Hello again, my dear readers. I have another chapter for you, aren't I good? Anyways, I really wanted to get this out to ya'll before the fifteenth, because I feel like I'll be an emotional slug after Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Part 2 premieres, so I worked really hard to get this one out as fast as I could. So here is chapter nine, Diagnosis.

Disclaimer: I totally own Tangled… in my dreams. No, not even there, really, so :P

Chapter Nine

Diagnosis

A few days had passed since Rapunzel's birthday, and she was still confined to her bed. She was only allowed to get up to use the bathroom, and even then she had to have someone help her. She had never felt so helpless in her entire life, even when she had been in the tower trying to save Eugene. That had been horrible, true, but this was just ridiculous.

Her parents came and visited her every day, but they had a kingdom to run, and could only stay for a few minutes at a time during the day, and they usually stayed an hour or so towards bedtime. They had begun to make plans for the wedding, which would take place in six months, providing that she was better and all healed up. So, most of the time spent with her parents consisted of talking about such things as what colors she liked and how she wanted to do certain things.

Together, as a group, her parents, Eugene, and she had decided that Pascal would be the ring bearer, Maximus would be the best man, and the little girls that had braided her hair would be the flower girls. Rapunzel had also decided, much to the surprise of everyone else, that she didn't want a maid of honor, or even any bridesmaids. She had told them she just didn't feel the need, but really, deep down, buried underneath a few layers, she felt she didn't know anyone well enough to pick them as her court. Her parents had accepted this, though, and made no attempts to change her mind, even though they thought that her request was a little strange.

When she wasn't conversing with her parents, she was either sleeping, eating, or with Eugene. He would be there every morning when she woke up, and he would be the last one to kiss her good night and stay with her until she was far off into her dreams, always staying a little longer to watch her sleep for a while. He even made sure that she had everything she needed, be it food, something to drink, or the herbs that the doctor had left her.

Her strength was slowly coming back to her, and she was starting to return to her old, playful, energetic self, always asking questions and talking about something new. Her new favorite pastime was asking Eugene everything he knew about weddings, whether it be what people did during the wedding or reception, or what kind of food people liked to eat at weddings. She never failed to surprise him with a new question every time he walked in after his afternoon sword lessons, and he was secretly dreading the time she would ask him what they did after the reception. The question had never come, though, yet, and Eugene was careful not to bring it up, at least for the time being.

One afternoon, about a week after her birthday, he had walked in to see her conversing with the doctor, who was packing up his little black bag. Rapunzel had a certain wide-eyed look on her face, the one Eugene called the "tell me more" face. He chuckled as he walked into the room, laying down the sword that he used at lessons. He waved a hello to the doctor as he sat down in his normal spot at Rapunzel's left-hand side.

"Thanks, Dr. Collins," she said, smiling and waving as he turned to walk out her bedroom door.

Eugene gave her a quick kiss on the cheek before settling back in his chair. "News?" he asked hopefully.

"Mmhmm." She grinned, nodding vigorously. "Dr. Collins said he finished all of the blood work, and he got the test results this morning, so he brought them to me as soon as he could."

"And?" he urged her on gently.

"And he said that I have a disease called von Willebrands." She smiled triumphantly at remembering the large phrase.

"Right…" He racked his brain trying to think of what this disease could be. He came up empty. "Von… Von Wille… What?" he asked exasperatedly.

"Von Willebrands," she supplied him, smiling widely. "Dr. Collins said only one percent of the whole human population has it. That makes me a statistic, Eugene. I'm special!" She grinned up at him, triumph on her face.

"That you are, Blondie." Eugene, however, was not quite so enthused that the love of his life had a disease that he knew nothing about. "And what does this disease mean?" he asked, hoping for something not nearly as terrible as all of the diseases going through his mind.

"He said it was the female form of hemo-" she stuck her tongue out in concentration, "hemophilia, that's it, and that it means that I can't get cut badly or bounced around too violently."

"Why?" he pushed her on, hoping he was only making a mountain out of a molehill.

"Because, if I do, then I might bleed to death, whether it be internally or externally." She gave him a wide grin, clearly fascinated with learning about something new. "He gave me this bracelet to wear, see?" She gingerly held up her right wrist, where Eugene could see a silver bracelet with a flat, metal piece attached to it. "You see, that big piece has got an engraving that says I have von Willebrands, so if I get hurt somewhere when no one I know is around, or if I'm unconscious, then someone can see my bracelet and know that I need 'special care.'" She put emphasis on the last phrase as if it was a glorified state of being.

"Uh huh," Eugene managed, his brain already racing. This wasn't any mountain being made, this was Everest. This news was horrible, completely devastating. He had to protect her at all times, he could not let her out of his sight, not anymore. He had to keep everything that could hurt her out of her reach, he couldn't bring his sword in her room any more, the list was endless. He gave her a strained smile as he began to move about the room, picking up anything he saw as a potential threat to Rapunzel, including a high-heeled shoe, a pair of earrings, and his sword.

Rapunzel, silenced by Eugene's actions, watched him as he moved about her room, picking up what seemed like everything. "Eugene?" she laughed nervously. "What are you doing?" She pulled herself up to rest her back against the pile of pillows leaning against the headboard of the bed.

Eugene continued to move about the room, his arms piled full of items he had picked up from her room. "Protecting you," he said absentmindedly, not ceasing in his scouring of her bedroom.

"Eugene, relax!" She followed him with her eyes, starting to lean forward, ready for intervention.

"Wha-, what do you… Relax?" he cried. "How can I relax? Look at all of this stuff that could hurt you! It's positively madness!" He started pacing, his load still secured in his arms as he continued to ramble on about all the things he needed to do to keep her safe. So caught up in his thoughts was he, that he didn't even notice as Rapunzel carefully swung her legs over the edge of the bed and inched towards him, ignoring the pain that was still threatening to consume her completely at times, it seemed.

She made her way to him slowly, carefully planning her steps around him so when he turned on his heel, he was facing her. She brought her hands to his face, cupping both of his cheeks and making him look at her. "Eugene. Dr. Collins said that I probably had this all of my life. I've been okay before, why wouldn't I be now?"

"Blondie, that's the point!" He set his load down and put his hands on her shoulders, gripping her lightly. "You always had your magic hair before. You don't have that luxury anymore. You can't wrap your hair around a wound and sing your little song. You will never be as safe as you were with your hair without me." He searched her eyes, imploring her to see his reasoning.

Rapunzel stood quietly for a minute, contemplating what he said. He was right, she didn't have the ability to heal herself anymore. She had used the very last drop of her magic to bring him back to her, even if it had happened unexpectedly. But did that mean she was any less helpless than she had been? She had never been hurt too terribly before, just minor scrapes and other injuries that could happen in a tower. But that was another point. She wasn't in her tower anymore. She was out in the real world. Did that make her more vulnerable, more open to serious injury? Eugene seemed to think so, and he still knew much more about the world than she did, so she decided that he must be right. She nodded her head, silently accepting his terms.

Eugene looked at her, his face softening as she grew silent. "Hey…" He used a finger to gently lift her chin up, making her meet his gaze "I love you. And everything is going to be all right, okay?"

Rapunzel nodded again. "Okay," she said, barely above a whisper. "I love you, too." She leaned her forehead against his, and that was when Eugene noticed that she was starting to breathe heavily, and he realized, quite late, that she was out of bed, a big no-no for her.

He gently scooped one arm under her legs, bringing her up to cradle her against his chest. "You're not supposed to be out of bed," he whispered gently, playing with a strand of hair by her ear.

Rapunzel closed her eyes, trying to get her breathing back to normal, which Eugene was making slightly harder to do. "I know. I just wanted to get your attention." She grinned sheepishly. "Plus I wanted to see out of the window, too."

"The window?" He looked between her and the window in question for a second before walking over and sitting down on the window seat, gently repositioning her to make her more comfortable. "Better?"

Rapunzel only nodded as she began to contemplate everything the doctor and Eugene had said. Could she get more helpless? It was infuriating, really. She hated having to be dependent, even if it was for her own good. She sighed, looking out the window, not really seeing the late evening sun glinting off of the waves in the lagoon below her.

Eugene studied her, watching her as she went through various expressions as she tried to come to terms with everything she had heard that afternoon. "Blondie?" She continued to stare blankly out the window. "Rapunzel." He gently turned her face to look at his, his eyes gently searching hers. "What'cha thinking about?" He ran the back of his finger down the side of her face.

"I don't know…" she began. "Oh, everything." She turned around slightly to face him. "I've never had to deal with anything like this before, and it's all so new and scary, but fascinating at the same time, and I just don't know what to think anymore." She sighed after she finished her long rant.

"Oh, man, Rapunzel, I didn't mean to scare you." She gave him a hesitant, half-hearted smile. "And I want you to know that I will do whatever it takes to keep you safe, even if it may be overreacting. You are more precious to me than gold or jewels ever were or ever could be. You are my new dream."

"And you are mine." She leaned her forehead against his, keeping her eyes locked on his. Without warning she yawned, snuggling into his chest as her eyes fluttered closed for a few seconds.

Eugene chuckled as he ran his fingers through her short hair, gently combing out the tangles. "Everything's going to be okay, all right, Rapunzel?" He waited for her to answer, eyebrows knitting together when she didn't say anything. "Blondie?" He looked down at her, his features melting into a gentle smile when he saw that she had fallen asleep against him, her little hands fisted around his vest. He laughed quietly, placing a soft kiss on the crown of her head before he wrapped his arms tightly around her, silently telling her he would never let her go.

He looked over at the clock on the wall beside her mirror. It was six thirty, someone would be bringing Rapunzel her dinner anytime now, and this probably wouldn't be the best place for them to be when they came in, but he just couldn't find it in his heart to move her and chance waking her up when she still so desperately needed her rest. He looked to her door as he heard some footsteps coming towards it and held his breath, waiting to be scolded by a maid or manservant. He was shocked, however, when he saw the Queen, carrying a tray with a cover on it.

She first looked to the bed, and upon finding it empty, looked around the room worriedly before her eyes came to rest on Eugene, a soft smile upon her lips as she placed the tray on Rapunzel's bedside table and walked over and sat down next to Eugene on the large window seat. She reached up and smoothed her hand over some of Rapunzel's brown locks, her hand trailing down the length of a strand before falling into her lap.

"I told her she was supposed to stay in bed," Eugene began to explain.

"But she wanted to see outside, huh?" The Queen smiled at Eugene. "She's such a pure spirit, I don't think she understands the severity of everything that's happened this past week." The Queen's smile took on a sad undertone. "I feel like everything bad that could happen to her is happening, and there's no way I can help her."

"I know that feeling, too, your Majesty. I know it all too well." He smiled at her, his nerves wracking. He had talked to the Queen alone before, but now they were discussing Rapunzel on a very different level than usual, and he wasn't sure how to exactly approach the subject.

The Queen smiled back at him, though, ignoring his obvious anxiety. "She loves you, you know. She tells me every day." She smiled as Eugene looked up at her, slight surprise on his face.

"Oh?" Eugene managed to croak out.

"Yes, she assures me every day that hitting you in the head with a frying pan is the best thing that ever happened to her." They shared a laugh. "You two remind me of Rupert and I."

Eugene flinched slightly, hearing the Queen call the King by his first name. Even after a year at the castle, he had never gotten past formalities when it came to the King and Queen. He had always wanted to stay on their good side, and he thought that keeping them strictly as 'their Majesties' seemed a good way to stay on the safe side, but he supposed that now that they were to be his in-laws, it was as good a time as ever to learn their names. "Is that a good thing, your Majesty?" he said, trying to inject some humor into the seemingly serious conversation.

"Please, Eugene, call me Catherine." She patted his hand. "And, yes, it is a good thing. Rupert and I spent time together just about as much as you and Rapunzel, and we had the same sort of escapades you two do." The Queen paused slightly. "Granted, maybe not quite so… daring as your first adventure, but that's what makes your relationship so special."

Eugene couldn't help but smile as he recalled everything that had happened the first time he met Rapunzel, and the crazy adventure that had ensued. He had started out as a thief, wanting nothing more than an island all his own, and Rapunzel had changed him into a man, Eugene Fitzherbert, that found everything he never knew he needed in Rapunzel, and that had changed him into what he was now, and he was so thankful for her.

The Queen began to speak again, pulling Eugene out of his memories. "Rupert and I have been talking, for a while now, I might add, and we think it would be okay, and seeing that you spend so much time here, anyways, that it would seem fair to let you stay in here with Rapunzel."

Eugene was silenced with shock. He couldn't believe what the Queen- Catherine- was saying. He didn't even realize that they knew how much he was in here, and that they were implying that he could sleep in the same bed as Rapunzel, before they were even married.

"We know you would never to do anything to hurt her, and that played a big part in our decision." The Queen smiled at him, resting her hand on top of his. "And we trust you, and that's even more important."

Eugene stuttered to find words. "Um, well, I… I-I…" He cleared his throat. "I don't think that would be the proper thing to do, no offense to your reasoning, um, Catherine." He stumbled over his words, still searching for the right thing to say while the Queen watched him. "I think it would mean a lot more, to me, at least, to wait until our wedding night to share a bed, even if we are just sleeping." He offered Catherine a sincere smile.

"I respect your decision, Eugene." Catherine got up and smoothed her dress out. "There is some food there for you, and Rapunzel, if she wakes up and feels up to eating. Good night." The Queen smiled and turned to leave, but stopped just before she got to the door. "Eugene?"

Eugene looked at her and raised an eyebrow slightly. "Yes, Catherine?"

"You're a good man, Eugene." She smiled and gave a slight nod before turning to leave, closing the bedroom door gently behind her.

Eugene couldn't help but smile. The Queen thought he was a good man! That had to count for something. And they trusted him. Him! A reformed thief who honestly did not deserve their respect, or trust, for that matter. He looked down at Rapunzel, smiling as he watched her snuggle closer to him, a soft smile across her face, before he looked out the window, where the sun was almost completely hidden behind the horizon, nighttime drawing closer.

He sighed and very carefully stood up, keeping a steady grip on Rapunzel so as not to wake her. He walked to the bed and tenderly laid her down, resting her head against one of the many pillows. He pulled the covers up around her, stifling a yawn of his own. He really was tired. After all, it had been a long day, with sword lessons, and Rapunzel's diagnosis and everything that had entailed after that. He sighed, running his hand down her hair before he kissed her forehead. "Good night, my sweet Princess," he whispered before blowing out the candle on her bedside table, leaving her to sleep peacefully in her bed.

So, I got this done faster than I thought I would, so I might have another one up by the fourteenth. Until then, my dear readers, REVIEW! Reviews are the wind beneath my wings, the song in my heart, the… you get my point. Review, please?

EugeneLoverRapunzel