AN: So, I'm sorry that it took this long for me to update (12 days, I think that's a record for me) but as you know I was on vacation, and between that and finishing up my summer class, I was really busy. So thank you for being patient :) A few words about this chapter...So I didn't plan for it to take, like TWO chapters for them to get out of the tower, but I started writing cute fluff, and writing cute fluff made me write MORE cute fluff, and well, this is the result. I didn't want to cut out any of the cute fluff because I liked it so much. And the quote at the beginning refers more to the fact that Eugene cut her hair badly, not that he cut it at all, because I don't think he would ever regret doing that.

Crystalicefire- thanks! I'm glad you liked it.

Paocg- Yes, I make it my mission in life to make you cry through my incredible writing.

Haha, no, I'm just teasing! My own inner snarky Eugene came out there wink, wink. I don't purposefully try to make people cry, but I'm a little bit happy because that means you can feel the emotions that I'm trying to write, and it's very complimentary :) And I'm glad you liked it the heaven part. I'm glad you liked chapter 1 too. It was really so much fun to write.

Delilahgirl- YAY. I'm very glad you liked it, and I liked that he asked her to go away with him too. It's just so cute and romantic. I kind of wish they did, wink wink. As for the chapters, well, since I wrote so much cute fluff, there might be two after this. :) And don't worry about the message.

KayDee- Well, there you go :) but I think it might have been hard for her, since she thought Gothel was her mother for her entire life and now she's gone.

UnraisedClock- Sorry about the wait, but I hope it was worth it :)

Silvermoony- Aw, I'm glad you liked it! Ch. 14 wasn't easy, so I'm glad it came off so well. Thanks! I like the water idea, and it actually partly came from something my mom said to me. :)

Reverend Lovejoy- I like Luke too. In fact, I might write more about him because I think he's pretty awesome. and yes, I think that nice guards can exist :)

Hawkeye-song- Thank you! I'm glad you liked it. It's not easy to write him when he's dead, so I'm happy it came off well.

Overtheweather- ME TOO. Because although Eugene is amazing and stupendous, Rapunzel is too.

Thank you all for reading and reviewing! 3

FL 6

Disclaimer- I do not own Tangled.

Chapter 16- Eugene vs. the Scissors

Some of the worst mistakes of my life have been haircuts.
Jim Morrison

I don't know how long I waited for Rapunzel, but it felt like an eternity. As I waited for her, I caught sight of my own vest, and to my own amazement, there was no blood on it at all. Huh. Maybe Rapunzel knew something about it. I'd have to ask her when she came back.

Finally she did, with a small key in her hand, but I couldn't help but notice how sad and forlorn she looked. Wordlessly, she came over to me and unlocked the cuff. I couldn't help but ask her about it. "Rapunzel," I said. "Are you….okay?"

She blinked once. Then twice. "I guess so."

She wasn't, but I didn't know what to say to help her feel better. Saying it will be okay sounded cliché considering she had just lost the person she had thought for eighteen years was her mother. So I decided to ask her something else instead. "Rapunzel, do you know anything about why I have no blood on my vest anymore?"

She blinked again. "I'm not sure. After you went, I just sat for a while feeling sad. Then I started…. then I started to cry because…because you left me."

I felt horrible for leaving her, but I felt even worse once I heard she cried. Gently I took her hands in mine. "I'm so sorry, Rapunzel." It seemed to me that I'd done nothing but apologize to her since I'd been back, but I meant every single "I'm sorry" that I'd said. I was sorry that I hadn't come back to her last night, I was sorry that the Stabbingtons had convinced her that I'd betrayed her, I was sorry that she'd almost been captured by them, I was sorry that I hadn't been there to protect her, and I was sorry that I had left her. But one thing I don't think I would ever be sorry about was sacrificing myself so she could be free.

She stared at our joined hands, then looked up at me, and I could see a faint sheen of tears in her eyes. "Eugene," she said in the saddest voice. "Why did you…why did you choose to leave me?"

Whoa. What I did sounded absolutely terrible when she put it that way, and it didn't sound like the unselfish thing that I had been trying to do. But she was right, because I had made the choice to die and leave her instead of letting her heal me. "Rapunzel," I said carefully. "I'm sorry; I didn't want to leave you…."

"Then why did you?" she asked instantly.

Hmm. How to explain this to her…. "Rapunzel, I just…I just couldn't stand the thought of you living with that woman for the rest of your life- for my sake. I hated the thought of it. So I cut your hair, hoping that if I did, she would let you go."

Rapunzel's eyes looked surprised, but I wasn't sure why. Was it because I said I didn't want her to live imprisoned? I didn't want her to live with Gothel? As it turned out, it was neither of those. "You knew? You knew that she wasn't my mother?" She seemed absolutely dumbstruck that I knew that.

It seemed odd to me that she was so surprised. I was no idiot, nad most mothers didn't treat their daughters the way Gotel had treated her. "Well, yeah," I said. "I mean, Rapunzel, I'm not sure…I'm not sure if you know this, but typical mothers don't endanger their daughters. Or stab their daughter's…their daughter's…" I wasn't sure what word to describe myself. Friends didn't go far enough to describe what we were. I guess I could call myself her beau. Ugh. I hated the word beau. It was just so….French. "...uh…dream. It's just not part of the mother's handbook."

"I guess," she said. "I just sometimes feel stupid and silly that I didn't figure it out before."

To me it wasn't too surprising that she hadn't. I wouldn't be surprised if Gothel had completely brainwashed her, so why would she think that she had a family outside? "Um, well. Don't."

Her eyes were puzzled. "Don't?"

I didn't want to her to keep beating herself up about this. "Yeah," I said. "Don't. I mean, you were trapped up in a tower for eighteen years."

She frowned, then her eyes flashed a little. And I knew that somehow I had put my foot in my mouth. "Don't feel bad that I didn't figure it out because I lived in a tower for eighteen years? So I shouldn't know any better?" Her eyes flashed again. "Oh, Rapunzel," she mimicked. "Don't feel stupid. Why would you know?"

Yep. I had definitely put my foot in my mouth. I tried immediately to apologize. "Rapunzel, I'm-…"

But she didn't let me say anything. "I mean, you don't know anything and I know so much more about the world than you do because I'm the mighty, all-knowing Flynn Rider," she finished. "Eugene, do you know how condescending you sound?"

What? I wasn't actually trying to be condescending for a change. "Rapunzel-…."

She continued to talk right over me. "Yes, I know I'm a little bit naïve…." (which is true)

"Rapunzel-…."

"…But I'm not stupid!" (also true- anybody who called Rapunzel an idiot was…..well, an idiot.) "I think I've showed that plenty of times…"

"Rapunzel-…"

"…Besides that, I'm the one who convinced the thugs to not beat you up!"

Finally, she stopped talking and I took the chance. "Rapunzel," I said in my calmest voice. "I know; you are incredibly smart. I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to make you feel dumb."

She let out a deep sigh. "I, I know. I overreacted. It's just…I just get sick of people underestimating me, you know? Or thinking I'm gullible, naïve…"

People….meaning Gothel. I was starting to get the feeling that everything wasn't exactly sunshine and light in that relationship. "I know." Then I remembered what had prompted this whole discussion. "So back to my question…you were crying…"

She blinked. "Right. I was crying, and then…I don't know. I guess one of my tears landed on you, and then there was this magical glowing flower, and it made your wound disappear. Then you came back to me."

A magical glowing flower? I wasn't sure I wanted to understand that, but maybe somehow a drop of power had managed to stay, and it came out in her tear. "I see." Time for a new topic…. "Well, we should probably get you back to your parents."

"Right." She stood up, and then stopped by the broken mirror. She looked at the back of her hair in the mirror, and I saw her frown slightly. I cringed. Jane was right when she said it was a bad haircut- because it was raggedy and completely uneven. Note to self: don't ever cut hair again.

She turned to me. "Eugene, before we go, can you do something for me?"

I would do anything for her, but I was hoping she wasn't going to ask me to do something with her hair… "Sure….."

"Will you….fix my hair for me?" she asked.

I knew it. Was she crazy? Didn't she see how bad I had done the first time? I just looked at her. "Rapunzel, you do see what a horrible job I did."

She didn't deny it, which I must admit deflated my ego a little bit. "But I can't do it myself," she said. "Besides that, I have a pair of scissors that would make it easier for you. And before you were…..you were….." She swallowed, like the words just wouldn't come out.

Unsurprising considering that I was dying the last time I cut her hair. "I know."

She composed herself again. "And anyway I want to look….good for my parents," she continued. "So please?"

I sighed, knowing that I couldn't say no to her. But hopefully I wouldn't mangle her hair too much more. "Oh….all right."

She smiled. "Great! You stay right there, and I'm going to run up to my room and get my scissors." She ran up the stairs and disappeared from sight.

Soon she came back, a pair of scissors in her hand, and then gave them to me. Reluctantly I took them from her. Then she pulled a green chair over to me and then sat down in it. "Okay!" she said. "I'm ready."

"Uh…right," I said. "Any…" last words before I butcher your hair? "Any instructions?"

She giggled. "Oh no," she said. "Just even it out, I guess. I'll know you'll do fine."

"Right…" Just even it out, my foot- like that was simple! I stared at the back of her hair. Well, from what I could tell, in my very non-educated opinion, she now had a number of layers in the back of her hair, though how I had managed to do that with one slice was beyond me. The problem was that they were rather raggedy at the ends, and kind of uneven. Should I start from the top or the bottom? I decided on the top and picked up one of the strands. I kind of winced, as I brought the scissors close to it, and shut one of my eyes….

"Eugene?"

I jumped, but she was lucky that the scissors didn't cut anything. "Yes?"

"It'd probably be easier to cut my hair if you stop looking like you're about to be executed again. Plus, having both eyes open would help you."

I stared at her. "How'd you know I looked like that?"

She giggled again. "Oh, I just did. Besides, I can feel your hesitation. But cutting hair isn't a matter of life and death, you know." Then she gasped, as if she understood what she had just said: cutting her hair the first time had been a matter of life and death…and I had lost. "Oh, Eugene, I'm so sorry. I didn't-…"

I knew she didn't. "No worries, Rapunzel," I said. "It's okay."

I picked up the same strand of hair, and finally made myself snip the end as evenly as I could, and did the same with the rest of the top. Soon there was a small pile of brown locks on the floor.

"Eugene?"

You know something? In actuality cutting her hair wasn't…so bad because then I had an excuse to touch her silky hair (that hadn't changed even though the color had). Once I got the hang of it, it was kind of fun. I started looking at the bottom layers. "Hmmm?"

"Thank you," she said. "I know you didn't want to do this, and I really appreciate it. You're so sweet to me, Eugene."

I didn't know what to say (because I couldn't picture me and the adjective sweet in the same sentence). So I busied myself by cutting the rest of her hair. With a few more snips, I decided that I was finished. "There! I think you're done."

She put her hand to the back of her head. "Really?" she said, as she stood up. "Let's go look!" She grabbed my hand and pulled me up the stairs.

"Uh…Rapunzel," I said. "What-…?" She continued to drag me into what I guessed was her bedroom-and it was so her. From what I could see, there were paintings all over the walls, and I was sure that they had all been painted by her. She let go of my hand, and then walked over and straightened her vanity. Then she looked this way and that, making sure she saw all angles of her hair.

"So," I said. "Do you…do you like it?"

She walked over to me, stood on tiptoe, and put her arms around my neck. "I love it." She kissed my cheek. "Thank you."

I put my arms around her waist. "So do you think I should start a new career as a barber?" I joked.

She made a face that looked almost like a grimace. I guessed that was a negative. "No," she said. "I think you should be a prince." Her cheeks immediately turned thirteen shades of red. I guessed she blushed because she knew the only way I'd become a prince was if I married her. A thought that pleased me immensely, I had to say, but I guessed she was mortified because she was basically saying she'd like to marry me someday. That wasn't too far of a stretch, right?

So even though she was enormously embarrassed, I was enormously happy- marrying her was better than a crown and an island, hands down. Plus, if I married her, wouldn't I get my castle? "Hmm. A prince…Well, that sounds like a fun job- bossing people around all day. But I'd have to find a princess first." I grinned at her. "Do you happen to know any?"

A small giggle escaped from her lips. "Eugene!" she exclaimed. "I only know one princess."

I couldn't help teasing her more; it was just too fun."Really?" I asked wonderingly. "What's she like? Does she have short, adorable brown hair?"

She giggled again. I loved when she laughed like that; it was so cute. "Yes."

"Enormous green eyes?" I continued.

She smiled. "Yes."

Wow, her smile was lovely. "The best smile in the whole world?"

The faintest blush tinted her cheeks. "Yes."

I pretended to consider it. "Hmm," I said. "Now, is her name…Rapunzel?"

Her eyes shone. "Yes."

I grinned at her again. "Well," I concluded. "Then I think that I'd love to play a prince, as long as Rapunzel's my princess."

Her arms moved from my neck to around my waist. "Of course," she said softly. Inadvertently my own arms tightened around her and I thought briefly that it would be just so easy to bend down and kiss her again….

"Eugene?"

Reluctantly I pulled myself back from my dreamland of kissing her. "Hmmm?"

"Do you…do you think we should go now?" she asked.

I blinked. Go…I guessed she meant return to Caermoor to meet her parents. "Oh! Yes, yes we should go."

XXXXXXXXX

Soon we walked down the stairs, and left the tower-for good, this time. I couldn't say that I was too sad about that, because both of my experiences there hadn't been very good. But Rapunzel looked almost sad to leave, and I was sure, because it had been her home for so many years. I didn't know what to say to her, because everything I could think of was either cliché or stupid (or both). So I ended up saying nothing, and squeezed her hand instead. She squeezed my hand back, though she didn't smile at all, much to my chagrin. But she brightened when she saw Max, and let go of my hand to hug him. She immediately started talking to him softly, and though I couldn't hear everything she said, I was certain that she was thanking him for rescuing me, and telling him what a good horse he was.

Patiently I stood there waiting for her to finish, and she finally did. She turned to me. "Eugene, do you think we could ride Max back?"

I didn't see why not. "I think so," I told her. "But you might want to ask him, just because carrying both of us will be heavy."

She nodded, then whispered something into his ear, and seemed to listen as he nuzzled her hair. Then she turned to me again. "I asked him," she said. "And he agreed, though he told me that you owe him apples when we reach Caermoor because you're much heavier than me, and he requires them as payment."

I almost laughed at the absurdity of what she was saying, but I knew that Rapunzel was perfectly serious. And Max was too. "I do believe I can agree to that," I said soberly, trying my best to keep a straight face.

She smiled. "Good," she said. "Because I've never ridden a horse before, and it sounds like so much fun!"

I smiled back. "It is," I said. "And I'll help you up." I helped her unto Max, then mounted behind her.

She looked back at me, puzzled. "Eugene," she said. "Why are you sitting back there? Aren't you going to steer?"

I couldn't help but smirk at her. "Of course I'm going to steer," I told her. "And all I have to do to make sure I steer is this." I snaked my arms around her and took the reins. "See?"

She blushed again. "Yes."

XXXXXXXX

We left soon after that, and I couldn't help but notice the difference in our moods:

Rapunzel was excited to meet her new family-the king and queen.

I was dreading meeting her new family- the king and queen…who just so happened to want to execute me.

Was there any way that this could end well?

So, before I get any flames about the whole Eugene condescending thing...I can actually see this happening. I can. Mostly because I can see Flynn being condescending, and although he's almost gone, there are still remnants in Eugene.

And as for Rapunzel...Gothel is nothing BUT condescending to her, and so I can see her really resent anybody else acting that way to her, especially because she is so capable and smart as she's proved multiple times in the movie.