"You're sure we won't get in trouble?" Leora asked nervously as Flynn closed the chapel door. "This is the third time we've bun up here, we're gonna get caught!"
"We'll be fine!" Flynn insisted in his grown-up voice. "Besides, they can't do anything to us."
"Bet?" Leora challenged. "You just think you're so smart because you're fourteen years old-"
"I'm almost fifteen!" He shouted back.
"Stop this at once!" Rapunzel demanded. "Eugene, stop being silly. You turned fourteen two months ago. Leora, stop being so nervous! The only ones that have authority to deal with your misdemeanors are myself and your grandparents. Everyone else answers to me!"
"But what about-" Leora started, but Estelle cut in, shaking her head vigorously and covering his ears.
"Nope, nope, nope. Nobody prayin' for dada but us ones, silly 'Ora. No one gonna know we up here. Mama?" She asked, turning her head and the subject. Rapunzel turned up to her just in time to see her flop backward over her brother's shoulders and slide down unharmed. Eugene gasped and freaked out, trying to reach her before she fell off, but she was fine. She ignored her poor brother's heart attack and pattered over to Rapunzel, grabbing her skirt and looking up. "Mite gonna see dada." Rapunzel sighed, leaning down to pick her up.
"No, Mite. Everything today has gone off schedule. It's so late, and-" Rapunzel stopped. What she could see of Mite's eyes through her untidied mop of hair were misting over. There is pouting, get-what-you-want crying, and then (rarely) the genuine item when it came to Estelle's crying. For once to was the genuine article. Rapunzel pulled her head down onto her shoulder and Mite started sobbing. The princess's eyes widened slightly in fear. If she saw Eugene so often as she claimed - did she know something that a two-year-old shouldn't have to deal with? Had - had Eugene told her something?
"Please, mama. Please." She sobbed while Rapunzel rubbed her back and stared away vacantly, thinking.
"Mite, stop it." Matthew demanded. "Come on, it's gonna be time for bed!"
"Time for bed?" Rapunzel asked, cocking an eyebrow at him. "Matthew, you would rather die than go to bed."
"No, mama, I umm -"
"Mite - Estelle is right. Your father didn't really get to see you today. Come on. If anyone will get in trouble it's me." Rapunzel led the way, looking right and left every time she came to a crossing hall or a stairway, but they eventually got to her room. Her mother was still there, and Eugene looked like he was sleeping. Rapunzel's breath caught in her throat. This is why she hated leaving Eugene. When she came back it always took her a moment to adjust to the fact that this was Eugene; haggard, emaciated, starting to look pale as the rash was starting to disappear. The rash was inconsequential, Fredrics said. It had little to do with the disease. He just looked so bad. Isabel looked up with some surprise as they all entered, Flynn was last in line, pushing Matthew through the door before he closed it. Eugene's eyes opened when he heard the click, and he smiled when he saw his family walking in. There he was. There was her Eugene. Mite squealed happily and twisted out of Rapunzel's grasp, racing up to her father's side and hugging his hand - which was the only thing that she could reach.
"Dada, dada, dada! Mite miss you!" She shouted with her eyes squeezed shut. Eugene chuckled and stroked her baby curls softly.
"Dada misses his Mite." Eugene answered with a weak smile. Rapunzel felt something go cold inside of her. This wasn't how she had left Eugene an hour ago. She suddenly felt faint and sat down quickly at the foot of the bed. This was wrong, all wrong - maybe she was imaging that he seemed completely drained of life all of a sudden? She noticed he was laying half on his side to help alleviate some of his bed soars. Rapunzel hadn't even brought herself to look at them in days. She just couldn't do it without crying. She left that part of his care to the maids and doctor who didn't seem to mind causing him extra pain. "Hi, Cap!" Eugene whispered brightly with his voice cracking. Matthew looked up in shock and stayed standing where he was. Rapunzel saw the look on his face and bit her lip as she turned to Eugene. His face didn't match his cheery greeting any more. In fact, it looked almost as he he were about to cry with the five-year-old staring at him like he didn't know him.
"Matthew." Rapunzel chided, facing him and giving him a look that Eugene couldn't see from his angle. He was getting a talking to later, and he knew it. Flynn and Leora were standing behind him and forced him to walk forward with them.
"Daddy!" Leora gasped, falling forward to wrap her arms around his neck. Eugene couldn't return the embrace. Mite still had his right hand engaged, and even if she hadn't his arms didn't have the strength. She was trembling, having a hard time holding her tears back. The maids and servants had told her - oh, how many times! - that her father was dying. They had asked her what she would wear to the funeral, what she wanted done with her hair, would she and her mother be singing - all things of no importance! And why? It was such a cruel, hard question! She didn't want to say good-bye to her father! Why did everyone else just seem so eager to do so?
"How's my little Light?" He whispered, able just to touch her bright golden hair. Rapunzel looked at them. Her hair was just the right color. Just to sing the song once - just to see! Eugene caught her eyes and may as well have been speaking out loud with how his eyes burned back into hers. No. Don't you ever let anyone do that to my little girl. Ever.
"I miss having you around, daddy. Can you get better soon? Please?" She gasped against his shoulder. This wasn't right. He should be sitting up. He should be hugging her, stroking her hair, telling them all a bedtime story. She didn't even expect a reply.
"Doing my best, honey." He whispered. But his eyes looked over her shoulder at Matthew. Rapunzel rubbed her face into her should before setting her hand on his back and pushing him forward before he could refuse. Leora backed off so she couldn't be accused of hogging Eugene. "It's still me, Cap." Eugene whispered. His breath was short and labored. Rapunzel knew that she saw a tear in his eye. "Can't you come here, buddy? Just beside Mite?" He begged. Flynn walked up beside him and held his hand. Nicholas came up on the other side, just as fidgety as ever.
"Come on, Cap." Flynn coaxed. Matthew looked up and shook his head. Flynn dropped down to his knees, holding his little brother's shoulders. "Dad's sick." He whispered. "He's really sick - but there's only one way he's gonna get better." Matthew sniffed and rubbed his eyes with his hand.
"How?" He whined, snuffling again. Flynn grabbed a handkerchief and wiped his brother's nose, causing Rapunzel to jump and glance at Eugene while she pointed at their son. Since when had Flynn actually started carrying his pocket handkerchiefs? Eugene shrugged - well, she could tell that he had meant to shrug. Responsibility happened at odd times.
"Because he needs us." Flynn said reasonably. "Cap, he needs to know that you love him, just like when you were sick and he rocked you and Mite so you would feel better. Just give him a hug." He smiled. "I know he doesn't look the same, that's why he has to know you still love him, okay?"
"Okay." Matthew gasped. He looked over Flynn's shoulder, squared his little ones and ran forward into Eugene's limp arms before he could lose courage. He buried his face in that heaving, hot chest and cried. Eugene laid his head on Matthews with tears still in his eyes. "Daddy, I'm sorry! I'm sorry!" He sobbed. Eugene kissed his thick mat of hair, swaying back and forth the tiniest little bit.
"It's okay, Cap. It's okay." He whispered. Rapunzel almost covered her face with her hands and started bawling. He barely even sounded like her husband anymore. He was so weak, so tortured...the thought kept biting at her that she should stop this foolish hoping. She should let I'm die - NO! Never! He may not be strong, but he could find the strength, somewhere deep within him. For Leora, for Matthew - for all of them! Perhaps especially for her. She wasn't sure if she could live without him for very long.
"It's late." Rapunzel said at last. "We should go."
"No! Story first! Dada tell story!" Estelle insisted. Eugene sighed in defeat and looked to Rapunzel, who rolled her eyes and leaned her head back.
"Alright, story." Rapunzel conceded, grabbing the nearest book. "But mama has to tell it." She amended, sitting down in the bed next to Eugene while the rest of the children - even Flynn - crowded around to see the story. Rapunzel's hand was somehow found by Eugene, and their fingers meshed together as she began. "Once upon a time, far, far away, there lived a good king and queen..."
Rapunzel sat near his head stroking his hair she watched his face, feeling his shallow breathing. He was not getting any better. He was so haggard, his face so thin and drawn. The court physician gave her no hope. He had seen many cases of the fever and he had lost younger men to less severe cases. Eugene moaned in his sleep and moved a little to the left. Rapunzel bit her lip. He was trying to roll over but didn't have the strength to do it. She crawled into the bed beside him, not bothering to pull the covers around her because even though Eugene was shivering the bed was a veritable furnace. She wrapped her arms under and around him, willing the sickness to leave his body even though she knew that would do no good. The wild thought to bring Leora in to see if she could heal her father kept running through Rapunzel's mind. But no. She could not turn her daughter into an object like she had been. Besides, even if it was for this one time only Eugene would not approve. Eugene. So much had happened. Eugene let out a rasping cough and Rapunzel leapt up immediately , feeling his throat and making sure that he could still breath. He had been so tired, but he hadn't quit smiling even when he fell asleep. But he was getting worse. That swelling in his throat made it close to impossible for him to breath, added to the pneumonia attacking and weakening his lungs. Tears flowed out of her eyes as she looked at his face again. The doctor had warned her that sometimes the disease attacked the heart or other organs and weakened them. Even if they did get over the fever, that had killed people. Did it ever end? Her hands caressed his face, her fingers following the curve of his brow down his cheek to his chin. They had grown so much together. They were both older, faint lines of aging gently showing in both of their faces, betraying joys and sorrows past. He hadn't seemed to grow older. He was her strength and the joy of her life, their love extended through their children. He just grew more beautiful as time went on. Could she bear to lose him? She counted the days; not completely on purpose, it just happened. When he was away she counted the days until his return but it was so much different, so much worse when he was still there - at least physically. Rapunzel had slept through half of the day so she would actually stay up most of the night, allowing herself to doze off now and then. There was only one candle burning, but Rapunzel didn't need anymore light. As much as she could let Eugene rest she did, waiting and hoping. He had barely said anything the whole day, struggling for breath through half of it until she sat him up - propped up by pillows. He hadn't moved since she was in the room last and for a moment she felt a wave of fear - fear that the physician ... in everything he kept implying... he couldn't be right. Eugene was still young, he had five children to guide to adulthood. He couldn't die. He just couldn't. Tears started rolling down her cheeks as she looked at him. She took his hand in hers and held it on her face. He couldn't lift his hand that high anymore, hadn't been able to for days. But still she couldn't give up hope. There was something wrong in giving up hope this time. Eugene would fight to the end and she knew it. He moaned her name quietly.
"Yes, love?" she whispered. Eugene didn't acknowledge her. he moaned her name again, this time almost urgently. She sat up quickly, looking into his face to see his eyes wild, looking straight through her. He didn't even notice her hand in his.
"Eugene! Eugene, I'm right here!" She gasped, turning his face toward her with her free hand. "Look at me! Look at me, I'm right here!" She almost screamed. Rapunzel heard sounds outside, like someone running, but if they entered she didn't know. He kept calling her name like he couldn't find her, gazing around, trying to get up. Rapunzel kept him down with a gentle hand on his chest, though really it wasn't needed. His efforts to rise were futile. His voice told her that he thought she was in danger. He was desperate, trying to battle some phantom image that had her. "Its alright, Eugene. I'm alright." she insisted with tears streaming down her cheeks. His eyes finally fixed on her, but they weren't seeing who was there. They were wide and wild with fear. Rapunzel moved her hand from his chest to his face, closing his eyes. "Shhh. It's alright, babe. It's alright." She insisted in a broken whisper, pushing his head back into his pillow, feeling his chest as he started breathing more slowly and finally passed into a fitful sleep, mumbling her name through his cracked lips. Rapunzel let out a horrible sob, sliding to the floor and curling into a ball, still desperately clasping his hand, her loose dark hair almost covering her as she sobbed her heart out. He didn't know her.