OH MY GOSH. I am so sorry about this one, because it's short and really late! :S I've been really busy. I'm personally not too happy about this chapter, but I hope you guys like it! I always take your notes into consideration, and I'd love you to review if you think of ways to improve my writing. The next chapter will be longer, sooner, and better (I promise!).

Chapter 5- Torn

The four continued to travel towards the castle for a while, until the sun started to set. They would be there soon, but Max was getting tired, as was Rapunzel, who wasn't used to full days of adventure quite yet. Not to mention Eugene, who had died that morning, and didn't have a tremendous amount of strength. Besides, it wouldn't be easy to travel at night, since they didn't have a torch, a candle, or magical glowy hair anymore. They found a nice place to settle down for the night, which was closer to the castle than the place they had stayed the other night. Eugene went to work on gathering firewood, and making a fire. He didn't let Rapunzel help in case she got hurt- wood splinters, dropping a heavy piece of wood on her foot or something, getting burnt by the fire… dangerous stuff for someone who had just that day felt mud between her toes. Besides, she couldn't just heal herself now, without her hair. He hadn't let her help him make a fire the first time they had travelled to the kingdom, either, and Rapunzel was obviously curious.

"So… the fire can hurt me?" she fiddled with her skirt. This dress was a bit small on her, and it had been for a while, but it was her favorite.

"Yep," Eugene sighed, thinking 'I thought we'd gone over this earlier'. "Don't touch it."

Rapunzel stared at him. "But it's a bright light, and aren't most lights good?"

"It's good, it just hurts you if you get to close." Eugene sat down, having finished the fire by now. "Don't stick your hand in it or anything."

Rapunzel laid her head on his shoulder. "I won't," she said softly.

Eugene smiled, feeling the weight of her head on his shoulder. "I love you," he said.

Rapunzel yawned. "I love you more."

"I love you most."

Rapunzel suddenly took her head off of his shoulder, and looked down, obviously making Eugene very confused.

"Did I say something wrong?" he asked, tilting her chin up so he could look her in the eyes.

Rapunzel was fighting back tears, and he voice was choked when she spoke. "It's just that… she used to say that… you know, my 'mother'… because I guess that's a motherly thing to say…. And…" Eugene sighed. He could never say or do the right thing. Rapunzel continued. "I've been thinking about her a lot lately, Eugene." Her voice got really meek and quiet. "Is she dead?"

Eugene let go of Rapunzel chin, and ran his fingers through his hair, trying to think of the right thing to say, to make a change. "I don't know. I was dying when she fell out of the tower. I couldn't see. You had a better view of the fall."

Rapunzel looked at him, sad and curious. "Can somebody survive a fall like that?"

"Well, her body was aged, and she was falling out a 70 foot tall tower at a pretty fast rate… so I'd say, safely, no."

Rapunzel was silent for a second, then said "Oh….", in a soft, pensive manner. "I don't know whether that's good or not…."

Eugene looked at her, confused. "Rapunzel, she lied to you and used you, and-"

"She was the only human I'd ever met before you," she said, cutting him off. "She raised me, taught me everything I knew, gave me everything I wanted…"

"Except freedom."

Rapunzel sighed. "I know. I'm just… torn."

Eugene took Rapunzel's hand, and kissed it. "It's late. You've had a long day. You're tired. Get some sleep."

Rapunzel yawned, found a soft patch of ground to sleep on, and lay down. "Goodnight, Eugene. I'll see you in the morning."

Eugene lay down next to her. "Goodnight, Rapunzel."

The next morning, Eugene woke up with a start. Everyone else was still asleep. He figured they would be awake soon, so he didn't bother trying to fall back asleep. They would be at the kingdom within the day… what would happen next? Would the king and queen welcome their daughter with open arms, or would they took one look at the renegade thief and lock them up? Eugene had escaped execution, and the palace guards were probably already looking for him now. He wasn't safe, and therefore, Rapunzel wasn't either when she was by his side. Max knew how to get to the palace. He could take her their himself. I should just go, Eugene thought. She's better without me. He got up, and took one look at what he was leaving behind. He saw Rapunzel asleep, so peaceful, and beautiful, and innocent, expecting to see him when she woke up. He had already technically left her once, when the Stabbington brothers knocked him unconscious and tied him to the boat. He couldn't leave her again. He would gladly die than leave her. I'm gonna regret this… he thought. But it's worth it.