A/N: I am deeply sorry that I took forever to post this chapter. I had some writers block and I disagreed with which way I wanted this story to go in my plot line. I had to re write this multiple times and I hope it was worth the wait!

Control yourself
Take only what you need from it
a family of trees wanting to be haunted
Control yourself
Take only what you need from it
A family of trees wanting to be haunted

MGMT ~ Kids

Flynn Ryder POV

The first thing I saw on her face when she pulled away was panic. The natural flush in her cheeks paled as she took in the magnitude of what I said. I pulled her car out of the drive and casually started toward command. I turned to her and was about to say something, anything, but then I remembered the car might be bugged; my hands gripped the wheel my knuckles turning white with anger.

She would have to stew in worry until we arrived; needless to say I started speeding. Rapunzel met my eyes and cocked on eyebrow motioning to the speedometer which was quickly escalating to one hundred miles per hour. I cursed mentally, of course she would notice if I was speeding fifty five miles over the speed limit. I slowed down a fraction so that we were going eighty five miles per hour. Two minutes later we reached Command. I parked the car and motioned for her to get out.

I saw her mouth open but I put a finger to my lips my brown eyes meeting her green ones. She nodded in understanding, we entered the building and I used my security clearance to enter. We headed to Pascal's office; he was in charge of my assignment and would have a team sent over to Rapunzel's apartment. I walked past his secretary who was shocked. She said something about me needing to show ID and that I needed an appointment. I ignored her as she grew more and more agitated. I pushed Pascal's door open.

He stared up at me and looked slightly taken aback. I had done this on occasion and he was quite used to it by now. "Hello Flynn, I-" he started, but the shrill secretary interrupted. "General Pascal this man charged past me and refused to show ID! I demand he leave this office immediately and be thrown out of this building!" I rolled my eyes someone needed to take a chill pill. I turned to her "Look Lady I am an authorized field agent and I am in charge of protecting this young girl right here who happens to not be able to sleep in her apartment tonight because terrible people won't leave her alone. So if you would be so kind as to stop with all the yelling and calm the hell down I may be able to talk to my commanding officer about this state of affairs and why I stormed the building. Do you think you could do that for me?" I raised my eyebrows at her and she nodded and left.

"Sorry about that agent Ryder, now what seems to be the issue?" Rapunzel spoke before I got the chance, "I don't know the specifics, but apparently my apartment has been bugged." Pascal dialed a number on his office phone. "Hello? Yes, I need to request a search party to the apartment of Rapunzel Blake. Okay. Thank you very much." He hung up the phone and turned to us, "Okay a team has been dispatched. In the mean time you may stay here at the barracks given that you cannot stay in your apartment." I sighed, "Thank you for all of your help Pascal." I started to leave but then Rapunzel grabbed my arm her fingers sent a tingling heat down my arm. "Wait." She said her voice hard. "I need more information about what just happened. Who bugged my apartment and why?" I sighed and tuned to face her.

"Look I don't know who bugged you we are looking into it; in the mean time we will to the barracks Pascal indicated and figure it out tomorrow." She stared at me clearly not thrilled with my answer. "I'm not thrilled about this either but we will have to sort it out later. Try not to worry about it." I gave her a nervous half smile and she nodded reluctantly.

By the time we arrived at the room there were two army uniforms clean and pressed at the foot of each bunk. She grabbed the white undershirt and pants from the uniform, along with the standard military grade boots and turned to me. "I'm going to go shower and try to forget that my apartment is in danger. In the mean time you can go grab us food from the mess hall." I nodded and she strode away the bathroom door swinging shut behind her.

Once I arrived back from the mess hall, she had finished showering her brown hair hung around her face as she rifled through her purse. "I set the plates down on the standard wooden desk. "Whatcha looking for?" I asked. She huffed "I can't find my stupid hair ties to braid back this mess." I took a deep breath thinking to myself, "Okay Flynn don't get annoyed you've both had a long night." "Um… well I don't think you have them because you switched purses for the light festival tonight which we missed." She groaned and turned to me. I was surprised to see tears spring to her eyes.

"Shit" I cursed under my breath. Her lower lip wobbled, "I know." She said frustration etched into her words, "but I just wanted one thing to work out for me. I'm sick of being so afraid all the time. The one time I try to do something for myself and treat myself I end up in danger again." Her voice broke by the end and tears were streaming down her face in a relentless torrent. I instinctively wrapped an arm around her. "Look," I started, "I know right now it seems like your world is falling apart and that you might never feel normal, but this will all work out in the end just remember that okay? Look how far you've come, now you can go to the store on your own and tonight you weren't even afraid to go to Union Square and see those lights. All I am saying is that you are progressing and moving forward and you don't even know it. So, chin up!" I said this last part forcefully, almost as if I were a sports coach.

She stared up at me. "There is more to you than you believe Eugene Fitzherbert." She smiled and wiped her eyes. "So what did you get to eat? I'm starved." I looked at her trying to see past this façade, past her wide eyes. "You okay?" she said snapping me out of my day dream. "Yeah fine." I reassured her, "Just tired." She nodded, "Me too let's eat and then sleep I'm exhausted." I nodded still staring at her. She gave me a tight lipped smile and handed me my plate.

Our hands touched during the hand off but I was not focused on this detail; I was obsessed with trying to see the real her behind her emerald orbs. She was an enigma, almost impossible to crack, but I would get her. Come hell or high water I would figure out who the real Rapunzel was. I had seen glimpses of course, like when she refused to take no for an answer and when she agreed to go to the store, but there was more and I was ready to uncover all of her, clean out every nook and cranny that was her.

I looked away and grabbed my plate eating the various item I had picked up. "So besides wanting a hair tie this fine evening what else have you not done in the city?" I said. She sighed turning over her peas on her plate. "Well, I don't want this to sound lame, but I have always wanted to ride the subway…" She trailed off and I bit my tongue trying to hold back laughter, but my shaking shoulders gave me away. "Okay, I guess that's pretty funny." She admonished. My laughter flew out of my mouth I was unable to hold back. Her giggles and my raucous laugh filled the entire room and we were in tears by the end. Once it died down I sighed, she met my eyes which still had a happy glow from our laughter. My gaze morphed into a serious one and she met it her eyes wide.

She looked away first taking her last bit of food. "Well," she stated, "We better get some sleep wouldn't want your young complexion to waver." I stood putting up a defensive "I will have you know that this is all natural and wrinkle free!" She let out a high musical laugh and rolled her eyes "O I bet you have special lotions and oils..." She said while twirling her hair and sitting on the bottom bunk. "You just keep telling yourself that." I said and flashed her a smile while reaching up and grabbing my clothes off the top bunk. She giggled and took her boots off unlacing them. "Goodnight Flynn." she said a smile still on her face. "Goodnight Brownie." I said back as I went into the bathroom to change.

Once I exited she was asleep; I crossed the room and turned off the overhead lights. I glanced at her sleeping form I gave myself a half smile. I fell asleep with thoughts of how to get to know more about the beautiful creature who slept underneath my bed.

I awoke the next morning early while I heard Rapunzel stir underneath my bunk. Good to know that we were both early risers. I jumped down and laced up my boots. "Where are…you…uh going" she mumbled sleepily while rubbing her eyes. "To grab some coffee down in the mess hall, want anything?" I questioned. She nodded and yawned "Some coffee would be nice." She stretched and walked into the bathroom. I sighed and went on my search for the metallic drink. Coffee at the barracks was not the best, but at least it was something.

Pascal met me down there, "Agent Ryder!" he called from his usual table. I gave him a lazy salute and sat down. "Would you and Rapunzel mind meeting me in my office for about an hour? I need to debrief the two of you on her current situation." I nodded, "Yeah no problem." Many would wonder why I treated a general so casually, it was mainly because Pascal had been there for me since my orphan days. I was recruited into the military due to my talents for stealing things. Also, I was an expert at the young age of fifteen; Pascal saw me and hired me to steal top secret information. In a lot of ways he cleaned me up and set me on a better path by using my talent for good.

This made Rapunzel and me very similar, even though she only accidentally stole information and I do it rather willingly. I grabbed to steaming cups of coffee from a passing cart and stood. "See you in an hour." I sighed as I entered our room, "You know getting coffee is harder than it looks, you have to be careful while walking so it doesn't spill all over you and it a very difficult journey. Oh, and by the way we are meeting Pascal in an hour." She smiled up at me, "Okay sounds good." I handed her the coffee and she expected it with a simple thanks.

We walked to Pascal's office together, there was a tense uncertain hum in the air and it made my nerves stand on end. We entered Pascal's area, and I thanked god that his nuisance of a secretary was not there and rapped on Pascal's door. A soft "come in" came from the other side, but it was not Pascal. I entered and a woman with black curly hair and a pantsuit greeted me a fake smile on her face. A worried Pascal sat at his desk behind her. "Hi." I said but I was looking at Pascal with concern. He looked drained, almost beaten down. "Well I will see you soon general." He nodded his face gaunt. She left quickly and shut the door curtly behind her.

I turned to Rapunzel whose face was also pale; what was I missing here? "So, who was that and why do you two look as if you've seen a ghost?" Rapunzel spoke carefully "That was my mother's partner private Gothel. She took a leave of absence early in my life and my mother's career, before I was taken." She paused clearly shocked "Why was she here? My mother said she betrayed the military by stealing equipment, and that her leave of absence was a resignation in disguise."

Pascal met her eyes with a measured gaze and swallowed "Well now she is a higher ranked officer than me and is my boss." "What!? That can't be Pascal what are you talking about." She was angry her eyes fierce with fire. Pascal continued "She told me that she has been doing undercover work since her absence, just this morning she handed them a bunch of leaked government secrets that she had intercepted, while working for an underground security company known as the "Gleam and Glow Co." It is made out to be a natural energy company that has been working with the government for years."

I sighed, not understanding the complexity of the dire situation. Rapunzel asked what was on my mind "So, what does this mean for me?" Pascal's eyes turned down and his expression became heavy and rather somber. I felt the air shift and a lump of uncertainty and apprehension formed in my throat, "Flynn I have been ordered to take you off Rapunzel's case. As for Rapunzel I have been forced to hand you over to the custody of Gothel's security team." I shook my head, this was not happening; just then two red headed guards in suits entered. "I'm sorry guys but this is way over my head." Pascal said hurt etched in his voice. Rapunzel was being dragged away and I fell onto my knees and her angry cries filtered down the hallway.