I'm ba-ack! Not that that's a bad thing… I hope… Sorry it took me so long, our internet broke down, like, the day I was going to post this. Something about the DNS...? Anyone know what that is?I didn't think so... Anyways, we're gonna head back to our lovely Eugene and Rapunzel, and things are going to be moving along. This is chapter eleven, Preparations.

Disclaimer: I don't own Tangled… but guess what I got in the mail? My tickets to the Very Merry Christmas Party on December 18! Anyone gonna be there? …

Chapter Eleven

Preparations

Rapunzel and Eugene were walking along the edge of the lake, holding hands. She had taken her shoes off so she could allow the gentle waves to tickle her feet, and Eugene had willingly agreed to hold them in his free hand. He chuckled as she jumped and squealed every time a wave of the cold water reached her toes, and he released her hand to put his arm around her shoulders, bringing her against him and pressing a gentle kiss to her hair.

"You're gonna get sick, playing in the water in this cold weather," he gently reminded her.

"I don't care," she said, sing-songy.

"Blondie," he gently scolded. He turned her to face him, brushing some stray hair from her eyes. "I do." He pressed his forehead against hers. "Come on, let's get back to the castle and get you something warm to eat, okay?" He wrapped her up into an embrace and ran his hands up and down her arms as he felt her shaking. "See? You're already shivering."

"I am n-not," she tried to explain, but her voice betrayed her.

"You're lying," he mocked her previous sing-song tone. He laughed as she huffed, her breath tickling the back of his neck as he continued to hold her.

"You're going to be the death of me," she decided exasperatedly.

He chuckled. "Better me than the cold, wouldn't you say?" He pulled back to see her expression, which was rather unamused and pouty. "Oh, come on! You'd rather die out here, in the freezing cold November air, than-"

Rapunzel cut him off by pressing her lips against his in a kiss. "You talk too much for your own good," she murmured against his lips.

He contemplated coming right back at her with a smarmy comment, but instead captured her lips in a slightly more passionate kiss, gently tilting her face with his hand to deepen the kiss. They stood like that for a minute or so, lips dancing against each other, Eugene's hand tangled in her hair, Rapunzel's fumbling with the hair at the base of his neck.

Rapunzel felt Eugene tense up against her, and she pulled back, silently questioning him. His grasp on her loosened as she pulled back slightly. She caught sight of a shadow standing behind him, but was distracted as Eugene fell forward, unintentionally dragging her down to the ground with him. "Eugene, are you okay?" She smiled, thinking he had simply slipped or was being silly. Her grin faded, however, as her eyes fell upon the hilt of a small dagger, sticking out from the middle of his back. "What…?" She looked up to find the shadow materializing, assuming a face with cold, blue eyes and dark, jet black hair, and she recognized him as the person that had cut her. He sent her a dark smile and, in an instant, had disappeared, leaving Rapunzel and Eugene alone at the lake's edge.

She looked back down at Eugene and gently removed the dagger from his back, tossing it aside as she turned him in her arms, laying him across her lap. "Eugene? Look at me, stay with me! Don't leave me again! Eugene!" She gently cupped his cheek and willed his eyes to open.

Eugene lay still, nothing moving but his chest, which only then, barely rose every few seconds. Finally, after what felt like hours, his eyes fluttered open. "Ra-pun…z-zel," he breathed. He searched her eyes. "I'm s-sorry." He brought a hand to her face, but it fell down almost immediately as the life escaped him.

"No! No!" she screamed. This couldn't be happening, not again. "Eugene, no…" she sobbed. She screamed with all her might, letting the emotions come loose.

Eugene sat next to Rapunzel's bed, in his usual chair at her side, watching her rest. In the four months since her birthday, her arm and chest were pretty much completely healed, and, as they all had predicted, had left some pretty large scars, which Eugene continued to assure her didn't matter as long as she was safe. She was allowed to leave her room for meals and lessons, but the rest of the time, she was still urged to stay in her room to her room, whether it be to rest or to discuss the wedding, which was now only two weeks away. Well, that was the reason they gave her, but Eugene knew it was really because they were worried about the man that had hurt her, whom had apparently escaped from prison that same night, and that he might be on some kind of mission to injure her or the other royals.

Eugene smiled down at Rapunzel as she began to stir slightly. His smile faltered as she began to thrash around, whimpering and crying out in her sleep. She was having a nightmare. Again. Ever since the attack, her nightmares had come back, even worse than before. They always varied in what happened, but it always ended the same way, one of them, usually Eugene, dying. It absolutely killed him that he couldn't make whatever was scaring her go away, but he did what he could to wake her up and comfort her after it was over.

He raced out of his chair and threw himself on the bed next to her, gently trying to restrain her arms. "Blondie, Blondie! Rapunzel!" He tried to shake her awake. "Please wake up, it's just a dream, Rapunzel." He gently pulled her into his lap, carefully cradling her so she couldn't hit something or hurt herself. "Rapunzel…" He brushed some hair back and cupped her cheek, letting his forehead rest against hers. "I'm right here. It's gonna be okay, I'm alright, you're alright, everything's fine." He toyed with a strand of her chestnut hair. "Please, please wake up!" He looked down at her and saw that she was still struggling against his hold, so he went to his last resort to wake her up, singing. He squeezed his eyes shut and sang the song from the boat, their song, they had decided, and hoped above all things that this would wake her up like it usually did. He finished the song and opened his eyes, relieved to see that her eyes had opened, as well, though they were brimming with tears. "Rapunzel?" he asked, gently searching her eyes.

"Eugene!" she cried, throwing her arms around his neck as she began to sob.

He held her tightly, locking his arms around her, trying to give her some comfort. "Sh, sh, sh, it's okay. Everything's gonna be alright now. You're safe now, I've got you. Nothing can hurt you when you're with me." He gently rocked her back and forth.

Rapunzel tightened her grip on him, wanting to believe his words for all their worth. "Eugene, it… it was so scary," she managed between sobs. "I lost you again. I…I can't lose you again, Eugene."

"I'm not going anywhere, sweetie. I'll always be here, I promise," he whispered into her hair. "And when I promise something I never, ever break that promise. Ever."

Rapunzel gave a small, strangled chuckle. "I know. It was just so… scary and upsetting to think that I would never get to hold you again, never get to say I love you again…"

"I know, Rapunzel. Goodness knows I know what that feels like." He fell silent as he held her even tighter. "I love you, Rapunzel. I will always love you."

"I love you, too." They sat like that for a while before Eugene pulled back and wiped her tears away with a gentle hand. Rapunzel gave him a weak smile before she buried her face in his neck again, Eugene holding her as tight and as close to him as he could. He wanted her to always know that he would be there for her, and he had no words to describe it as well as he could through his actions, so he was content to just hold her as tight as he could.

The sound of running feet could be heard coming towards the princess' room, and Eugene looked up to see her parents stop at her door, worry on both of their faces. The Queen gave him a questioning look, and Eugene nodded, answering her question silently. They all knew that her nightmares were becoming something of somewhat regularity every day, either in the mornings or late at night, and they all knew that Rapunzel was suffering. They had tried consulting Dr. Collins, they had tried old tricks, they had even tried dream catchers, but nothing seemed to be of any comfort to the soon-to-be-bride's mind.

Catherine sighed as she made her way to her daughter's bed, sitting on the edge of it and resting a comforting hand on her back. Rupert followed suit, and stood next to his wife, the worry still creasing his forehead as he waited for Rapunzel to calm down.

Rapunzel gave a quiet sniffle and revealed her face, red and splotchy and tearstained. She gave a grateful smile to her mother and father as she leaned over to embrace them in a hug. "I'm sorry I woke you…" she began, but her mother gently shushed her.

"It's okay, darling. We just wanted to make sure you were safe, that's all. No reason to apologize."

Rapunzel nodded and pulled Eugene into the family hug with her, and they sat for a few minutes, relishing in the fact that the girl they all loved was safe and sound and still with them, despite all of the trials and tribulations that had come with her.

After a few minutes, they broke the hug and they all sat quietly, avoiding eye contact as much as possible. The King was the first to speak. "Well, breakfast will be ready in about half an hour, and you can meet us there, okay, sweetheart?" He rested a caring hand on the small girl's shoulder and she looked up at him and nodded.

"Yes, Father." She smiled and squeezed her mother's hand as she stood to walk with Rupert, sending back a concerned glance meant solely for Eugene, who understood and turned Rapunzel to face him.

"Rapunzel, you can't go on like this. Something is obviously very wrong, and you need help," he smoothed some of her uncombed hair down and looked her in the eyes.

"Eugene, we've tried everything, you know that!" she cried, exasperated. "Nothing works!" She brought her head to rest in her hands. "I don't know why I keep seeing him. It's always him, no matter what happens, and it scares me to death." She began to shake again, tears threatening to spill over with every word she spoke, and she curled up into a ball, bringing her knees to her chest.

"Oh, Rapunzel," he sighed and pulled her into his lap, wrapping his arms around her shoulders. "I will fix this, I promise." He buried his face in her hair, breathing in her scent.

"How?" she asked, barely above a whisper.

He pulled her chin up so he could look at her. "I will find a way. Even if I have to go to the ends of the earth to find some kind of cure for you. Okay?"

Rapunzel nodded and gave him a watery smile. She ran a sleeve over her face. "We better get ready for breakfast," she decided, getting up and going to her closet, removing a dress and walking to the bathroom. "I'll be right back…" she trailed off as she closed the door behind her.

Eugene sat on her bed for a while before he got up, deciding to busy himself by making it up. As he smoothed the sheets, he allowed his thoughts to wander through the wedding plans that they had arranged so far. What kind of food did they want? That was easy, meat. "Any meat is fine," Eugene had pointed out in a rather typical 'guy moment,' as Rapunzel liked to call them. Well, what kind of cake did they want? Something with layers of different flavors. "So everyone can have something they like," Rapunzel had figured. And the bouquet? That had taken Rapunzel ages to decide, because she liked all the flowers and couldn't single any one out, so they agreed to have a few daisies, roses, tulips, and a few other choices combined so Rapunzel wouldn't have to choose as much.

The hardest part, or at least for Eugene, had been the fittings. Hour upon hour of standing still and measurements being taken and being poked an endless amount of times with the various pins and needles used, it was all rather superfluous to Eugene. Not to mention being stripped down to his undergarments in front of the castle's personal tailor, which, nearly in and of itself had him thinking about reconsidering. But during those moments, he would think of Rapunzel, and remind himself why he was going through this 'torture,' and he would tell himself that it was all for her, and grin and bear it.

Rapunzel, it seemed, had dealt with the whole process much better than he had, at least, in the beginning. She simply loved planning and plotting out each little detail, no matter how small. But as her nightmares had returned and intensified, her stress level had risen insanely high, and he would often find her holed up in her room, crying about some minor detail that couldn't possibly affect the outcome of the wedding. He would come in to comfort her and she would sit, for sometimes hours at a time, sobbing to him about her worries, whether they be about the wedding, her nightmares, or herself in general.

It was during one of those times that he had found out about all the things Gothel had called her. They had been sitting on her bed and she had been upset about what their wedding colors should be, which had lead to what she looked like in certain colors, which had then lead to how Gothel had only let her wear certain colors because she just didn't look right in other colors.

She had heaved a great sigh and thrown her arms in the air. "Gothel was right! I am just sloppy, underdressed, immature, clumsy, gullible, naïve, grubby, ditzy, and vague and ugh! I shouldn't even be the princess!" She had flung herself across the bed, weeping quietly into the sheets. Eugene had just stared at her in awe as he registered all of the complete lies Gothel had told her. And to think she had grown up with this, for eighteen years! It was a serious wonder that she was as sane and happy as she was!

He had shook away all his thoughts and anger towards Gothel as he gently cradled the princess. "Rapunzel, you listen to me, and you listen up good. You are none of those things, how could you even think that?" He cupped her cheek to make her look at him. "You are the most beautiful person I have ever had the privilege to lay my eyes on, and don't even think about someone telling you otherwise."

She had looked up at him and sniffed as she drug a sleeve across her nose. "You mean… you don't think I'm… chubby?" She had whispered the last word, and Eugene had gently crushed her against him so she couldn't see the pain and fury in his eyes. That woman had spent an entire eighteen years leading Rapunzel on that she was the lowest thing in existence, and that leaving the tower would only hurt her in ways that couldn't be described, and it made him sick to think that Rapunzel had believed her. That explained why the poor girl was always so down on herself and never seemed to smile when she caught a glimpse of herself in a mirror.

"Of course not. If you're chubby, then I'm doomed to be even more so," he had decided, and she had looked up at him, unsure of what to think, worry, sadness, and a hint of a smile flashing across her eyes. "I'm only joking, 'Punz. Besides, I wouldn't let that happen," he tried to joke, but Rapunzel still looked worried. "Hey…" He met her emerald eyes with his brown ones. "You are more brilliant than a ray of light, more beautiful than the prettiest petal on a rose. I fell in love with you for you, but I won't let you keep putting yourself down. Everything she told you was a lie, you're the most beautiful woman ever created, as far as I can tell." He had sat her up and wiped her tears away with his thumb before they had agreed that their wedding colors would be gold and purple, to match Corona's colors.

After that, he had seen her stop more to look at herself, sometimes pausing at every mirror or reflective surface she found, seeming to search for the person Eugene thought she was. At first she would just shake her head, but more and more often he would see her flash a small smile before she continued on her journey, and he hoped that he had made some headway with her self-confidence.

His memories were interrupted as Rapunzel came back into the room, wearing the light green dress she had picked out. She folded her bedclothes and tucked them in a drawer before she walked to the small vanity, sitting on the seat in front of it. She seemed to study herself for a second before she reached to pick up her brush. Eugene watched her and came up quietly behind her, taking the brush from her hand as she reached behind her head to start brushing. She jumped, throwing a hand across her heart. "I forgot you were here!" she replied sheepishly.

"It's okay. Turn around." He motioned for her to turn back to the mirror. She looked at him like he had quite possibly lost it before she complied, dropping her gaze to her hands in her lap. "Uh, uh, uh. Look at yourself," he gently commanded, carefully dragging the brush through her short locks as she reluctantly looked up, her eyes darting to meet his for a split second before resting on her reflection. "Now… tell me what you see. Honestly." He watched as her eyes filled with a small amount of fear. "Don't be afraid," he whispered reassuringly.

He continued to brush through her hair, watching her as she searched for a description. Her mouth curled to the side and she bit her lip, deep in thought. She sat for a good few minutes, eyes closed, fingers wrestling with themselves, and Eugene the possibility crossed his mind that he had scared her into silence.

"I see a girl that looks really upset, tired, and unsure of herself. A girl who doesn't really look all that pretty, and has a really bad haircut, and doesn't belong where she is at all. She has a little pig nose that no one could love, her eyes are too big for her face, and her smile is crooked." Her description of herself broke Eugene's heart, to think that this was how she really saw herself. None of the things she had said were true, with the exception that she did look upset and tired beyond words.

He finished combing her hair and set the brush down in its place on her vanity. He turned back to face her in the mirror, resting his head on her shoulder. "Do you want to know what I see?" He met her gaze and patiently waited for her to decide. She finally nodded, her eyes staying locked with his. "Okay. I see a young woman who was told many lies in her life that she still believes, and has no reason to. I see the most beautiful woman I have ever met, and am I glad that I got the chance to meet her. I couldn't have cut her hair better myself," he joked lightly before becoming serious. "Her little button nose is the cutest thing I have ever seen," he declared, leaning over and kissing the end of her nose. "Her eyes are so beautiful, I could look at them for a second and get lost forever and a day. And her smile is brighter than the drop of sunlight that made it possible for her to be here today. This woman is the girl that I love, and I am so happy that I'll be able to claim her all to myself in two weeks. I must have someone watching out for me if I have been given the honor of calling her my wife." As he finished his little speech, he turned her to face him, kneeling down on one knee in front of her and placing his hands on her shoulders. "You are beautiful. And don't forget it." He leaned forward and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead before placing one on her lips.

As he drew back he watched as she gave him a small smile. "Thank you," she whispered, placing a hand on his cheek.

He got up and offered her a hand to pull her up. He wrapped an arm around her waist as he lead her out the door. "You hungry, hmm?"

"A little. Not really." She looked up at him and offered him another smile.

Eugene smiled back, that was better than her usual 'not at all' response. Maybe she would actually eat something this morning, unlike her usual routine of pushing food around her plate.

They continued to walk in silence to the dining room, but were stopped halfway when Pascal, who had taken to sleeping in various rooms in the castle, scampered up Eugene's pants leg and hopped from his shoulder to Rapunzel's, causing the pair to laugh and Rapunzel to scratch his little chin. She held her cupped hand out to him, and he jumped in and snuggled against her palm.

"Where have you been, little guy? I've hardly seen you since my birthday!" Not that she had particularly been looking for him, she had been dealing with her own situation, and, she wasn't aware, but he had come in every night that first week, cuddling up against her neck as she cried out and moaned in her sleep, offering her what little comfort he could. He chirped in response and Rapunzel giggled. "No girlfriend yet, huh?"

The chameleon in question turned a brilliant shade of red and tucked his tail around himself.

"Goldie, I think the frog isn't telling us something," Eugene said, patting the 'frog' on the back.

Rapunzel rolled her eyes and giggled as they entered the dining room, taking their usual seats with her parents. They all talked a little as they waited to be served. When the food finally came out, Eugene was glad to see that Rapunzel got a decent amount of food, and ate most of it, as well. When they were all nearly finished eating, the sound of a door crashing open made them all look up.

"Your majesty! News on the criminal!" panted the captain of the guard.

Eugene and Rapunzel shared a quick glance, and everyone visibly sat forward in their seats, especially Eugene and the King. Eugene had been the one to tell the guards who he was pretty sure the man had been, and the King, well, he was the King, and the father of the girl who had been attacked by the man. "Yes?" they questioned at the same time.

"Our men spotted him outside The Snuggly Duckling and chased him for a mile or so," the captain stated, looking between the King and Eugene. "They lost him at the cliff face, and separated, two parties going separate directions. No more signs of him since."

"So… he's still out there?" asked the Queen.

The captain gave a hesitant nod of affirmation.

Rapunzel turned to Eugene, worry filling her eyes. He pulled her into a hug. "Don't worry, they'll catch him," he assured her. He couldn't help but wonder, though, if the guards only knew how hard it would be to catch him now that he was on the run.

Okay, so that was kind of a cliffhanger, I guess you could say, in a way, and it was sort of rushed there at the end, but I promise we will get back to this all in good time. Nothing special, in particular, I just figured there would be some, as one of my favorite authors, bstormhands (you should check out his work, I'm rather addicted to it :) ), calls them, 'snakes' in the grass of Rapunzel's soul, that would need to be sorted out before the wedding. I really don't have much to say but review. And thanks for reading this. I know you could be wasting your time doing something much more productive, like cleaning your room or updating your own story, but thanks for taking the time to read mine. :) Catch ya'll soon!

EugeneLoverRapunzel