel, as Flynn carried her up the stairs. The shower had given her some form of comfort, and a bit more heat, but that was short lived as they entered the drafty room. Rapunzel kept her eyes on Flynn the whole time, thanking him when he sat her gently down on the bed. He was different. His attitude, his touch, even the tone of his voice. There was a great pain in his voice. Tucking a piece of hair behind her ear, Rapunzel looked up at Flynn sheepishly.

"Are...are you the boss?" She asked, curiosity getting the best of her.

"What do you mean?" Flynn responded, a little confused.

"Are you the one who organized all of this?" She replied, running a piece of hair between her hands. Another nervous habit he was realizing.

He was silent, his breath catching in his throat as he stared back into her big green orbs.

"Uh..." He began "Yeah..." And I hate myself because of it "I am..."

He couldn't look at her. He couldn't bear to see her eyes well up again, to see her beautiful face contort into one of fear and misery...but it didn't. Instead she sighed, her body relaxing as she gave the closest thing to a smile he had seen since her capture.

"Good..." She breathed out "At least it's you; the nicer one, and not one of the other guys. They...I get the impression they're quite unpredictable."

Flynn didn't reply, but deep in his gut he knew that he had made one of the biggest mistakes of his life asking for their help. He knew fine well what the Stabbington Twins were capable of. It hadn't even been two years since Scott had been up for a serious assault charge, something that he had denied from the beginning and was eventually found clear of. But Flynn knew that his temper and violence had been getting more and more out of control in the last couple of years, and the only reason Scott wasn't behind bars today was due to lack of evidence.

"You'll never be left alone with either of them." Flynn finally spoke "I'll make sure of it…I promise you they won't hurt you."

"Thank you..." Rapunzel nodded, another small sigh escaping from her lips.

She didn't know how long she would be spending cooped up in the attic, but the thought of having to be there in the company of those two men made the hairs on her neck stand upright.

"I best be going." Flynn said softly, causing Rapunzel to snap out of her daze "Is there anything I can get you before you go to sleep?"

"Uh, no." Rapunzel replied, backing away slightly "Are...Are you going to tie me up again?"

"No." Flynn said "I'm sorry we did that in the first place."

Nodding with a faint smile, Rapunzel climbed under the thick covers. They may have smelled like moth balls, but at least she knew she would be warm. She watched as Flynn shifted on his feet awkwardly before making his way to the door. She could feel the torment radiating off of him. It was like he didn't want to be within 20 feet of her, but at the same time didn't want to be apart. What was it that caused him to do what he did? What caused him to bring her here? What was it that was causing him so much pain?

"I'll be first up in the morning." He assured "I'll take you down for breakfast."

"Ok. Thank you." She replied back "...Goodnight."

That caught him off guard. Stopping, Flynn turned to look at her. He had watched her ride the emotional rollercoaster all night. Happiness, fear, anger and an emotion that he hadn't quite figured out yet. Compassion maybe? Probably not, but throughout the whole night she had always maintained an element of politeness. But that was probably down to the fact that she was royalty. Still, 'goodnight' was something that he hadn't heard from anyone in a very long time. Maybe this girl isn't quite what I expected after all...

"Uh...Goodnight"

...

By the time Flynn got back downstairs Scott and Mike were awake, and were already downing yet another can of beer each. The TV sat buzzing in the corner, images of news vans and flashing lights gracing it's screen. Sitting down, Flynn turned it up. It was from outside Rapunzel's apartment building. How the hell did people find out so quickly? They hadn't even sent out the ransom letter yet.

"How did this happen!" He yelled in shock.

"Her doorman..." Scott grunted, lazily pointing to the TV as a picture of the gorgeous princess flashed on the screen "He filed a police report when she didn't arrive back when she said she would. I guess because she is who she is the pigs were a little more keen to find her quickly...But you would have known all this if you weren't too busy PMS-ing. How is our lovely princess doing?"

Flynn shot him a glare, but didn't answer. Instead he glued his eyes to the TV and listened.

"Police are refusing to answer any more questions at this time..." The perky broadcaster said as officers and the forensics team moved around in the background "They are treating this case as suspicious but have not given any specific details.. At the moment it seems to be that no eye witnesses have come forward and there are no obvious leads. All we can do is hope and pray that Corona's Little Princess is found safe and soon..."

Flynn's hands flew to his hair. This was happening. It was actually happening, and they had gotten away with it. They had grabbed her without anyone seeing her. They had gotten away without anyone suspecting a thing. There was now no turning back. King Fergus and Queen Corrine were probably on a flight back to DC as they spoke.

"Fuck..." Flynn whispered before standing up "Right, first thing in the morning guys, ransom video. This is going to be over as quick as possible. With rap sheets like ours I don't want to risk it and get found out before we get the money. Scott, after that I want you to drive to the phone box outside Marco's pizzeria. There hasn't been a working CCTV camera there in about 6 years. That's where you make a call to the cops and tell them you have information. Direct them to the tape. Mike, when Scott is making the call I want you to be on the other side of town making the drop off. Stick the tape in the green trash can that was burned out a couple of weeks ago. Both these locations are quite a distance away from each other and the girls apartment. We should make it without any attention."

"Ok..." Scott, replied with a slight nod "And what about you Rider? What are you going to be doing?"

"I'll be watching the girl and visiting Eugene." Flynn said, crossing his arms over his own chest "Is there going to be a problem with that?"

Flynn could see the anger begin to rise in Scott's eyes at his challenge, but he didn't back down. He was one of the very few people who weren't afraid of him or his temper.

"Just remember Rider..." Scott continued, taking a step closer to Flynn "If I can't fuck her then neither can you."

"Was hardly planning on it." Flynn spat back "We just need to keep up the appearance of normal everyday life."

"Just make sure you keep it in your pants then." He sneered.

"I don't mix business with pleasure."

...

He didn't sleep much that night; tossing and turning, seeing every hour pass by on the clock. It was around 4 in the morning when Flynn abandoned all thoughts of sleep, got up and headed for the bathroom. A warm shower would help him relax. Help him forget everything, even for a second.

Turning on the water, Flynn stripped down and stepped in a little. He let the stream beat down his back, loosening the tight muscles in his shoulders before stepping in fully. Relaxing was a term that he wasn't too familiar with these days, so he was going to enjoy it as long as he could. The words that were etched into his shoulder blades 'Only the strong survive', was one saying that he believed was keeping him remotely sane.

He couldn't help but let his mind wander though, back to his brother...back to the Princess. He'd be waking her up in no more than two hours' time, an hour that he knew Scott and Mike were strangers to. The thought of having to see her blotchy face and swollen eyes in the day light made his stomach churn.

Turning off the shower, Flynn stepped out, his body immediately met by the cold air. Wiping the condensation away from the mirror that hung a little lopsided above the sink, he caught sight of how tired he actually looked. There were large bags under his eyes, and his usually neatly trimmed facial hair was in desperate need of a tidy up. The rest of him didn't look too hot either. His well-defined torso was scratched and scared from the years of abuse he and many others had put it through. Cigarette burns down his toned stomach from when he had pissed of the same guy one too many times, a large Celtic design tattooed up his side and down his arm, one that Eugene had pleaded with him not to get, and a faded purple scar that started on his left shoulder and came to a stop on his pec. He remembered how he got it vividly. It was a night that should have ended with him in a box when Hook and his goons had tried to 'Finish him off'. He could still remember the searing pain as the knife slashed across his body. Thankfully he was just a little faster.

Running a hand down his face, Flynn began to dry off, quickly getting re-dressed before heading back to his room. He lay on his bed, staring at the ceiling, knowing that she was just above him. He hoped that she had managed to get to sleep, that it hadn't been too cold. Hopefully come tomorrow night she would be safely home in her own bed. Everything going according to plan, the video would bring a hasty ransom.

Time seemed to speed up, and before he knew it it had just passed six o'clock. Time for breakfast. Disguising himself, Flynn quietly crept out his room, peeking in on the Stabbington's to make sure they were out cold before making his way up to the attic once again. The feeling of dread began to rise up, a walk down the Green Mile seeming more appealing, but he soon found himself standing in the dingy room, the sun just beginning to rise in the horizon. He calmed a little at the sight of her lying curled up on the bed, the blankets pulled up to her chin as she slept peacefully. At least she managed to sleep. She didn't stir as he made his way closer to the bed.

"Rapunzel..." He whispered. It was the first time he had actually said her name "Rapunzel..."

But there was no reply. She continued to sleep. Hesitantly, Flynn reached over and brushed a few strands of hair from her face. She truly was beautiful, a beauty that he hadn't seen often. It was a natural beauty. There she was in his old sweats, her elbow length golden hair curling slightly and her flawless skin without any make-up, yet she was the most gorgeous girl he had ever seen. Considering everything, she actually looked peaceful. Snapping out of his daze, Flynn moved his hand to her shoulder, giving her a gentle shake.

"Rapunzel...time to wake up." He said softly.

She groaned a little, her eyes scrunching up as they made contact with the sunlight. Turning away from the window, Rapunzel sat up slightly and looked up at Flynn bleary eyed. It took her a second to register where she was and what had happened. She let out a small sigh before looking down at her lap.

"I thought it was just a dream." She said quietly.

Flynn didn't respond, not knowing what to say. He wished it was all just a dream. That Eugene was well...But he wasn't. Clearing his throat a little he shuffled on his feet.

"Do you want to come down for some breakfast?" He asked, rubbing the back of his neck.

"Are the other two up yet?" Rapunzel replied with a shaky voice.

"Are you kidding?" Flynn said with a hint of a chuckle "I don't think those two are aware that there even is a 6 o'clock in the morning."

"Breakfast sounds good then." Smirking a little, Rapunzel climbed out the bed. It had taken her a little while to get comfy through the night, but pretty soon she succumbed to the sleep that was so desperately trying to overtake her. "I'm starving."

"Good." Flynn replied in a cheerier voice "Cause we've got a lot of food that needs eaten..." He watched as she began to shuffle a little "Are your feet still sore? Are...are you wanting me to carry you down again?"

"I'm ok." She answered gently "I'll just hold onto you a little."

Nodding, Flynn held out his hand for her. The minute their fingers brushed a bolt of electricity shot through them. Looking up at Flynn, Rapunzel gave a nervous smile before following him towards the door.

"Static..." She gasped.

There was a strange feeling in her stomach though, his too if he was honest enough. He knew that he found her attractive, and probably given any other circumstance he would have spent the previous night at the club trying to get her to leave with him, or at the very least cough up her phone number. But he had been honest with Scott the previous night. He didn't mix business with pleasure.

Quietly, Flynn led Rapunzel down the stairs and through the small hallways before coming to a stop in the kitchen. The whole house, in Rapunzel's opinion, was a dump. Wall paper peeling, large patches of mold, scarcely furnished and a smell of damp was all that she could really focus on. The kitchen wasn't much either. All it had was a cooker, a small fridge that was dented on the top, some worktops and a table that sat in the middle of the room with mismatched chairs round it. Her sheltered lifestyle had made her oblivious to the fact that people lived in such conditions.

"Take a seat." Flynn said, cutting her off from her thoughts "We've got sausage, eggs, bacon, cereal..."

"How about a bit of everything?" Rapunzel interjected a little sheepishly "Big appetite."

"Everything it is." He chuckled.

She watched as he cracked the eggs into the pan before filling a bowl with coco puffs.

"Bon appétit." He said, handing her the generous bowl.

She didn't wait long before she began to shovel the cereal into her mouth, Flynn chuckling a little.

"How lady like of you." He joked as she wiped milk from her chin with his sleeve.

"Do you know how long it's been since I've been able to sit and eat a cereal that actually tastes good!" She replied with her mouth full, her cheeks puffed out as she spoke "Too long!"

"Take it your families into the whole 'Healthy Eating' thing?" He asked, adding some bacon into another pan.

"You have no idea." She rolled her eyes "I mean granola is nice but having it every day, it can soon begin to taste like cardboard."

"I'm with you there." He replied "I'm usually done after a couple of spoonful's never mind after a couple of days."

Rapunzel giggled as she sat her spoon down in the empty bowl. She highly doubted that interaction with your kidnapper like this was 'normal', but she also doubted that having a kind kidnapper was normal too. She sat in silence, watching Flynn cook away.

"Do you like cooking?" She asked, breaking her silence.

"Ah...it's OK I guess." Flynn began "I've been doing it most my life. What about you?"

"I've never been given the chance." She replied, a little embarrassed "I've baked though. I like baking. I'm good at it too."

"That so..." He said, plating up her food "And here I am cooking you breakfast when you could be making us something a whole lot sweeter."

She rolled her eyes, smiling as he sat her plate down. She watched as he took a seat in front of her, her own reflection staring back at her in his sunglasses. His disguise was certainly affective. Not one inch of his face could be seen apart from his nose, but seeing him in this light, Rapunzel could still tell that he was familiar. That she had seen him somewhere before.

"Tastes good." She mumbled as she dug into her breakfast "I'm impressed."

"No you're not, you're just hungry." He joked, sitting back in his seat.

The room went silent, all signs of humor vanishing as Flynn cleared his throat.

"Uh...we're going to film the ransom video today." He finally said.

It was a reminder to her just why she was there.

"I take it my parents know by now." Rapunzel said softly, pushing some egg across her plate with her fork.

"Yeah." He replied "Looks like your doorman called the police when you didn't return home when you said you would."

"Francis..." She said with a faint smile "He's a nice man. He offered his wife to come over and teach me how to cook one day. Said it was a lot like baking...They're from Africa you know. He's due to retire soon too...I was going to send him and his wife to Corona for four weeks for a vacation."

"I bet he'd like that." Flynn said softly, noticing that she was speaking in the past tense "You could even show them round personally. I'm pretty sure a royal escort would make anyone feel special."

She didn't respond, just looked up at him briefly before looking back down at her eggs, continuing to push them across the plate rather than finish them off. Suddenly her appetite wasn't as big. Flynn could feel the tugging on his heart, the lurching in his belly. For a second there…there seemed to be ease. No worry. And then, like a thief in the night, it was gone. He couldn't help but sigh a little as he sat back in his seat, Rapunzel still refusing to meet his gaze for any length of time.

"Rapunzel…" He spoke softly, leaning down a little, forcing her to look at him "Please listen to me…You will see your family again. Ok? You will see Corona again. I'm not going to make you suffer any more than you already are by playing mind games with you. Ok?"

She nodded a little.

"Ok…" She whispered "I'm sorry…I'm sorry."

"Don't be." He replied back "Don't ever be sorry for anything you say or do to me. I deserve everything you've got to offer."

"…I don't know you." She said tucking her hair behind her ears "I don't know your circumstances, I don't know your upbringing and I don't know what made you do this…But what I do know is that you are not the same as your ordinary kidnapper. You are not the same as those two…animals that you have working with you…You are not a bad guy…I just feel that…and that scares me slightly…and I don't know why."

"The fear of not knowing can be a powerful thing." He mumbled, sadness evident in his voice.

"I know…" She nodded in agreement.

"…You know…I'll always remember something my brother used to say to me." Flynn began, smiling slightly through his sadness as he remembered the words that Eugene said during his 'rehabilitation' period. A period where Flynn had been nothing short of terrified "He used to say to me 'Fear can mean two things. One, it can mean Forget Everything And Run…or two…It can mean Face Everything And Rise…The choice is yours'."

"…And what did you choose?" Rapunzel asked, her voice filled with curiosity.

But for Flynn that wasn't an easy answer. Sure, he had risen up and beat the addictions but after that, life had carried on, and more fears appeared. Fears that made his rehabilitation period look like a walk in the park. Fears that he still had to face.

"…What did I choose?" He finally spoke "…I'll let you know…"
……

A/N: Ugh! Don't know if I like this chapter too much lol. But hope you enjoyed and please review. More to come very soon :-)