Wow this took ages because I went back to uni and I am SO GORRAM BUSY ALWAYS oh dear god. Finishing a degree is hard guys, especially when you get flu half way into the first time. I'm bricking it quite a lot, but on a plus note I did get Tangled on DVD for my 21st birthday. OH MAN HOW COOL AM I. Really fucking cool is the answer. Oh dear late night updates with much rambling yet again.

Flynn Wanted

~15~

"Bunk beds?" whispers Rapunzel, scathing and a little incredulous as light from the hall outlines the two beds stacked one on top of the other, clearly sized for a child – definitely not a fully grown man. She probably ought to have questioned Aya's sending them up to bed together a little more, but she'd been too excited by the prospect to puzzle over it. The discovery of the two beds, not side by side, but on top of one another, explains the lack of concern. The beds are barely enough for her, let alone Eugene, who she can just make out nodding, a finger to his lips – the reason is clear, the quiet breath of sleeping children in beds all around them.

He gives Rapunzel a boost onto the top of the two beds, and then settles on the bottom. The old structure creaks disturbingly loud in protest, but no one around them seems to stir. They lie silently for a few minutes, resisting the urge to talk, but he cannot sleep, and it doesn't seem like she can either – her hand dangles from the bed above, the fingers flexing boredly, clearly awake.

Eventually he reaches up and draws a finger along the inside of her palm, wrist to fingertip; she startles a little, but then her fingers twist to link with his.

"Eugene?" she says inquisitively.

"Can't sleep?" he murmurs, low and soft.

"I was... I was thinking," she breathes, fingers tightening around his, "what did you say to Francis? He seemed so..."

"I told him everything," he answers, his voice a little clearer, but the children sleep on blissfully. "It was the only way."

"You mean you-" she starts.

"Yeah," Eugene answers calmly. "He had it all wrong – Flynn Rider, you... the whole lot." He doesn't blame Francis, though – he can't be blamed for drawing his own conclusions. Eugene wasn't there to put him right. "So I told him the real story." He feels her hand tighten as he uses their own code – the real story, not the one they tell, the easy version.

"Oh," she murmurs. "How did he...?"

"The magic hair was quite hard to get past him," he half-jokes, "but he got it in the end."

He did try to explain what happened without involving Rapunzel, but he couldn't. It was impossible to say how and why he changed without her; she was everything. Although Francis had fought at first, hurled some abuse, Eugene let him because he knew he deserved it. Once his temper burned out, which of course it did – he was ready to ask why, and Eugene was ready to give him the truth. Perhaps by the end Francis wasn't completely happy, but he understood at least, and he knew enough to realise he'd judged Rapunzel wrongly – cared enough to want to apologise.

"You know, he's the first person I told the real story," Eugene muses; Rapunzel told her parents, of course, but he's had no one to confide to. A little to his surprise, telling someone was somehow reassuring, like he confirmed it really happened.

"He seems better now," she remarks hopefully.

"I think he'll be all right," he agrees. "He's always been a bit... he gets all worked up, but then he runs out of steam... we still have a ways to go, but I'm hoping he doesn't feel so... betrayed."

"You came back for him," she points out. "He doesn't need the legend of Flynn Rider if he's got the real you to rely on."

"I guess you're right," he mumbles, and he hasn't thought of it like that; maybe Flynn Rider was all Francis had left of him when he went away.

"The real you is much better," she adds almost shyly, and he squeezes her hand tightly in his, remembering just how much he loves her, how much she means to him. He's about to tell her so, when a movement from somewhere in the room kills his words; they both freeze, feigning sleep and fearing their chatter has woken someone, but nothing comes of the sound. Eugene lets her hand slip from his, and settles down to attempt sleep again, whispering their goodnights across the short space between them.

While his night's sleep was unusually calm, Eugene's awakening the next morning was less so; he is roused by a small child leaping onto his stomach – he thought nothing was worse than Pascal's tongue in his ear, but he'd have gladly swapped for the reptile now, as the air shoots out of his lungs and a gap-toothed child stares him down.

"HEY!" the boy shrieks far too loud for any time in the morning. "You're not meant to be here!"

"Well you're not," he wheezes, "meant to be on me!" He manages to shove the kid off him, and props himself up, still trying to regain his breath.

"Who are you?" the boy squawks insistently. "What are you doing here? Who let you in? Auntie is gonna be awful sore if she finds out-" the child starts to chatter, far too fast and far too high-pitched.

"Kid, do you think anyone could sneak in past her?" he challenges grouchily, until the child realises the impossibility of such a claim; just as he lapses into a merciful silence, another boy comes barrelling in through the door screaming anew.

"HEY!" the new child screams. "Haven't you heard? Francis is back! And he brought FLYNN RIDER with him!" The boy who was assaulting Eugene now takes one look at him, and then promptly joins in screaming at the full capacity of his tiny lungs.

"Hey! Hey," Eugene bellows, covering his ears with his hands. "Inside voices!" However, the children do not listen, and in no time Rapunzel's head drops upside-down from the top bunk, looking to see what the ruckuss is about.

"Eugene?" she says worriedly. "What's happening?"

"There's a GIRLin here?" one of the boys yelps upon looking up at her, and his friend stares with shock and disapproval.

"Well... who are you?" the first boy asks her boldly.

"Uh, I'm Rapunzel," she answers brightly, just before Eugene can try to cut her off.

"Rapunzel? Rapunzel? That's a weird-" one of the boys starts.

"-Isn't that the name of the Lost Princess?" the other finishes, and from somewhere across the room yet another child has woken up.

"That ISthe Lost Princess's name!" the newest addition confirms. "Didn't you guys know? The Lost Princess is Flynn Rider's girlfriend!" With this revelation, all three start yelling again. Rapunzel fixes Eugene with an apologetic look, then flips off the top bunk and lands right beside him as he hops to his feet, and they sprint for the door like their life depends on it, flying through and slamming it shut behind them, exchanging desperate looks as tiny fists pummel on the other side of it demandingly.

"Good morning to you too," says Eugene sarcastically.

"I didn't realise they'd go so... noisy," she explains weakly, "but why do they think you're Flynn Rider?"

"... Francis," Eugene growls, and sets off down the stairs. "Come on." He leads the way to the kitchen, where Aunt Aya is much-busied preparing a breakfast for twenty, while Francis runs after her manically, ferrying food, plates and children in and out of the places they are meant or not meant to be.

"Oh, you're up," Francis chirps brightly, his face flushed and grinning brightly; at least until Aya shoots him a fear-instilling look and he hurries on with his business.

"Francis!" Eugene snaps, but the boy is already gone. "Why'd you... hey, Aunt Aya," he berates with an almost childish whine – it's almost strange, watching him moan at the closest thing he has to a mother with such familiarity. Rapunzel never pictures Eugene as a man with family,with anyone to depend on or who depends on him – but everyone has to come from somewhere, she reminds herself, even him.

"About time you showed your face," Aya scolds, all business, and then points to a sideboard stacked with loaves of bread, fresh and clouding the kitchen with a mouth-watering smell. "Slice and serve, please."

"What? What?" exclaims Eugene. "We need to talk to Francis, we-"

"He's busy helping me. Like you should be," Aya retorts uninterestedly. "These meals don't just make themselves."

"As fantastically important as breakfast is," Eugene snaps crossly, "did no one happen to mention to you that half of the Kingdom is after me, the other half is out for Francis, and the entire CITY is looking for Rapunzel!" He turns to her, but finds she's no longer by his side – she is in fact singing merrily as she slices bread with surprising speed and rhythm. "Rapunzel!" he squawks. "Not you too!"

"No one got anything worthwhile done on an empty stomach, Eugene," Aya clucks authoritatively. "Now I know you may have a big, exciting life with your royalty and crime and adventures, but right now, the most important thing to me is getting a lot of hungry mouths fed. Oh well done, pet," she coos when Rapunzel presents her with a veritable mountain of sliced bread. "You're such a help. Not like some," she mutters with a glare, "some boys who never lifted a finger to help me in his life, ungrateful waste of-"

"Hey!" Eugene's now barely below screaming, and looks frantically for some kind of support, but Rapunzel just shrugs and starts chopping fruit into smiley faces and sun shapes.

Realising that he's out of argument, he gives up and heaves a resentful sigh.

"Fine, fine," he groans, "but we're gonna sort this right after breakfast." The insistence more of a plea than a demand, and Eugene has the distinct feeling Aya agrees just to let him feel like he's put his foot down, so he begrudgingly gets on with washing dishes.

Once they're done – children fed, questions fended, and a severe scolding from Aya to scare all the new Flynn Rider and Lost Princess fans out of the room – Eugene, Francis and Rapunzel manage to stay in the same spot for more than five minutes without having any chores left to do.

"But I was having fun, Eugene!" pleads Rapunzel, but he shakes his head at her.

"This is more important," he insists, and can't quite believe he's the one saying it; he's not sure if he feels boring or old, but worryingly decides that it's probably both. "What are we going to do?"

"What do you mean? About what?" she chirps, but then she looks at Francis and remembers everything.

"About me," he says solemnly. "What I've done."

"Now listen close," Eugene starts energetically. "I can prove my innocence without you, no problem. So if you just keep your head down, it'll all blow over and no one will-"

"What? No!" Rapunzel interrupts. "That isn't right! You hurt someone, Francis. You need to make up for-"

"Forget it," Eugene speaks right over her. "They say crime never pays, but I got off all right didn't I?"

"Eugene!" she reprimands, and he scowls at her, only to be scowled at right back.

"Wouldja both shut up!"Francis barks over the two of them, and they fall to guilty silence. "I think... well, I've thought it over, and I don't want to be afraid of getting caught," he concedes. "I think I should own up. But," he insists when both of them look like they're about to go off again, "I don't want to hand myself to the guards, they're too... they might... they're scary." Eugene nods understandingly; they're neither the most sympathetic nor forgiving branch of the Kingdom's justice system.

"Okay, so what do you want to do?" Rapunzel asks when he pauses.

"Well... I..." he starts hesitatingly, "...I don't know," he mumbles, embarrassed and uncomfortable

"Well," Rapunzel responds, unfazed and ever-optimistic, "why don't we all go together?"

"Together?" he echoes. "Where?

"Home, where else?" she answers with a soft guffaw. "Mom and... the King and Queen, I mean. I'm sure they'll listen to what happened." A private audience with the monarchy was far from the standard criminal proceedings, but extraordinary happenings were somewhat of a speciality for Rapunzel.

"... Sure," Francis agrees tentatively. "I'd like that."

"Then it's settled," she continues confidently, as if it is really that easy. So they make their farewells to Aunt Aya, promise the children that they'll come back soon, and all three set off towards the palace.

They're strolling through the streets with an eerie sense of well-being – things are going well, too well – no one seems to be bothered the Lost Princess is running barefoot around the city, delighting in the early morning, much less the two wanted criminals on either side of her. However, it doesn't last long.

Almost from the air, there comes a sudden shout – 'The Princess!' – and then all hell breaks lose

"Flynn Rider!" another cry comes, following by a clatter on cobblestones and rattle of armour; the three of them break into a run, but the guards are already everywhere. Rapunzel wriggling like a live fish and manages to stay out of anyone's grip, but she hears her name called and turns back – two armed guards have hold of Eugene.

"Hey!" she screams, flying back towards him and seizing one of his arms, trying to pry it away from the guard. "Leave him alone! He hasn't done anything!"

"Princess?" the guard exclaims, shaking his head as if to check his eyes aren't deceiving him. "Uh, uh... stay calm, your highness, we have the situation under control."

"Like hell you do!" Eugene bellows. Francis is struggling with another of the guards nearby, and she soon realises fighting is pointless. There's a sudden scrape of metal on metal – the sound of a sword being drawn.

"STOP!" she screams as she spots the man with a drawn sword, and at that point throws herself in front of Eugene, throwing her arms across him protectively. "Don't you dare hurt him!" She looks over to spot Francis being forced to the floor. "Either of them!" she adds forcefully. "By... by... by order of the Princess!" It's the first time she's ever pulled rank, and no one seems to know the correct protocol.

"Your Highness," uncertainly addresses the man who appears to be in charge. "These men are wanted felons. They must be arrested and taken into custody."

"Stop... let Eugene go," Francis interrupts suddenly, struggling to his feet, his hands bound behind his back. "He's done nothing – I'm the one you want. I'm Flynn Rider."

"No!" Eugene barks desperately, "I'm Flynn Rider."

"No, I'M Flynn Rider!" comes a third shout – only, this one from Rapunzel. Eugene, Francis and all the guards turn to look at her quizzically, and there is silence for a distressingly long and awkward moment. "Sorry... I got carried away," she admits sheepishly.

"This is a serious matter, Princess," a guard remarks condescendingly, and turns back to Francis. "Now, what's this about being Rider, son?" he asks gravely. "We don't have time for play-stories."

"I am Flynn Rider," Francis insists. "I can tell you all about my crimes – where I went, when I did it, what I took, everything! Just ask."

"Shut up," Eugene butts in. "He's been hit on the head," he tells the guards. "It's making him a little crazy. You boys know who I am, right? Take me in, I'll come quietly if you let them go."

"No, Eugene," Rapunzel insists, and then before she can be stopped, the princess zips past the guards and springs onto Eugene's back, knotting her legs around his waist.

"Oh no," she hears him groan, while the guards stare at them awkwardly – unsure how to treat the new development.

"If you arrest them, you arrest me too," she announces defiantly. "I'm not letting go."

"Your highness, please," the sergeant in charge negotiates, thinking of how it will look to the King and Queen.

"You can let us all go, or arrest us all," is her ultimatum, and no one says anything for a good while.

The sergeant turns to one of his comrades and speaks in low tone, then eventually pulls a face as he turns back to Eugene and Rapunzel – now joined by Francis, who has been jostled uncoperatively to their side.

"Then... I... I hereby place you all under arrest," the sergeant announces regretfully. "Men... take them to the jailhouse."

"You're mad," Eugene murmurs over his shoulder, to the girl still wrapped around his waist. "Completely mad." As they're handcuffed and marched towards the palace, he comes to the conclusion that he must be even madder, because he loves her all the same.

I had another ending on this but it was kinda crappy and this seemed much neater and snappier. Interested to know what people are thinking of this, and muchos apologies for the delay in updates, curse you, real life!