Rapunzel's abdomen was on fire. Her stab wound was slowly pumping out blood, which was not a good sign. If she didn't get back to her tower soon, she could die. That was the thing about her tower – it could heal people.

But there was no time to get back to her tower since they still had to get out of the cave, which was a maze and covered in darkness, stop the twins from killing the minotaur, stop the twins from killing her, and grab the scroll.

"Rapunzel," Eugene said, worry in his voice. "Here." He ripped off the end of his cloak and wrapped it around her waist. She screamed when the pressure bit right into her wound. He winced. "I'm sorry. But we have to try and stop the bleeding until we can get to your tower. Can you stand up?"

She nodded but needed Eugene's help in getting to her feet. She leaned heavily against him. "I already feel a little woozy."

"Ok. I'll carry you if I have to."

"You don't even know where you're going. We fell down deeper into the cave, remember?"

"But the twins found their way down here through a passageway. If we can find it too, we can follow them and get out of here."

She stopped him. "No. We have to save the minotaur. They're going to kill him."

"Who cares about the minotaur? You could die, Rapunzel. Saving you is the only thing I'm concerned about right now."

"I know," she said. "But we have to do the right thing. Besides, we need that scroll."

"Minos will only give us the scroll if we kill the minotaur, which you don't want to do. So, what are we going to do about that?" He shifted on his feet, taking more of her weight.

"We'll save the minotaur and take it somewhere it can't hurt anyone else or be hurt. And then we'll go steal that scroll if we have to. You can take me to my tower but we're getting the minotaur out with us."

He groaned. "Blondie, I love you. So, I'm going to do what you want since you're stubborn enough to not stop until you do the right thing. But if you end up losing too much blood and can't even walk, I'm getting you back to your tower, minotaur be dammed. Scroll be dammed. I know you want to find your parents but it's not worth your life to me."

"But it's worth it to me."

She could tell instantly her words caused him pain, which only caused her heart to break in two.

Eugene didn't respond to that. He only shifted her weight against him again before sighing. "Let's go this way."

They walked – well, Eugene walked, Rapunzel shuffled her feet – in the direction of an opening. It lead to an even darker tunnel.

They had to take it slow, lest they end up falling down another cliff deeper into the cave. Neither of them spoke as they progressed farther. Rapunzel was conserving her energy while she thought the reason Eugene wasn't speaking was because he was angry with her. He seemed to be frustrated with her a lot since she came back to life. She wasn't living up to his fantasy and she wasn't sure what to do about that.

Eventually, they heard footsteps ahead of them. They weren't alone which was either a good thing or a really, really bad thing.

Panting breaths and fast, thudding footsteps came in their direction until a person could be seen in the darkness. It was Theseus. There was a crazed look in his eyes that put Rapunzel on edge.

"Where is it?" he growled, grabbing Eugene's shirt and pulling him towards him. That made Eugene let go of Rapunzel and she fell to the ground, wincing as her wound throbbed in pain. When she touched the cloth around her wound, her fingers came back sticky with blood.

"Where is what?" Eugene asked, pushing Theseus away and bending down to help Rapunzel back up.

"The minotaur. I heard it in this direction. That prize is mine, you know."

Eugene sighed. "Yeah, we know. Now kindly get out of our way. We have more pressing issues to deal with."

Theseus looked more closely at Rapunzel. "You're hurt. Ah! Serves you right for hurting me, you little cunt."

"Don't call her that," Eugene growled, his fingers tightening around her waist.

"It's ok," she said. She had to stop this confrontation before it went too far. "Theseus, we don't have the minotaur. We don't know where it is. Now, let us pass."

"I don't think so." He removed a long blade from the side of his sandal. "I'm not letting anyone get in my way of the minotaur. I will have fame and glory." He lunged forward, trying to stab Rapunzel.

Eugene pushed her back just in time and grabbed Theseus's arm. They grappled for the blade. Rapunzel slowly got back up, knowing that the more she got pushed around, the more she was bleeding out. Her brain was becoming even woozier. It was getting hard to see straight.

Theseus stomped on Eugene's foot, making Eugene stumbled back. He swiped the blade at Eugene's face. Thankfully, Eugene jerked back just in time. Rapunzel knew how upset he'd be if his face got hurt. He prized nothing more than his face.

With Theseus's back turned to her, she used that opportunity to jump onto him. It took a lot of strength and energy but she managed to hold on even as he tried shaking her off.

"Grab the blade!" she shouted.

Eugene scrambled back upright and ran forward but was too late. Theseus used the blade to cut her arm, making her wince and let go. She fell from his back and landed hard on the ground. He brought his foot down onto her stomach, right over her wound.

The scream that left her was like nothing she had ever heard from herself before. It was wild and primal and pure pain.

"You fucking bastard," Eugene growled before grabbing Theseus's shoulders and jerking him away from Rapunzel. Before Theseus could react, Eugene punched him in the face. It sent Theseus stumbling back. Eugene advanced and punched Theseus again. And again and again until Theseus fell to the ground.

He lied there, groaning.

Eugene rushed over to her and helped pick her up into his arms, bridal style. "Come on."

They left Theseus on the ground and hurried forward.

After a few minutes when they were far enough away from Theseus they couldn't hear him anymore, Rapunzel told Eugene she could walk.

"Are you sure?"

"I'm sure," she said through gritted teeth. "You can't carry me the entire way out of here. You'll tire and we need your strength."

"Give me a little bit of credit, Blondie. I'm stronger than you think."

She smiled at him. "I know you are. But I need you right now and you can't be carrying me to do that."

"All right." He nodded, setting her on her feet. "But if you need me to…"

"I know. I'll say something."

"Will you?"

She blushed. "Probably not."

"That's what I thought. Let's keep moving though. I don't want Theseus to find us. Guy wan an asshole before but this cave has turned him into a crazy asshole."

They kept moving forward, even though it was still hard to see. The number of times they ran into a wall was uncountable. Every stumble caused pain to rippled through Rapunzel's body but she didn't stop. They had to keep going.

Eugene was a few steps ahead of her when he shouted and jerked back.

"What is it?" she asked.

He nodded before their feet. "It's another cliff. I almost fell off of it."

"No." She slumped against the wall, tears springing from her eyes. "This can't be the end. We'd have to circle back and find another way out of here but we can barely see." Her mirror trick had only lasted so far. Ever since they fell down the cliff the first time, they had been shrouded in darkness.

Eugene squinted. "Wait. I think the other side is right there." He pointed and when Rapunzel looked, she saw he was right. The other side was about ten feet away, which wasn't impossible but wasn't going to be easy at all, especially with her being hurt.

"But we can't get across," he said. "Not with your wound."

"I can try." She stood up and shuffled to the edge. "If we fall down, who knows how far down it is. And even if it's not far, we'd have to find another pathway back up. I have to make this jump because there's no other way, so I'm making the jump."

"I'll go first. I can help catch you."

She nodded. "Good idea."

He took a few steps back but before he started running, Rapunzel stopped him. "Wait," she said. He frowned before she grabbed his face and kissed him. It was a short, rough, little kiss but she infused it with everything inside of her.

When she pulled back, she saw the look of awe on Eugene's face. "What was that for?" he asked.

She hadn't kissed him since before Cairo. "I love you. Be safe."

"I love you too." He gave her another little peck on the lips before pulling away. She watched as he took a running start before jumping over the ledge. He was in the air for just a moment and then was on the other side. Rapunzel let out a breath, her heart beating again.

Eugene rolled to stand up. "I made it."

"I can see that."

"I've got you." He held out his hand.

Now it was her turn. Taking a deep breath in, she ran to the edge. Every step caused intense pain to shoot up her side but she ignored her. She just had to focus on getting out of this cave and back to her tower so she'd be healed.

She jumped right as she reached the edge. For a second, she was weightless, like nothing could ever hurt her again.

And then she saw, as if in slow motion, that she wasn't going to make it to the other side. She was too injured.

But then Eugene lunged forward and grabbed her hand and she slammed against the cliff wall. Even though it hurt like nothing ever had before, she was alive. With a grunt, he pulled her up.

They laid on the ground, both of them breathing heavily.

Eugene smiled over at her. "We made it."

She started to smile back when she winced from the pain.

He got up, helping her up too. "Come on. We have to hurry."

She leaned against Eugene as they walked down the path. Every step was torture but Rapunzel just kept her focus. Never let up, never let up, she thought.

A sound up ahead made them stop.

It was… talking.

"This thing is so hard to drag." It was Alexander's voice.

"Just keep doing it," Daphne said.

"I don't see you doing any of this work."

"That's your job. I'm the brain, you're the muscle."

Rapunzel and Eugene shared a look. They had to stay quiet. They were no match for the twins, not with Rapunzel in her state but they had to get the minotaur and free it.

They inched forward.

The minotaur was the first one to come into view. He was lying on the ground, now wrapped up in wire. Alexander was holding onto the end of the wire and dragging the minotaur along the ground. The minotaur was alive but covered in blood.

They must have stabbed it.

"Stay back," Eugene whispered to Rapunzel. She wanted to object but knew she was in no position to do so. She nodded and watched him walk forward.

"That's not your minotaur," Eugene said, placing his hands on his hips.

Daphne whirled around while Alexander stopped to catch his breath. "So, you found us," she said, a smirk on her face. "Took you a while. I'm impressed. I didn't think either of you had it in you." Her eyes flicked to Rapunzel. "Still alive, I see? Shame. You won't be long."

"Hold on," Eugene said, stepping into Daphne's path. "I'm just curious. You obviously are trying to kill Rapunzel for the sake of the Society. So, what are they offering you in exchange for her life?"

Daphne looked annoyed but also looked like she couldn't resist answering the question. "They're offering us a promotion. If we kill Rapunzel, we don't have to be assassins any longer. We can have more power. Make more decisions within the Society."

"And that's worth blood on your hands?"

Her grin was savage. "Of course it is." She swiped her blade towards Eugene but he jumped out of the way. She turned to Rapunzel but…

Rapunzel wasn't there.

That's because she had snuck up to the minotaur while Eugene was doing what he did best – causing a distraction.

She began to untie the minotaur. It was so dark in the cave, Alexander didn't even see her do it. Besides, he had his eyes focused on Daphne and Eugene.

The moment the minotaur was free, it leaped to its feet and barreled right into Alexander, its horns ripping through his body. Daphne screamed and rushed at the minotaur but it used its head to brush her to the side. She went flying across the cave and crashed into a wall. A sickening crunch echoed throughout the cave.

She didn't get back up.

Rapunzel stood up on shaky legs. "You're free now. We can help you-," she started to say when the minotaur roared and ran away. At least it didn't try attacking them.

Feeling relief over not dying, Rapunzel stumbled back. Eugene was there to catch her.

"Let's get out of this cave," he said.

She shook her head. "No. We need to help the minotaur. Get it out of here and to my tower. Let's go."

"I'm not going to get you to change your mind, am I?"

"Nope."

"Even though you're literally leaving a blood trail behind you?" He nodded at the ground. When she looked down, she saw he was right. Tiny drops of blood followed behind her.

A flash of worry entered her. Would she really die down in this cave? No, she decided. She wouldn't.

But she also wouldn't let the minotaur suffer down here on its own.

"I have to do what's right," she finally said.

Eugene sighed before kissing her on the head. "I know. That's what I love about you. Let's go find that damn minotaur."

It didn't take them long.

The minotaur was badly wounded from the twins and was leaned up against a wall, breathing heavy. It was a strange sight to Eugene to see the once feared minotaur who tried to impale them looking scared itself.

It tensed when they approached it.

"It's ok," Rapunzel said, her hand outstretched. "We're not here to hurt you."

It scoffed in disbelief.

"I know. We came down here because we wanted to win one of Minos's prizes. But we never wanted to hurt you. We want to get out of here and we can take you somewhere safe."

Another scoff but this time, the minotaur's eyes spoke of hope. It wanted to believe Rapunzel.

"We have no weapons on," Eugene said, turning around in a circle. "Let's get out of here. Surely you must know a way out."

"How long have you been down here?" Rapunzel asked.

The minotaur let out a low growl sound before it spoke, which startled Eugene. He didn't know it could speak. "For years." The voice was deep and low. Male.

"Can you not leave?" she asked, kneeling down before the minotaur. The fact that she was bleeding out and in pain and still was able to show the minotaur concern amazed Eugene. Rapunzel was pretty spectacular.

"I… can," the minotaur admitted.

"Then why not leave? This is a prison."

"But it's a prison I know."

Rapunzel's look said it all – she had been through the same thing as the minotaur. Eugene stepped back to let Rapunzel speak. This was her moment. "I know what that's like. To be stuck somewhere but still have the ability to leave but too afraid too."

"You?" the minotaur asked in a disbelieving tone.

She nodded. "Me. I was once stuck in a tower. I could have left anytime but I was afraid."

"Why?"

"The woman who kept me in that tower convinced me the world is a terrifying place. And it is. But you know what I learned when I finally found the courage to leave?" She paused and smiled. "Wonder. Beauty. Amazing things I would have never found if I had never left. And you can experience that too."

"Look at me. I'll only scare people and it will make me angry and I will want to hurt them."

"So, then let us take you somewhere you won't have to hurt anyone and no one can hurt you. You wont have to stay down in this cave forever." She placed her hand on the minotaur's arm. He tensed for a moment before relaxing.

The look of awe on the minotaur's face as he stared at Rapunzel was something Eugene was familiar with. He knew he looked at Rapunzel the exact same way.

"I want to leave," the minotaur said.

"Then let us help you." She held out her hand for Eugene to help her stand up and then together, they helped the minotaur stand as well. "Let's find you a new home."

"Not so fast," a woman said behind them.

Whirling around, Eugene saw it was Daphne. Her face was bloody and her right arm was sticking out at an awkward angle but she was standing upright.

"I'm taking the minotaur's head," she hissed. "And then I'm going to kill you, Rapunzel."

The minotaur roared and ran forward, barreling right into Daphne. His horns impaled her body, ripping right through her. She let out one scream before she fell down and didn't get back up. Her eyes were open but there was no more life to her.

The minotaur turned back to them. "She hurt me so I hurt her."

Eugene nodded slowly. "That's ok, big guy. She was trying to kill us anyway. But uh… maybe don't do that to us, ok?"

He snorted and nodded his large, bull head.

They started to walk away from Daphne's dead body when Rapunzel grunted and fell to her knees.

"Rapunzel." Eugene rushed to her side. She gasped and fell to the ground. "Rapunzel!" He saw that she was still alive but struggling to breathe. She had lost too much blood.

He didn't waste a moment picking her up. "Let's go," he said to the minotaur.

They hurried down the pathway.

"Stay with me, Rapunzel." She was shivering in his arms. He was no expert on medicine but even he knew that wasn't a good sign. Blood was seeping from her wound at a faster rate. She didn't have much time left.

But as long as he could get her to her tower while she was still alive, there was always hope.

"The exit to the cave is right around the corner," the minotaur said.

They rounded it and stopped.

Theseus was standing before the entrance, breathing heavy, his eyes wild and wide, and the blade in his hand pointed at them. "I heard you coming. You're mine, minotaur."

"Oh, come on," Eugene muttered.

"I am no one's property anymore," the minotaur growled before running right for Theseus.

Theseus charged and ran right into the minotaur. He managed to grab onto the minotaur's horns to stop him from ripping him apart. The minotaur shook his head but Theseus didn't let go. Stabbing his blade towards the minotaur, Theseus landed a blow straight to the minotaur's neck.

"No!" Eugene shouted. There was no way for him to go help. Rapunzel was bleeding out in his arms. Her eyes fluttered shut and her head dropped back. "Rapunzel, wake up." He gently shook her but she didn't open her eyes. She was still breathing at least. For now, that was what he clung to.

Theseus jammed the knife deeper into the minotaur's throat until the minotaur stop fighting. He slumped to his knees. Using a sawing motion, Theseus kept cutting the minotaur's throat until the minotaur fell onto his back. Blood was gushing from his throat.

Eugene had to look away as Theseus killed the minotaur.

Only once the sounds of gurgling stopped did Eugene look back. The minotaur was dead and Theseus was standing over his body with his chest puffed out.

He had done it – he killed the minotaur. Rapunzel would have been so upset to see it. In a strange way, Eugene was glad she didn't have to see it but he wasn't glad for long. He needed to get Rapunzel to her tower so she could heal.

"You've done it," Eugene said to Theseus. "You'll get your prize. Now move out of the way."

"No," Theseus growled, now pointing his bloody blade at Eugene and Rapunzel. "I can't risk anyone taking credit for this. You need to die."

"Fuck this," Eugene muttered, setting Rapunzel down gently and then facing off against Theseus. "Get out of my way."

"No."

Eugene's eyes flicked behind Theseus to see the outside of the cave. They were right on the edge of a cliff. If he could just act fast enough…

Eugene cracked his knuckles. "Fine. You want to fight, let's fight." He was going to win this for Rapunzel. With a shout, he ran right at Theseus and then dodged out of the way to avoid Theseus's knife. He grabbed Theseus's arm and tried to take the blade from him but Theseus was too strong. He resisted Eugene's attack.

Using all the strength he had within him, Eugene used his shoulder to push against Theseus, drawing him closer to the cliff's edge. Theseus pushed back. They were in a standstill, each of them trying to hurt the other one.

"I am going to gain glory," Theseus hissed. "Because of that, I will always win. I am fighting for something I believe in."

Eugene shook his head. "No. You won't win because I'm fighting for love." With a burst of energy, he pushed Theseus closer to the edge.

Theseus's sandals slipped on the rocks. His smug smile disappeared. Eugene shouted once more and pushed Theseus over.

He could only watch as Theseus fell off the side of the cliff and down to the rocky seashore below. His body disappeared under the water.

Eugene turned away and ran back into the cave to scoop Rapunzel back up into his arms. Rushing away from the cave, he hurried towards her tower. Why couldn't she just keep it closer or have a summoning button or something?

Rapunzel's head rolled to the side. He could feel her breath on his arm but it was fainter now. More ragged. She didn't have much time.

He saw the tip of her tower in the distance but it was hard running through rocky Greek streets on steep cliffs. He wouldn't give up though. He'd never give up on her.

By some miracle, he reached her tower and burst inside. Eugene laid her down gently on the ground and sat back on his heels.

Now all he had to do was wait for her tower to do its magic.

And it did.

Within seconds, Rapunzel's wound closed up and her bleeding stopped. Her eyes fluttered open and she sat up with a gasp. Her hands frantically pressed against the spot where her wound once was. "I'm ok," she whispered, her shoulders relaxing down. "I'm ok." She said it almost like she was reassuring herself.

"You're ok," he said.

She turned to him like she hadn't noticed him right there. Then she looked at him like she was seeing him again for the very first time.

"Eugene," she said, grabbing his face and kissing him before he even realized what was happening.

Once he realized what was happening, he gladly kissed her back.

Her lips were rough but passionate. Eugene didn't mind. In fact, he loved when Rapunzel just let go and gave him everything.

She gasped when he began to kiss down her neck. She wasn't stopping him, which was a good sign. But he had to know where her mind was at before things went even further.

"Rapunzel?" he asked, his lips still against her throat.

"Yes?"

"Why the change? Why kiss me now?"

She pulled back slightly, grabbing his face so he was looking at her. "Because I was on the verge of death and you saved me. You didn't give up. You never gave up on me, not even when I was dead. I still don't know how I feel about dying and coming back but there is one thing I'm sure of. I'm sure that I love you and I just want to be with you."

He smiled before he kissed her again.

They didn't stop kissing even as he tugged at the straps of her dress. She didn't object when he pulled the straps down, exposing her breasts. He leaned down and kissed along her breasts, pleasuring her nipples. Gasping, Rapunzel dropped her head back and tugged on his head. He took her right nipple in his mouth and swirled it around with his tongue. The moan that escaped her sent heat straight to his cock.

He pulled her into his lap as he kissed her on the lips again. Her hands frantically tugged on his tunic until she pulled it up, exposing his chest. She lifted it over his head and tossed it to the side. Her fingers were cold on his skin but god it felt amazing given how warm he was.

He growled as he kissed her harder. Their chests pressed together, skin to skin. Fuck, he had missed this. The last time they had had sex was a while ago now. It was Rapunzel's very first time and his last time with her (at least at the time it was). He was so happy that he got to be with her again. That the last time he had sex with her wasn't really the last.

She grabbed the edge of his pants and pushed them down. There was no hesitancy from her as she grabbed his erection. This wasn't the Rapunzel who he had deflowered. This was the Rapunzel who had had sex with him many times now and knew exactly what she was doing.

He groaned against her lips as her hand wrapped around his cock. Without waiting, he pushed the end of her dress up, bunching it around her waist. She had no underwear on. That was the thing about Rapunzel – she liked to dress completely historically accurately, and that included her undergarments. Women didn't wear underwear in Ancient Greece, so Rapunzel wasn't going to wear any either. That was more than fine by Eugene.

When he pressed his fingers between her legs, he noticed how wet she already was. She gasped when he began to rub her clit, warming her up even more. The way she gripped his shoulders made him feel powerful but that wasn't why he loved being with Rapunzel. He loved being with her because… he just fucking loved her.

She began to arch her back and jerk her hips forward. "Oh," she gasped out, the sound going straight to his cock. "Eugene, I need you."

He removed his hand from her clit and shifted on his ass so her legs were on either side of his lap. Looking into each other's eyes, he held onto her waist while her fingers clenched around his shoulders before she lowered her body onto his.

The moment his erection entered her, he almost lost control. God, it had been a while. Wrapping his arms tighter around her, he pulled her closer. Their lips met in a heated kiss again as Rapunzel began to move her hips around. She took her time exploring this position.

When she grinded her hips down, Eugene moaned. Fuck, she felt so good around him. He had had sex with many women before (so many that he was ashamed he couldn't even remember the number) but none of them compared to Rapunzel. It was just better with her. It was because he loved her.

She had only ever been with him and that fact honestly made him feel so fucking good. The way she trusted him when she had never trusted anyone before with her body spoke volumes. It also made his ego skyrocket but he wasn't gonna brag about that.

He kissed down her throat, making her drop her head back. Her hips continued to circle around, letting him sink deeper inside of her.

"Oh," she gasped again. "Oh."

Her little moans made his skin turn to fire. He needed more of her. He'd always need her.

He shifted their bodies around so she was now lying on her back and he was on top of her. Rapunzel didn't complain about having sex on the flower of her tower. She didn't complain at all. Only lust was in her eyes.

"Fuck," he groaned, thrusting into her. She wrapped her legs around his waist and pulled him down. The way she looked up at him, with so much trust in her eyes, almost made him come right then and there but he held back. He wanted this moment to last as long as possible.

His lands slapped onto the ground on either side of her head as he ground his hips against hers.

"Eugene," she moaned. Her hands clutched his back, her fingers digging into his skin. The way her lips parted and her eyes fluttered shut made her look even more beautiful than she already was.

"I'm close," he told her.

She nodded. "Me too."

He increased his pace and thrusted into her with more force than he ever had before. The only sound in the tower was their bodies moving together and their breath synching up in tandem.

Rapunzel began to let out faster soft moans. Her breath was ragged but this time it was from pleasure and not from the pain of dying. "Eugene," she cried, her body tensing for just a second before she began to shudder.

He followed right behind her, groaning as he pressed his face to her neck. She was on birth control so he wasn't worried about letting his release enter her.

They trembled and held onto each other until finally their bodies calmed down. And even after that, they still clung to each other.

Eugene pressed kisses along her neck and up to her face and finally back to her lips. The kiss was a little sloppy and full of fatigue and Eugene loved every second of it.

After a few more moments, he pulled out of her and rolled onto his back. Both of them were breathing heavy as they stared up at the ceiling.

They looked over at each at the same time, causing them both to smile, then laugh.

"I've missed that," he admitted.

"Me too," she also admitted. She reached out her hand and drew circles onto his chest. "I'm sorry I pushed you away after coming back from the dead. It was never you, you know."

He grabbed her hand and kissed it. "I know. I never doubted for a moment."

She kept smiling at him until she sat up and gasped. "The minotaur. What happened? I passed out and woke up here."

He slowly sat up, dreading the news he'd have to give her. "He's dead. Theseus killed him."

She gasped and tears immediately formed in her eyes. "What?" Her hands shook as she fixed her dress, covering her body back up. "How?"

"Theseus had his blade, remember." He got dressed too. "I couldn't stop it. I had you in my arms and you were unconscious and bleeding out. I didn't know what to do."

She wiped her tears and nodded. "I understand. I don't blame you, Eugene. I just really believed I could help him."

"I know." He wrapped his arms around her into a hug. "I wanted to help him too. If it makes you feel any better, Theseus fell of a cliff only a moment later."

She pulled back slightly. "How did that happen?"

"I might have pushed him."

"Eugene," she said, her eyes widening.

"He would have tried killing us. I wasn't going to lose you again."

"You keep saying that. 'You don't want to lose me again.' I understand but Eugene, we all die someday. For good," she added with emphasis.

"I know. But I don't want you die again until you're old. At least a hundred."

She smiled. "A hundred, huh?"

"Maybe a hundred and two just to be safe."

"And where will you be?"

"Me?" He snorted. "I'll be dead. There's no way I'm living to a hundred. I'll look horrible with wrinkles."

"I think you could pull them off. You're handsome enough."

"Handsome enough? Way to hurt a man's ego, Blondie."

She leaned back into him, resting her head on his chest. "I just can't believe the minotaur is dead. I wanted to take him to safety."

"You can't save everyone, Rapunzel."

"I know. But it hurts when I can't. What are we going to do now?"

He tightened his arms around her. "We are going to get that scroll then we're getting out of Ancient Greece and we're finding your parents. We can't lose sight of the mission even though it's tempting to."

"You're right." She sighed and stood up, walking over to her desk. He followed. "We need that scroll. I have to hope my parents are worth the deaths we've encountered along the way. First the librarian, then the twins, now the minotaur. I've never experienced so much death in such a short amount of time."

"Well, the librarian and the twins were trying to kill you, so I wouldn't worry too much about them."

"Maybe not but they were still time travelers trained by the same people as me. That means something. I never knew the Society could be so dark as to try and kill their own. I'm learning so much I never even knew."

"Let's get that scroll before any other time traveling assassins show up." He held out his hand for her.

She took it without hesitation.

They made their way to King Minos's house, not bothering to knock. Servants led them to where Minos was at – seated in a living room of sorts. He was sitting across from a man, who was smiling smugly. The man was one of the people who volunteered to go up against the minotaur to win a prize. He had a bag of gold at his feet.

And the minotaur's head right next to it.

Rapunzel gasped when she saw it, stumbling back into Eugene. He caught her.

Minos turned around and stood up. "What do I owe the pleasure of my guests?"

"He didn't kill the minotaur," Eugene said, pointing at the man. "He shouldn't get the prize."

"Well, he brought me the minotaur's head so he gets the prize."

"But Theseus was the one to kill the minotaur. I saw it with my own two eyes. And then he fell off a cliff."

Minos spread his hands out. "So, who then should get the prize?" He paused and when no one could answer, nodded. "That's my point. Andreas here brought me the head of the minotaur, so he gets the prize. Is that what you two came here for? If so, you can leave. I've already given out my fair share of gold."

"It's not gold we want," Rapunzel said, stepping forward. She deliberately didn't look at the minotaur's head lying by Andreas's feet.

Minos looked her at like she was an amusing little bug that he could squash at any moment. "Then what is it you want?"

"We want the scroll."

He waited a beat before laughing. "Well, you don't get to have it. You didn't kill the minotaur and bring me its head so no prize for you."

Rapunzel could see the scroll just resting on the table like it wasn't anything special. "Fine. We'll leave." She turned around and faced Eugene. She hoped he would understand her cue. "But first, my boyfriend would like to say a few words."

Eugene blinked. "What?"

She gave him a pointed look.

After a second, he nodded. "Right. Yeah, uh… a few words."

"I'm listening," Minos said.

Eugene stepped forward. "I was just thinking how crazy it is that minotaurs even exist, you know? Like a half-human, half-bull? Like what is that?"

"It is fascinating," Minos said, taking the bait. All the eyes in the room were on him as he spoke. Well, all the eyes except for Rapunzel. She was subtly making her way towards the table to grab the scroll. "It's a freak of nature."

"But how did you come to be in possession of a minotaur?" Eugene asked.

"It's an interesting story," Minos began. Rapunzel swiped the scroll without anyone seeing and stuffed into her dress.

Minos opened his mouth to speak when Rapunzel whisked by. "I'm sure it really is an interesting story but we must be going now."

The king frowned. "But I didn't get to tell my story."

"Sorry," she said, grabbing Eugene's hand. They quickly walked out of the house.

They were only a few feet from the courtyard when Rapunzel heard footsteps running up behind them. Looking back, she saw that a whole team of servants were chasing after them. So, Minos must have figured out she took the scroll.

"Run," she said.

"Right there with you," Eugene commented.

They ran through the streets, heading for her tower. Rapunzel felt like she had all the energy in the world. A healing session from her tower would do that to a person. And an invigorating love making session didn't hurt either.

When they reached the busy marketplace, they had to slow down. One of the servants – a muscular man – almost grabbed them but they jumped over a pig just chilling in the street and kept on moving. The servant tripped over the pig and face-planted in the mud.

"You should see your face," Eugene called out. "You look ridiculous."

Right then, two men were walking by carrying a plank of wood. Eugene's face slammed right into it, making him stumble back.

She sighed and helped him get moving again. "This is why we don't brag, Eugene."

"Duly noted," he said, rubbing his forehead.

They reached the tower before the servants could grab them. Hurrying inside, Rapunzel shut the door behind them and locked it. They entered the main room.

"Let's open it up before those servants try to break in here and steal it back," Eugene said.

"Here we go." Her heart spiked in excitement. Maybe this would be it – she'd finally learn where her parents are.

The scroll was written in plain black ink. As Rapunzel read, the more her heart and excitement began to plummet. There was no location of her parents.

There was only another clue. This time it was leading them to…

"Ohio, 1986?" Eugene asked in disbelief as he read over her shoulder. "That's where the next bit of information is? Talk about a letdown after Egypt and Greece."

She sighed, rolling the scroll back up. "It's a start anyway."

"I'm starting to think there's no end in sight. That the Society is planting clues throughout history just to lead us on a wild goose-chase."

"Maybe. But we won't know for sure unless we go." She turned to her computer and plugged in the coordinates the scroll said.

Eugene sighed. "Ohio, 1986, it is. Goodbye tunics and hello leg warmers."

Arianna watched as her daughter's tower disappeared from the cliffs of Crete, Greece. She still hadn't seen Rapunzel in person – not since the day she was taken from her. Arianna wasn't sure when she'd get the chance but there was one thing she knew – there was no way she was going to hunt her daughter down and kill her.

"What are we doing, Ari?" Frederic asked, standing beside her.

"We're trying to send a message to our daughter to be careful. So far, our symbol has worked. She hasn't been killed yet."

"But what do you think the Society is going to do to us when they find out that we're not going to kill her?"

"They had to have known we weren't going to do that," she responded. "They set us up to fail. The only way out of the Society and to freedom is to kill Rapunzel but to kill our own daughter…" She shook her head.

"I know. We haven't seen her since she was a baby. If Agent Tom hadn't shown us a picture of her, I'm not sure I would have recognized her."

Arianna placed her hand on his arm. "You would have. She looks just like us."

"How are we going to do this, Ari? We can keep sending a protection symbol to Rapunzel all we want but it's clear that Rapunzel is searching for answers. She keeps going to the locations of the clues. She wants to learn about the Society. About us. We can't stop her."

"The only way to stop her would be to kill her. And we're not doing that. So, maybe we need to consider going back to the Society and facing our punishment."

"They'll kill us for disrupting Time," he said, looking at her with disbelief.

"I know. But isn't that a better alternative than being forced to kill our own daughter?"

He sighed and nodded. "You're right. I'd gladly die to give my life for Rapunzel but if we're dead, who's going to protect her? She doesn't have anyone. She's traveling on her own."

"Then maybe we don't turn ourselves in just yet. Let's keep following her and sending our protection symbol to help her. And then maybe one day we can meet her."

Frederic wrapped his arm around her. She leaned into his touch. "You know that it will only make things harder when we do meet her. We don't know this version of our daughter. We don't know how she was raised or what her values are now. All we know is that she's in trouble with the Society. Are you prepared for the fact that another person raised her?"

"You mean the person who took her from us," she snapped.

"Yes. I mean that person."

Arianna frowned. "We'll deal with that if it comes to it. But until then, we make sure Rapunzel's safe." She sighed, staring at the spot Rapunzel's time machine once was standing. "I wonder how alone she feels."

"I miss her every day."

"I do too."

Arianna knew she could never kill her daughter but… there was a dark part of her brain that wanted freedom at all costs. She could never kill Rapunzel but could she betray her? Could she give the Society Rapunzel, wipe her hands clean, and be free of any messes she had made in the past? Could she get a fresh start with the man she loved?

While she loved her daughter, she didn't know her daughter. Rapunzel was a stranger to her.

Arianna didn't get the chance to be a mother to Rapunzel. Maybe it would be easier to let one of the other assassins kill Rapunzel, do their dirty work and be done with it. That way Arianna wouldn't have to kill her own daughter but she'd still get the freedom from the Society she was aching for.

But could she do that? Betray her own daughter?

There was a darkness within her that scared her. A darkness she had never even told Frederic about. Would he be willing to do what they had to do to survive for themselves?

Only time would tell.

And in the meantime, Arianna was bracing herself for the future when she'd come into contact with her daughter.

She truly didn't know what would happen after that.

Until Sunday!