Day 7! I can't believe the end it here... and this was the hardest one to write. But that doesn't surprise me.

Thank you so much to everyone who has made this week such a success for me! I truly appreciate all your reviews, and for the time you took to read my story.

When you're done, please read the author's note down at the bottom.

Since this is the continuation of yesterday's story, the same disclaimer applies.

Also, thank you to Xmenfan33, who was HUGE help with today's submission.

Day 7: Better to Have Loved and Lost,

Then Never Too Have Loves At All

"His name was Eugene," she said, her eyes on the blood stain on the floor. "But he called himself Flynn – Flynn Rider. He found me by accident – after he stole my crown.

"I made him take me to see the lantern, and we fell in love." She smiled sadly. "I know it sounds stupid – I only knew his for fourty-eight hours. But he showed me a world beyond my tower.

"Gothel stabbed him in the back when he came to save me." She took a deep breath. "I promised, if she let me save him, would go with her. As long as he was alive, I could live in a cage. But before I could heal him, he cut my hair. I was willing to give my freedom for his life, but he gave his life for my freedom."

She looked up at Jack, who still sat on the stairs. "I may have my freedom, but it came with a price. And sometimes I wonder if it was worth it.

"I guess I saved you because I couldn't save him."

#

Winter blossomed into spring, which everyday warmed closer to summer.

It was the first truly hot day of the year, and her people all seemed as bright as the day. They smiled and waved as she rode out of the city on Maximus.

Her own smile was irrepressible.

A shadow loomed at the back of her mind, but she pushed it aside, too glad about the company she would spend the afternoon in.

As they crossed the bridge out of the city, their speed increased to a gallop. Maximus whinnied happily, and Rapunzel laughed at the thrill, the window blowing her hair.

The luxury of the palace was nice. But this, the simple joy of just riding hard and fast, was what Rapunzel loved most. Moments when she felt truly free.

They only slowed down out of necessity when they reached the hidden entrance to the cove.

As they neared the tower, she saw Jack come up out of the stream, shaking water from his wet hair.

Droplets of water rolled off his bare chest and arms. His muscles were lean and toned – he looked like some of the statues Rapunzel had seen in the museum, and her fingers itched to try and capture the sleek lines of his figure on paper.

It wasn't the first time she had observed he was handsome (far from it) but she didn't allow herself to dwell on it.

Jack wiped water from his face and opened his blue eyes, blinking as he looked at her.

"Aren't you early?" he asked.

Rapunzel dismounted easily, and began to untie the food filled saddlebags.

"I won't be able to come tomorrow," she said, glancing over at him with a smile. "I wanted to make sure you wouldn't starve."

"Not likely." Jack ran his hands over the surface of the water, causing it to dance around his fingers. "You keep me pretty well supplied."

She shrugged by way of a reply. With both saddlebags on the ground, she patted Maximus's shoulder, and he wondered off to graze on the grass near the water's edge.

"So what's the occasion?" Jack asked.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, you've mentioned a couple balls and parties, but they've never stopped you from coming," he said. "So what's tomorrow."

Rapunzel pushed a lock of brown hair behind her ear, but it was pointless, since it fell right back to where it had been.

"It's my birthday," she said. "It would be kind of hard to disappear for a few hours."

She thought about the hundreds of lanterns that were being made. About the cook, who was making all her favorite foods. About the new dress she had been fitted for that morning. For a girl who had grown up alone in a tower, it sometimes overwhelmed her, when so much attention was directed at her.

She was startled out of her reverie by water splashing her face and arms.

Jack looked at her with the boyish grin she had become so fond of in the past six months. She wasn't sure what she would do if she didn't have that grin to look forward to every few days.

"You're thinking too much, Punz," he said. "Come on in."

Rapunzel waded in, quick to splash him back in retribution.

"Hey!" He laughed – and just splashed her again.

It had soon descended into an all-out water war, both screaming through their laughter each time the other managed to splash them.

Over the last six months, Rapunzel had watched Jack's personality change. His frigid air had melted away to a boy who just loved to laugh. It was why she loved to be around him. Because when she was with him, the world seemed a little brighter.

It was why she didn't want to do what she knew had to be done.

Finally, soaked and laughing, they dragged themselves to the boulders near the tower, where they could dry out in the warm sun.

Rapunzel lay back, her eyes closed, dangerously close to sleep, still smiling.

"Rapunzel?"

"Yeah, Jack?"

"I wanted to say thanks," he said.

When she glanced over, he was rubbing the back of his neck. "After Emma died, I forgot how to laugh – until I met you."

The thought that had been nagging at her for months now shouldered its way to the forefront of her mind.

"Jack..."

"What's wrong?"

She wondered how he was always so quick to pick up on her changes of mood.

"Jack, you can go, you know," she said. She couldn't look up to meet his eyes.

"What do you mean?"

She sighed. "I – the guards stopped looking for a couple months ago."

#

"Are you sure you're all right, Rapunzel?" her mother asked again, resting a hand on her shoulder.

Rapunzel tried to smile, but she knew it came out week. "Just over thinking, I guess. I'll be fine."

Her mother touched her cheek. She opened her mouth, probably to offer comfort Rapunzel so desperately needed at that moment.

But before she could say anything, there was a clamor, and the door was thrown open by the captain of the guard.

"Your Majesties?"

Her father immediately looked up from the conversation with one of his counselors and came closer to the door, gesturing for the man to came in.

Behind the captain came too more guards, between them they dragged-

"Jack!"

He looked up at her... with a smirk. "Not how I planned on seeing you again, Punz."

"What are you doing here?" she asked, forgetting that they were in the presence of most of the court – and she was on a nickname basis with a man she had freed from death row.

"I had to see you again," he said.

"But-"

"Rapunzel, I tried to leave," he said.

From the corner of her eye, she saw her father wave to the guards, and they let go of Jack's wrist.

"Thanks," he muttered, rubbing his wrists.

He turned back to her. "I was dead before I met you. And if I leave... I think I'll die again. Because any life without you isn't worth living. I came back to say I... well, I love you. I didn't think I would be able to care about anyone again, but you-"

He didn't get to stumble his way through the rest of his sentence, because Rapunzel ran to him, throwing her arms around his neck.

"I was so afraid I would lose you," she whispered, holding onto him with all her strength.

Jack returned her hug, his arms secure around her waist.

"You're the one who found me, Rapunzel."

The End

WHAT A WEEK! It's been so great. A little tiring, but so awesome!

As requested, I will be posting a follow up (and possibly a precursor to) the story I wrote for Day 3, the sci-fi story. If I'm going to write the follow up, I want to show how Rapunzel ended up on the ship in the first place. XD

In the meantime, I would be really happy if you guys would check out my story Dragon Guardian, a ROTG and HTTYD crossover (eventual Hicstrid and RainbowSnowcone, no slash). I should be updating that really soon. I would love to know what you guys think.

My plan is to keep this story open so I can write for Jackunzel stories, so don't go too far. I'll be back!