Chapter 23

Rapunzel heard Eugene's struggle before she saw it. Her father had been right; it wasn't all that far off. All Max had to do was lead them to the spot. He stepped aside and waited for Rapunzel. The three thugs waited and watched silently in the woods while the Princess and the twins crept up on Bas and Eugene.

XXXXX

"Where is it?" Bas said, "Where the heck have you hidden it?"

Eugene shook his head. Bas had him still pinned to the ground, threatening to kill him with his own knife. Eugene shook his head. How the heck did this happen? He should have been dead already.

Bastian couldn't kill him. He was after the box like all the rest of them. There was no way that any of them would ever guess where it was because there was more than one. The King had several made; last count he made was four. There was an empty that Roland always carried around with him; the rest were stored in a hidden storeroom that only Eugene and the King were privy to.

But apparently, that was not the case because Gothel managed to get her hands on one of them and that one was in….

"Don't shake your head at me?" Bastian frowned. "You know that I can do it, you know that I…"

Bastian's eyes opened wide just then and the knife clattered to the ground, inches away from Eugene's forehead. He gurgled a bit, as if he had something in his mouth, then swayed and fell on top of Eugene. He tried to shove the much heavier man off, but he didn't really have to as a lifeless Bastian faded away into nothing but dust.

Eugene grabbed his knife and sat up looking expecting something else to attack him, but all he heard was whimpering. He looked toward the sound and found a shivering Rapunzel all alone with a knife in her hand. She was staring down at what was left of her stepmother's lover.

She looked up when she saw him approach. "It's all over, Rapunzel," he said, enveloping her in a giant bear hug. It felt so right being here with her, now of all places.

"I've never killed a man before," Rapunzel sobbed into his chest, pulling him closer.

"You can't kill a 400 year old man, Rapunzel. He would have faded away anyway without the elixir." Eugene closed his eyes and smiled, getting lost in her smell of forest pine and earth. It was a mistake, a big mistake.

The only time he opened up his eyes again was when Rapunzel was ripped from his arms.

"Alright Rider, fun time is over. Where is it?"

Eugene shook his head. It was the twins now. He reached in his pocket for the black box and threw it out to them. Eye Patch picked it up and smiled and Sideburns let Rapunzel go. She ran into Eugene's arms.

"It can't be easy as all that," Sideburns reasoned.

"Slide the box open, if you don't believe me," Eugene bluffed as he released Rapunzel. He wanted to hold his wife so much, but he didn't want her getting hurt.

Eye Patch shook it. Something was in it, alright. He looked at Sideburns who grabbed it and slid it open part way. Sure enough, a small bottle lay inside with some kind of liquid inside.

Rapunzel stared at the twins then at Eugene. She was dumbfounded. Eugene told her that he dropped the box off in Perth this morning. What the heck was this?

"Eugene?" she frowned as she walked toward him.

"We need her too," Sideburns said, closing the lid. "The Queen demanded that we kill her."

Eugene shook his head. "She's all yours, fellas. Go ahead. But you'll have to go over my dead body to get to her."

"Well," Eye Patch said, "that could be arranged." He punched a shocked Eugene in the face knocking him out; his head hitting a nearby rock.

"Eugene," Rapunzel said, her voice full of concern.

"Come on, Princess. You belong to us now." Sideburns smiled as he grabbed for her. She struggled to get out of his grasp, hitting Sideburns in the eye. Sideburns let out a yell, but it wasn't enough to release her.

"I'll take care of her, brother," Eye Patch said, knocking her unconscious with a knock on the head.

"Never hit a lady, One Eye," a deep voice called out behind them. The Pirate Thug caught Rapunzel while Vlad let the twins have it.

"They'll have to go over all our dead bodies as well, Princess." Vlad said, coming into the clearing with the Pirate Thug. "Leave the twins here. Someone will find them. Meanwhile, we've got to get these two back to the inn. They'll need a doctor."

"The box?" the Pirate Thug said, staring at it on the ground.

Vlad waved it away. "Leave it, we don't have time. What's more important now is getting these guys home. Shorty and Max are waiting."

XXXXX

Rapunzel had gotten up faster than anyone thought. She was a quick healer and feisty, although Shorty told her not to move too much. She didn't care. Her father and her husband both needed to be cared for.

Lena had filled her in on what had happened and there was much could have done at this point. Roland was asleep and was under her constant care. Lena had already been trained as a healer and took over quickly and painlessly. It was Eugene that needed her presence and so she rushed off to their room.

It had seemed that Eugene got more than just a conk on the head. Vlad discovered a nasty slash to Eugene's chest from Bastian's knife. Shorty and Lena both managed to finally stop the bleeding with the Pirate Thug's help. He had been a healer on the famous pirate ship, The Jolly Roger, serving with Captain Hook and his first mate, Smee, until they disappeared one night when he and a few of his assistants were searching out plants and herbs for potions. They were never heard from again, but the Pirate Thug had often heard stories of a place beyond the stars called Neverland.

"Eugene?" Rapunzel called softly as she opened the door, but no answer came. He had been out for a while now, she wasn't counting. All she knew is that it was dark and when they had been brought home, it had been light, well dusk really.

She crept closer and sat down in the chair next to his bedside. She couldn't keep her eyes off of his beautiful, chiseled looks, his dark hair lying over his closed eyes. She brushed them back and then leaned over to kiss his cool lips.

After a few seconds she broke away, still stroking his cheek and hair. Rapunzel tasted a salty wetness on her lips and realized she was crying. She began to wonder if he'd ever wake up. It was then that she heard a faint sound coming from his lips, why it almost sounded like her name.

"Rapunzel?"

"Eugene?" she whispered.