Warmth. It was the first feeling that Eugene Fitzherbert had
felt when re-entering the world. It was pleasant, yet oddly
uncomfortable, like it was healing a pain that he could already
no longer feel.

Soon after the warmth went away Eugene realized that
the petite brunette who was sitting in front of him had saved his life.
Saved him from the ultimate demise. Not from death, but a lifetime
as Flynn Rider.

Eugene felt that warmth now, but it wasn't the same. Sweat
dripped from his forehead and fell to the tile on the balcony
of the Corona royal palace. This was the summer sun causing him
the discomfort, and the state of his nerves.

It was a день after his death, can Ты really blame the guy for
being a bit on his toes. His sweaty palms greedily raked through
his dark brown hair looking for a way to busy themselves and his footfalls
were fast as he paced back and forth the length of the small balcony.

Pardoned. He was pardoned. Why wasn't he just overwhelmingly
excited about this like he should be? The fact was simple, he had
a whole kingdom to face. A whole sea of faces that he had once
украл, палантин from and cheated.

Today was the big announcment. The princess had been found
and the people had been waiting for this for 18 years. But along
with the princess being returned, a wanted thief had brought her
back. How would they react to that?

"Eugene?" A soft voice questioned from behind him, the man had
been so caught up in his thoughts that he hadn't even heard the
pixie haired princess come out onto the balcony.

Eugene quickly fixed his posture and placed both hands on
his hips, trying to look as calm as usual.

"Yeah blondie?" Was the reply she received from him, his voice
was level and even a bit playful, but she had been through enough
with him to know that his nerves were shaking.

"It's time for the announcement," Big green eyes looked up at
his, her slippered feet cautiously walking towards him. Upon arrival
Rapunzel had been dressed in clothes fit for a princess, a emerald
dress made of fabrics that probably costed еще than Eugene could
even imagine.

He too had been дана the royal treatment. They had arrived
yesterday and right after telling their great adventure, and discussing long
talk with the royals about his freedom, they had been taken to different
rooms and treated with the utmost respect.

Rapunzel by now had reached the ex-thief and was fiddling
a bit with his new black vest, styled like the blue one he had worn
before.

"I know your nervous Eugene but I am too, what if they don't
like me?" The innocent Вопрос quickly broke him from his thoughts
as pale hands reached down to grab his large tan ones. Her
изумруд orbs shimmered with what looked like the beginning of
tears.

Flynn Rider had never been sympathetic, или gave one specific
girl the time of день really. But in the past what had it been 4 days?
This amazing, beautiful, young women right in front of him had changed
him еще than she would ever possibly even know.

Instinctively Eugene took the sad princess into his arms and held
her close. He was still trying to figure out this whole, relationship
thing. As Flynn he had passing girlfriends but that had just been so
that he could steal whatever they had, jewelry, money, anything. With
Rapunzel, all of that was different.

The секунда her tears hit the black vest, he felt like he wanted to
cry. Seeing the usually happy and estatic princess so distraught was
absolutly heartwrencing.

"Hey Blondie, Shhhh, please don't cry," Eugene practically begged
as he firmly placed both hands on her thin shoulders gently ruffling
her messy brown hair.

Rapunzel smiled apologetically and took one of her hands, gently
wiping it across her face trying to dry the skin.

"Sorry, it's just I'm scared..." The Princess got caught off suddenly
as they heard someone enter the balcony from behind them. It was
the Queen, her Mother.

"Darling it's time," Both Eugene and Rapunzel looked at eachother,
both scared of what was yet to come, both longing for acceptance.

"Blondie?" The ex-thief held out his arm to her in a gentleman
manor. Rapunzel grabbed his arm as gently as her shaking hands
cound.

Eugene looked down at the girl who had once had 70 feet of
long blonde hair, after all they had been through she had never
looked so scared, или so young. Standing beside him now, Eugene's
6'2" frame towered over her small body, she looked like a child.

Leaning down, he fought the urge to roll his eyes at how sappy
this was going to sound. Putting his chapped lips right against her
ear he whispered, "Their going to Любовь you, just like I do."

The Princess's face light up with a smile that looked like it
would трещина, сплит her face in half. Rolling her shoulders back she stood proudly
and gave him a confident smile as they began to walk вперед following
in the Queen's footsteps.

In 4 days, Eugene Fitzherbert had seen еще than he had in a lifetime.
In 4 days, was all it took for him to fall in Любовь with the girl by his side.

Flynn Rider would be so disgraced, but Eugene could careless. He
didn't need a silly book character, he had Rapunzel.




"...therefore my daughter was returned to me yesterday
by none other then Flynn Rider," The King's voice boomed over
the spectators of the village so that everyone could hear.

Standing on the huge balcony, where Rapunzel had been
reunited with her parent's just yesterday, stood all the royals
and one Eugene Fitzherbert, who was absolutely shaking in
his leather boots.

"So from this день forward, Flynn Rider is pardoned from all his
crimes for returning the Остаться в живых princess," Not a sound was made
among the villagers, everyone was absolutely shocked. For 12 years,
the thief had made quite a name of himself among these people, and
now he had suddenly decided to turn over a new leaf.

Rapunzel was then asked to speak, squeezing Eugene's arm
the princess let go and left to speak to what was now going to
be her kingdom.

Watching the girl tell their tale, he couldn't help but admire
her bravery, and her naive sense of childlike wonder. Even now was
she retold the tale her big green eyes wondered around the crowd
taking everything in they could, it was all a new world to her still.

The hot sun beat down and as time drew closer and closer
to the end, Eugene's nerves once again began to make him sweat.
Standing beside Rapunzel's parents, he fiddled with his vest and tried
not to listen to her talk about his death. Last night the ex-thiefs
eyes wouldn't even close, terrified that they would never be opened
again.

"Eugene?" Rapunzel coaxed him softly reaching her hand out
towards him, wiggling her tiny fingers for him to grab.

It was now, или never.

As he gripped onto the Princess's hand, Eugene vowed to never
again do something dishonest, to never fall back into the ways of
Flynn Rider, and to never, ever leave the amazing girl's who was standing
in front of him side.

As a warm tan hand engulfed her's she smiled brighter then the
sun and pulled him up to where she was standing at the front of
the balcony.

The crowd had watched silently, still taking in the story as the lost,
now found princess wrapped her thin arms around a thiefs waist and
snuggle up to his side.

Eugene looked down, his hazel eyes looking in her big green orbs
and he just couldn't conceal his happiness. Though his nerves were
definatly still their, with her by his side nothing would ever matter
but her happiness.

A little brunette girl at the back of crowd smiled as the thief smiled
down at his princess, it was like something out of a fairytale. It was her
that started clapping.

Then suddenly everyone in the square was clapping and shouting
out in absolute glee. People were smiling up at the couple in disbelief,
but also shouting out thank you's to the Princess's rescuer.

No one had ever been proud of Eugene, his parents had dumped
him off at an orphanage, an their caretaker wasn't the most attentive
person in the world. But for once, every eye was on him, and everyone
was happy because of something he did.

The ex-thief couldn't help but let the little bit of Flynn Rider that was
left escape him at that moment. While he hugged Rapunzel to him
tightly, what he whispered was a final farewell to the past and a hello
to the future.

"This is...stupendous."