"This is just great," Eugene said as he and Rapunzel left the Kew Gardens and started heading back to her tower. "Maxwell is gone. We should have just left the idiot tied up in your tower."
"But then he could have possibly hurt Madame Beaumont. Let's just get back to Cass and figure out how we're going to find someone with an A negative blood type."
"How are we going to do that?"
"Oh, my tower has a way to test blood types."
He laughed. "Of course it does. Because your tower can do anything, can't it?" He pulled her in close as they walked. "That's what I love about you."
"My magical tower?"
"Yes."
She nudged him. "Well, I'm glad I know my use to you."
"If your tower were to get destroyed, I'd have to leave." They paused on the sidewalk, waiting for the carriages to pass them by.
"Sure. Because my tower is the only reason you love me."
"It sure is," he said, winking.
She shook her head with a smile on her face. "I know you're joking."
"Of course I am."
She loved hearing the warmth in his voice. It made her feel all tingly inside.
They made it back to her tower where Cass was waiting. She had put the Ghost Orchid in a vase of water.
"How's Madame Beaumont?" Rapunzel asked.
"I think she's asleep," Cass responded, looking between Rapunzel and Eugene. "Uh… where's the idiot?"
"Gone. Eugene lost him."
Cass glowered at him. "You lost Maxwell? Who knows what he could do?"
"Like forcing people to change their faces by creating a dystopian society? Like that?" Eugene fired back.
Cass quickly looked away, a flush on her face. "That was in the past."
"Sure it was," he muttered.
Months ago, Rapunzel had traveled to the year 2094 where Cass had taken over and created a 'pretty face law' to force people to get plastic surgery because she was trying to send a message to the Society. Rapunzel and Eugene were able to course correct everything but in the process, she thought Cass had died. Clearly, she hadn't.
Neither of them had spoken about what Cass did since reuniting.
"Let's just hope," Rapunzel said, changing the topic, "that Maxwell doesn't bring a mob upon my tower trying to get to Madame Beaumont. We need to find someone with A negative blood type. Now, I'm B positive, so I won't work."
"I'm B negative," Cass said.
"How the hell do either of you know your blood type?" Eugene asked.
"The Society," they said in unison.
He rocked back on his heels. "Gotcha."
Rapunzel walked over to him and grabbed his hand. "We should test your blood." She brought him over to her desk, where she pricked his thumb with a needle, causing him to wince, and then placed the blood on a slide and put it into her computer. After a minute, the screen on the computer showed that Eugene had AB positive blood type.
"So, it can't be me," he said.
"Guess not." She slumped onto her desk. "So, I guess we just need to find someone with A negative blood."
"We could start kidnapping people," Cass offered.
"I can't tell if you're being serious or joking," Eugene said, squinting at her. "Because if you're being serious, that's horrible. And if you're joking, then jeez, Cassandra, you suck at telling jokes."
She scowled at him. "It was a joke, dumbass."
"Then you suck at telling them."
Rapunzel stood up straight and pointed at the floor. "There's a small puddle of blood on the floor. It's from Maxwell when we brought him in here before my tower healed him." She hurried over to it and put some of the blood onto a slide and then put it into her computer.
And unsurprisingly, it showed that Maxwell had A negative blood.
"Fuck," Cass muttered.
"Who lost Maxwell again?" Eugene asked.
Cass glared at him. "You did."
"I know. I was just hoping you guys forgot."
Rapunzel turned to them. "Let's go find Maxwell."
They started with The Ghost Club.
The sign out front said 'No Women Allowed.'
"Screw that," Cass said, barging through the doors. "I'm finding Maxwell. Nothing is going to stop me. And the last time we let Eugene in here alone, he brought Maxwell into our lives in the first place."
"You make that sound like a bad thing," Eugene said, following her.
"It is."
"Hey, if it weren't for me, we never would have met Maxwell" – he stepped out of the way as a man hurried past – "and we wouldn't know that he has A negative blood. Which is exactly what we need for the spell to turn Madame Beaumont back into a human. So, you should really be thanking me." He crossed his arms and looked smug.
Cass stared at him for a moment before scoffing. "Yeah, I'm not thanking you for anything."
"Women are not allowed in here," a man said, walking over to them.
"Where is Maxwell?" Cass demanded.
The man jerked back. "What? You're a woman. You need to leave now."
Rapunzel stepped forward before Cass could use your sword on the unsuspecting man. "Hi. What's your name?"
"Uh… George. George Pembleton."
Eugene snickered. Rapunzel ignored him. "Hi, Mr. Pembleton," she said. "I'm Rapunzel. We'll gladly get out of your fine establishment if you could please tell us where your colleague Maxwell is."
"Well, we have a lot of Maxwells who work for us." George tugged at his collar. "You're going to need to be more specific."
She looked at Eugene and he shrugged. "He never told me his last name."
Rapunzel sighed and turned back to George. "Surely you know which Maxwell we're talking about."
"No, I'm afraid I do not."
"Annoying," Eugene said, "short, stupid mustache that makes him look like a porn star."
"Eugene," Rapunzel hissed.
"What?" he asked innocently.
George frowned. "What's a… porn star?"
"Listen, buddy, you know who I'm talking about. Just tell us where he is."
George sighed and stopped fiddling with his collar. "Fine. He's not here. But he does live down the street. I'll write down his address for you." He walked over to a table and scribbled down the address onto a piece of paper.
"Here." He handed it to Eugene, Rapunzel noticed. She tried not to be offended by that.
Eugene flashed him a smile. "Great. Ladies, let's get out of here."
"Ladies?" Cass asked once they were out of the club.
"You are a lady, are you not?" He paused. "Wait. What am I saying? You're not a lady at all."
"Walked right into that one," Cass muttered.
They found Maxwell's house, which was a very skinny row home. Rapunzel knocked on the door and kept knocking until the door opened.
It was Maxwell.
His eyes widened when he saw them and he tried to shut the door but Cass wedged her sword into the wood, stopping him. He yelped and jerked back.
"Hiya, Maxie," Eugene said. "We still need you."
"But I helped you find the orchid," he stammered.
"Well, now we need your blood."
Maxwell let out a gasp and immediately fainted.
"That's one way to do it," Cass said. "I'm not carrying him back to the tower."
Rapunzel gave Eugene a sympathetic smile. He sighed. "I know, I know," he said. "I'll carry him."
Eugene hated every second he had to drag Maxwell back to the tower. People kept staring and pointing as he dragged Maxwell by the feet through the streets of London. It got so bad, they got a carriage to get back to Rapunzel's tower. The driver of the carriage only shook his head when Eugene stuffed Maxwell's body into the back and didn't ask any questions.
"They don't pay me enough," he grunted.
They reached Rapunzel's tower before Maxwell woke back up. Rapunzel paid the carriage driver generously for his silence.
Once Maxwell was back in the tower and lying passed out on the floor, Eugene turned to the two women. "Ok, now what?"
"Now, we wait until tonight," Rapunzel said, "when the full moon is out again and we can turn Madame Beaumont back into a human." She walked over to the dresser and laid her hand on it. "I just hope she's doing ok. She hasn't growled in a while."
"I can't imagine being a werewolf," Eugene said, leaning against the desk. "Losing control of yourself under the full moon. Turning into an animal. It would be wild."
"You mean you're not already an animal?" Cass fired back.
"Har-har." He rolled his eyes. "Unlike some people, I know how to have class."
"You do not have any class."
Eugene looked at Rapunzel. "Blondie, help me out here. I have class."
She didn't respond.
"Blondie?"
She smiled and walked over to him. "You have class, Eugene. You're the best person I know." Out of the corner of Eugene's eye, he saw Cass scowl. It was a good feeling. "But you were also a thief back in the day. I wouldn't exactly call that classy."
"You're supposed to be on my side," he said.
Rapunzel shrugged. "Sorry. It's just the truth."
Cass's scowl turned into a very smug smile. Eugene could only make an annoyed face back at her.
"Well, I'm off to my tower until tonight," Cass said. "I don't want to deal with you two making googly eyes at each other." She shuddered. "It's unbearable."
"Cass, wait," Rapunzel said, walking over to her. "Thank you for getting the Ghost Orchid to safety. And for helping us with Madame Beaumont."
Cass averted her eyes as she responded. "Well, I want to find the Society's headquarters just as much as you do. You don't need to thank me for that. You know how much I hate the Society."
"I know."
Cass quickly left the tower after that.
"So…" Eugene said, "when are you going to tell her that your parents were the ones who founded the Society?"
"Hopefully never."
"But the reason Cass hates you is because she feels like you lied to her about Gothel. She'll be even more angry when she finds out you're lying to her about this."
"I thought you didn't care what Cass felt?"
"Oh, I don't. But you do." He placed his hands on her hips, drawing her in close. "I can see how hopeful you are to regain your friendship with her. I think it's pointless. Cass is the spawn of Satan. Literally."
She smiled at that.
"But," he continued, "you clearly want it to happen. And I love you and I'll support you even if I don't agree with it. You should tell her the truth at some point. You'd hate for her to find out from someone else."
"I know." She sighed and rested her head on his chest. "I just don't know how to tell her. I want to meet my parents without Cass trying to kill them. I'm not sure what to do." She lifted her head up and met his gaze. "Am I terrible person? Because sometimes I feel like a terrible person."
He cupped her face. "Rapunzel, you're the least terrible person I know. You're always so focused on trying to save everyone you meet. Hell, you saved Maxwell when he didn't deserve it. You're a great person. You're just hard on yourself. And in a tough position with Cass. Whatever you decide, I'll be right there for you. Know that."
She stood on her tiptoes and kissed him. It was gentle at first but then quickly turned passionate.
Eugene turned around so he could press her up against the desk and kissed her harder. Her hands clutched his shoulders, drawing him in close. There was no space between their bodies.
He picked her up and placed her on the desk, making her gasp. Kissing along her neck, Eugene's mind went to only one thing. Sex.
…But that was sort of hard to do when a werewolf was asleep in the dresser and an annoying asshole was passed out on the floor.
He sighed and rested his face in the crook of her neck. "If we were alone right now, I'd have my way with you on this desk."
She gasped. "Sorry."
"It's not your fault."
"I have a confession," she whispered. "I've imagined us having sex on this desk."
He lifted his head to meet her eyes. "Blondie, you can't just say that to a man. It's mean."
"Why is it mean?"
"Because it makes me want you even more," he said in a low voice.
She flushed but didn't look away. "Well, then maybe you should back up so I can get down before we do something completely inappropriate in front of Maxwell." She pointed over Eugene's shoulder.
He looked.
Maxwell was awake and staring at them.
Eugene groaned. "Great. Well, that's one good way to lose a boner."
"Don't stop on my account," Maxwell said. "But I believe a man and a woman should wait till marriage to have intercourse. Unless she's a prostitute." He glared at Rapunzel.
A boil of rage filled Eugene. "My girlfriend isn't a prostitute."
Maxwell shrugged. "She's kissing you and in a compromising position. What else is she other than a prostitute."
"Blondie, I can hit him right? Please tell me I can hit him."
"You can't hit him. We need him awake for the ceremony."
Eugene sighed. "Tonight can not come soon enough."
The night did come – hours later. Which was too long if you asked Eugene but if you asked Rapunzel, she'd say it was the perfect time. She was choosing to look at the positive. They would turn Madame Beaumont back into a human and get the answer to the next clue.
Simple as that.
At least, she hoped so.
"Come on, buddy," Eugene said, pushing Maxwell towards the stairs. "Time to go."
"I can leave?" he asked hopefully.
"Nope. Time to use your blood for the ceremony."
Maxwell almost fainted again but Eugene shoved him forward before he could. "I'm sensitive around blood, you should know. None of this is natural."
"You're standing in a time traveling tower," Eugene said in a flat tone. "Nothing about this is natural but here we are. So get to it. Chop chop."
"We need to get Madame Beaumont out of the closet," Rapunzel said.
"I can help with that," Cass said as she entered the tower. "I've wrangled up animals before."
"I'm sure you have," Eugene muttered.
She slowly turned to face him. "What the hell does that mean?"
"What?" Eugene shrugged, pretending to look innocent. Rapunzel thought it was cute but clearly Cass just found it annoying.
"You know what," Cass said, "I'm not going to talk to you anymore. I just keep falling into your stupid traps. I'm getting Madame Beaumont out. Get Maxwell out of here before he tries hurting her."
Eugene made a face as he left the tower with Maxwell, leaving Rapunzel and Cass behind.
"So, how should we do this?" Rapunzel asked, nodding at the dresser. "Madame Beaumont is still in wolf form. She's not going to go down easily and we might need her awake for the ceremony."
"We can muzzle her." Cass grabbed some rope Rapunzel had lying around the tower. You never knew when you'd need to tie someone up.
"Good idea." She placed her hands on the dresser, getting ready to open it but before she did, she just had to ask. "Cass? I know that you want to take the Society down. But… what if it isn't all bad? What if instead of taking it down, we fix it? We work with people within the Society who want to fix it."
Cass frowned. "Why would I want to fix something that's broken? We shouldn't even have this kind of power to travel through time. I mean, look at the damage I did by myself. I hurt people. No one should have this kind of power."
"I've only ever used it to help people." Rapunzel knew that was a mistake to say the moment she said it.
"Well, good for you, Raps," she said, her voice full of sarcasm. "I guess we can't all be perfect like you."
"I didn't mean that. I'm just saying – why don't we turn the Society into something good? No more assassins. No more people getting hurt. Just people traveling through time and trying to save others. We could do that." She paused. "Together."
Cass scoffed. "You don't have space for me in your tower. Three's a crowd. It would get too cramped."
"Eugene will be in my life forever." She felt her blood boil when Cass rolled her eyes at that. "He will be. I love Eugene."
"Whatever you say, Raps. Can we just get on with the ceremony? The moon is out now and we can't waste time."
"We don't have to argue like this. Cass, please."
"Well, I like arguing. What can I say?"
"Cass."
She huffed and faced Rapunzel. "What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry? Fine. I'm sorry I tried killing you. I'm sorry that I actually did kill you back in the time loop."
"Don't say it if you don't mean it," Rapunzel muttered.
All the fight left Cass's body. She stared at the floor for a moment before she met Rapunzel's gaze. "I am sorry," she said in more sincere tone. "I have a tendency to let my anger get the best of me. It got the best of me. You… didn't deserve that. You don't deserve to die, even if you did cheat death."
"Not technically cheating when it's alien magic."
That made Cass smile slightly. "You're right. I was just so angry with you for not telling me that Gothel was the one who kidnapped you. I think I still am."
"But why though? I know that she was your mom. But you have to understand why I kept that from you. It was because she was your mom and you had fond memories of her that I didn't want to hurt you with the truth."
"I know," Cass said. "I… I'm realizing that now. It's just going to take time for me to overcome that. But I promise I won't try to kill you again. You do good when it comes to time travel. Better than I ever was. You need to know though, Rapunzel, that when we reach the Society's headquarters, I will take down every last one of those people. They are at the head, meaning they're in charge. They're the ones keeping secrets. The ones sending assassins after you. They don't deserve to live and I'm not going to let you get in my way."
It was a clear threat. In that moment, Rapunzel wanted to tell Cass that her parents founded the Society and that there was a good chance they were at the Society's headquarters. She couldn't risk Cass trying to kill them but… she couldn't risk Cass hating her all over again. Even though Gothel wasn't her fault and her parents being the founders of the Society was not her fault, Cass would find a way to blame her. And Rapunzel wasn't sure she could handle that again.
So, she just nodded. "Let's get Madame Beaumont out of the dresser." She ripped the doors open, expecting a wolf to come flying at her. But Madame Beaumont was asleep.
Cass reached in with the rope to wrap it around Madame Beaumont's muzzle but that caused the wolf to wake up. She snarled and lunged at Cass. Cass had no choice but to back up. Madame Beaumont set her sights onto Rapunzel and snarled at her.
Rapunzel barely had time to get out of the way before Madame Beaumont ran into her. She fell onto her back and Madame Beaumont jumped onto her chest and tried biting at her face. Rapunzel screamed and tried to push the wolf off of her but it was useless. Madame Beaumont in wolf form was too strong.
And then Cass was there, wrapping the rope around Madame Beaumont's mouth and jaw. She tugged the wolf off of Rapunzel and managed to get Madame Beaumont onto the ground so she could finish muzzling her. Madame Beaumont got up and ran around the tower but at least she couldn't bite anyone.
Cass offered a hand down to Rapunzel and Rapunzel took it.
"Thank you," she said, after standing back up.
Cass nodded. "Well, I wasn't going to let Madame Beaumont rip your face off. Lover Boy out there wouldn't be too happy with me."
"I thought you didn't care what Eugene thought."
"I don't. I just don't want to deal with him whining."
Rapunzel chuckled and nodded at Madame Beaumont who was curled up into a ball after she realized she didn't have the upper hand. "Let's get her out of here."
Cass carried Madame Beaumont outside and placed her on the ground.
"Finally," Eugene said, holding onto Maxwell so he wouldn't escape again. "I was wondering what was taking so long. Not so good at wrangling up animals as you say, Cassandra?"
She glared at him. "Let's just do this damn ceremony."
"I brought a bowl," Rapunzel said, "so we can mash up the orchid and Maxwell's blood together."
Maxwell almost passed out again.
Eugene clapped him on the back. "We're not going to kill you. We just need a little bit of your blood."
Rapunzel placed the Ghost Orchid inside the bowl. "Ok. Now Maxwell's blood." She handed a knife to Eugene. He nicked Maxwell's finger and forced a few droplets of blood out onto the orchid. Maxwell whimpered and whined the entire time.
"That should be enough," Rapunzel said. She mashed the contents of the bowl together until it was almost full liquid.
"That hurt," Maxwell whined, sucking on his finger. Both Eugene and Cass rolled their eyes.
Rapunzel looked up at the sky. "The full moon is out. Time to do this."
Cass walked over to Madame Beaumont and gently untied her muzzle. "We really need you to drink this," she said to the wolf. "If you want to be human again."
Almost imperceptibly, Madame Beaumont nodded.
Rapunzel tipped the contents of the bowl into Madame Beaumont's mouth. She stepped back once she was done.
Everyone watched the wolf.
Nothing happened for a good solid minute before Madame Beaumont's body twitched. Then it twitched again. And then finally, she curled into a ball and right before their eyes transformed back into a human. Or well, specifically a Lupin – the alien race of people who could transform into wolves.
Madame Beaumont was naked but the hair on her body helped to hide some of it. Maxwell averted his eyes and then promptly fainted.
"Do you think we'll need him again?" Eugene asked, pointing at the prone body of Maxwell.
"Probably not," Rapunzel said. "Let's get Madame Beaumont back inside before someone sees her." She knelt beside the other woman. "Can you stand?"
Madame Beaumont met her gaze. "You saved me. I hate being in my wolf form. I try to avoid it when I can."
"You're safe now. Let's get you inside." She helped Madame Beaumont up and together, they walked back into her tower, Cass and Eugene following.
After giving Madame Beaumont a dress, they all stood around the desk and waited to see what she had to say.
"So, where is this castle by the lake?" Rapunzel asked.
"You're all looking for the Time Traveler's Society headquarters, aren't you?" she said, looking at them pointedly. "Well, during the séance, I contacted a person who once worked for the Society. They're dead now but they told me that the next clue is a castle by a lake in Ireland. 1448. Doe Castle. That's where you'll find the next clue. That's all I know. Thank you again for helping me."
"Will you be safe on your own out there?" Rapunzel asked.
Madame Beaumont smiled. "I've been taking care of myself for a long time. I can deal with idiots like Maxwell out there. Take care." And with that, she left the tower, having given them what they needed.
Cass awkwardly turned to Rapunzel and Eugene. "Well… I guess I'll see you guys there." She left the tower quickly.
"And then there were two," Rapunzel said.
"I know," Eugene said, waggling his eyebrows as he wrapped his arms around her waist. "I think we have something to get back to before we leave."
She frowned. "What?"
"Blondie, don't hurt my manhood. The desk, remember?"
"Oh! Right."
"I'm glad you're eager."
"I'm always eager to be with you."
She laughed as he lifted her onto the desk and started kissing down her neck. Her laughter soon turned to gasps and small moans. She tilted her head back and closed her eyes. Eugene's lips were tender but passionate. He was always so good at making her feel good. Her body trembled at his touch.
His hands gripped her waist, which sent a heat straight down to her core. Her arousal formed and she rubbed her legs together to help with the friction.
Eugene noticed. "Definitely feeling eager."
She grabbed his face and pulled him in for a kiss. While their lips melded together, their hands tore at each other's clothing. Rapunzel pushed off Eugene's jacket and shirt, running her hands up and down his chest. Eugene managed to unclasp her dress and pull it off her. He kneeled down before her as he slipped the dress down her legs, leaving her in nothing but a shift and corset.
His eyes raked over her body as he stood back up. "God, I love when you wear corsets. But I love it more when you're naked." His fingers quickly undid the strings and he pushed the corset off her. She raised her hands above her head and let him take off her shift. Then she was naked.
She remembered the first time she had had sex with Eugene. She was nervous, since it was her first time, but he managed to make her feel beautiful. He still made her feel beautiful, except now she wasn't so nervous anymore. She wasn't nervous at all.
Rapunzel gripped his pants and pulled him closer. "I need you, Eugene."
"God, I need you too." His words sent a thrill through her body. She unbuttoned his pants and pulled his erection out. He groaned as she touched him. "Blondie, I fucking need you right now."
She opened her legs and he settled between them, his erection pressing against her entrance. It didn't matter how many times they had done this before. She still always got those butterflies in her stomach right before they came together.
Eugene met her gaze as he shifted his hips forward, entering her. She moaned and grabbed onto his shoulders. Eugene rested his head against hers and locked eyes before he began to thrust into her. It was gentle at first. Slow and steady.
His fingers gripped her hips tightly. She leaned back onto her hands and let her head drop back as they really began to move. Every thrust of his length into her made her feel wild. Her body tingled and felt like it was on fire.
"Oh," she softly moaned. Her legs wrapped around his waist, drawing him in closer.
Eugene slapped his hands down onto the desk to steady himself as he thrusted into her harder. It was going from gentle to rough but despite that, Rapunzel always knew she could trust him not to hurt her. Their lovemaking always left her feeling safe in his arms.
She sat up and rested her arms around his shoulders, bringing them chest to chest. "Eugene," she whispered. "Oh."
His eyes darkened as his thrusts turned rougher. He didn't say a word as he entered her but he didn't need to. She knew how he felt just from his eyes. It was lust and love mixed together.
He grinded his hips against hers, sending a spike of pleasure through her body. It was just what she needed to send her over the edge.
"Eugene!" she called out before she kissed him.
He groaned as he came next, kissing her harder. Their bodies still moved together slowly until they were resting in each other's arms.
He pulled back from the kiss and rested his head against hers. "Blondie, you just made my dream come true."
She laughed and gently swatted his arm. "What? By having sex on my desk?"
"Yep. I think we've christened every room in your tower by now."
"Not the closet," she whispered, gently biting his lips.
He smiled. "Well, what are we waiting for? Ireland can wait a few more minutes."
She jumped off the desk and grabbed his hand. "Let's go."
Ireland could wait, she thought. Tomorrow, they'd be off to find the next clue. But for right now, all Rapunzel wanted to do was spend the night in her boyfriend's arms.
Arianna stared up at her daughter's time machine. She wondered why Rapunzel chose that exact design – that of a tower – to take as her time machine. Arianna's own time machine was that of a small castle. She liked traveling in style.
But now her time machine was being controlled by Agent Tom, making it impossible for her and Frederic to run.
If they wanted their freedom, they would have to complete the Society's mission – kill Rapunzel.
"When are we going to do this?" Frederic asked, nodding at the tower.
"Let's… let's just see where they go next. I'm not ready to meet our daughter yet. Next time they travel, we'll do it. I promise."
"And are we going to… do what the Society wants or what we want?"
"What do we want?" she asked.
"Our freedom of course. But I want our daughter alive to do that."
"Me too." Arianna did not want her daughter to die. That was a given. But if she could just give Rapunzel over to the Society, then maybe that would be enough to secure her own freedom. And who knew? Maybe the Society wouldn't kill Rapunzel. Maybe they'd let her go.
Though, deep down, Arianna didn't believe it. Once the Society wanted to kill someone, they usually succeeded. There was a death sentence hanging over Rapunzel's head and Arianna didn't plan to go down with her.
"So, next time?" Frederic asked, sighing deeply.
She nodded. "Next time."
Arianna watched as her daughter's time machine disappeared before her eyes, knowing that the next location Rapunzel went to, Arianna would have no choice but to finally meet her daughter.
She wasn't sure what would happen exactly. She could only hope that she'd make the right choice – whatever the right choice was.
Until Sunday!