Hey yall. Here's another chapter to enjoy. Hope yall like. Always liked the pairing and this story is a slight spin off the original. Please review thanks.

Chapter 2

Flynn shook his head as he rose from his slumber. He couldn't remember when he had fallen asleep only the night before. He remembered laughing with her telling stories of his youth and how he had fled the streets of many kingdoms with bags of treasure. He had to admit, a lot of it was exaggerated but she didn't need to know that. Sitting up he could hear the sound of pots of pans rummaging downstairs. Before he could get up to assess the situation, he saw a tray of biscuits hover before him. Looking above he saw Rapunzel sitting up in one of the ceiling beams using her hair to lower the tray to him.

"You're a sneaky thing, aren't you?" he said to her.

She gave him a lovely smile, "I thought you could use some breakfast,"

Flynn took the tray and examined the contents. On the silver platter sat a ivory plate filled to the top with fluffy biscuits. Beside it a kettle delicately steaming with a mysterious liquid.

Flynn took hold of a biscuit, "I didn't know you could bake,"

Rapunzel lowered herself down and said: "There's a lot you don't know about me,"

"Oh, yeah? Enlighten me," he said biting down on his delicious baked good.

She sat next to him, her hands on her lap and her eyes looking down, "I uh, I'm not sure what men like. Mother had always told me they were to be avoided. But... you're a man and if you like those then I'm sure I kinda know more about them than she does,"

Flynn then replied, "Well, if men were so bad how do you think you came to be?"

She looked at him with curiosity, "What do you mean?"

"If men were so bad, how did your mother get with one to have you?"

Rapunzel thought for a moment, clearly the question was beyond her and he could tell by the agitated look on her face. She seemed to toy with idea but couldn't wrap her head around the notion.

"That's simple," she began, "They found me."

Flynn couldn't help but laugh, "No, no. I seriously doubt they found you. Sheesh, don't you know anything about childr-"

He could tell he had gone a bit too far. She looked betrayed as if he had called her dumb indirectly. She turned away from him.

"I didn't mean it like that," he assured her.

"No," she whispered, "You're right. I don't know anything. I know Mother has lied to me. You're the proof and I need to see that,"

Flynn saw his opening and took it, "Then come with me. I can show you more than you'll ever see trapped in this place."

He could see the conflict in her large green eyes. The determination, the sense of loss and finally the consequences of leaving her mother forever.

"I have one request," she said.

"You name it,"

"I want to see the lanterns first. I've seen them every year on my birthday, I want to see them just once up close. Agree to that and I'll go with you,"

At first Flynn thought the deal was a no brainer. He could use a lovely lass by his side to help him with heists and be there for him when he needed it. But then, the idea of using her also reared itself. He saw her innocent, delicate. If he took her he didn't want that to be tarnished by the horrors of the outside world. Would he always be there to protect her?

"Flynn, is it a deal?"

He looked at her and his smile slowly edged into a serious one. Here it was, no looking back.

"Come on, get ready. We got a long way ahead of us,"

Rapunzel squealed and darted off to gather her things.

Flynn waited at the bottom of the tower, his arms crossed. What was taking her so long? Finally he could see a loop of gold hover over the tower hook signaling to him she was preparing for her descent down. He watched as she merrily scaled down the tower. She approached the bottom and suddenly before her feet could touch she stopped dead in her tracks. Her eyes caught his giving him a look of uncertainty.

"It's alright, you can jump down. The ground ain't gonna hurt ya," he said.

She continued her stare and then resumed her gaze to the ground. She lightly placed one foot down and then the other. She looked back towards him, a massive smile of glee spread childishly across her face.

"This... is... amazing!" she jumped. He smiled. She then jumped into a neighboring stream feeling the small critters that swam around her feet. This was incredible, she thought. Everything was new, the sun was shining overhead casting a warm veil of light over her. The air smelled fresh and the sound of birds chirping in the distance was inviting. Why hadn't she done this earlier? She then dashed onward into the forest leaving Flynn to chase after her.

For hours he sat on a log watching Rapunzel stroll around the woods immersed in her new surroundings. Several times he found her curled up in a ball crying vigorously in guilt. Then without warning she would perk up yet again to face the new world.

Night rolled in faster than he thought and they were ways off from the nearest settlement. Remembering his skills he possessed from being on the run he quickly found a hollowed out tree overlooking a nearby stream. He cleared it of insects and took refuge within it leaving Rapunzel to look upon him quizzically.

"Um, what are you doing?" she asked.

"Question is, what are you doing?" he replied.

She approached him, "I thought we were going to see the lanterns?"

Flynn made a small spot to build a fire, "We will but walking through the forest at night is a bad idea even for a knight. I don't plan to die so early in my life."

The word "die" hit her hard enough to cause her to run inside the hollow log almost instantly. She sat by his side using her hair as a protective cocoon, only her eyes visible through the haired mess.

"What's out there, Flynn?"

He felt an evil smile creep onto his face, "Wolves are common, bandits with razor sharp swords and oh, I almost forgot, the occasional fabled beast roams the night. I wouldn't want to be out there when that thing is hungry,"

Rapunzel looked at him with immense fear, "What kind of beast?"

"Oh, you know, the one that has rows upon rows of sharp teeth and deep bloodshot eyes. Hasn't your mother said anything about that?"

The young girl shook her head as she began to wound her hair tightly against her body. She watched with panic stricken eyes as dusk became night. What made matters worse was the distant clap of thunder.

"Damn, it's gonna rain too," whispered Flynn.

"Is that bad?" she asked, "Mother always said that if it rained it will help flowers grow."

Flynn eyed her, "You're mother also said all men were dangerous too,"

Minutes later the rhythmic patter of rain could be heard outside. Flynn and Rapunzel sat in silence as they listened to the thunder that roared overhead. Rapunzel could feel her eyes drift as slumber soon approached her like hummingbirds to flowers. She was about to fall asleep when she was met with a pair of bloodshot eyes staring at her from a bush nearby. The sight stirred her back to reality.

She pulled on Flynn's sleeve, "Flynn..."

He said nothing. Looking up she could see he too had fallen asleep. She was about to wake him when suddenly she felt something tug at her hair. Looking down she noticed she allowed the very ends of her hair to poke out from the hollowed tree. Before she knew it she was being dragged through the mud. She could feel something strong pulling her away and it made her panic.

"FLYNN!" she shouted.

She could see him shake awake as both their eyes met. He bolted from their hiding place and took chase. Whatever had caught her showed no mercy as it drug her through banks of mud where sharp sticks and rocks began to tear at her dress and skin. She could feel pain surge through her body but her efforts to scream were caught short the moment mud entered her mouth.

"Hold on there, blondie!" he called.

She finally came to a stop. Looking around she could see a pack of wolves hovering around her, their sharp teeth exposed over their anxious muzzle and their eyes red with hunger. She felt sheer terror fill her and it wasn't long before one made a move. A wolf pounced but before it could reach her she saw Flynn enter the fray using his body weight to tackled the beast. Several more wolves entered the fight. Flynn fought them off to the best of his might but she could see he was beginning to tire and take damage. He forced a wolf away from him but the animal came around for another attack on his blindside.

"Flynn!" she called.

The thief caught sight of the last minute attack and had suddenly fallen into a nearby shrub leaving Rapunzel to gauge the outcome of the battle purely by sound. Suddenly, the air became still. Rapunzel could feel her heart racing. What had happened?

The shoulder blades of one wolf appeared from the top of the bushes and Rapunzel gasped in terror.

"No,"