The Renewal of Our Vows [=

The morning that we would renew our wedding vows dawned...muggy and cloudy with a chance of storms.  The window was open in the bedroom, but there was hardly any breeze going. 
Tangled Fan had planned most of this ceremony for us, which was nice...but at the same time, I was slightly terrified to see what she'd thought up. 
Everyone was up bright and early -- the ceremony...or whatever you'd call it...started at 9 AM--and I guess nobody thought about getting me up, because I woke up at eight.  EIGHT!!!   Nobody else was on the table.  The night before, Belle had told me that she would leave her dress on the other side of the table (we were having the ceremony on Eugene's side of the table.  It was closer to the window, and it just worked out well.) and so I grabbed my brush and slipped over to see if she had.  Eugene was gone, even though the table had not been prepped yet, and so I slid around to behind the cutout and hurriedly undressed.  I needed to get ready, and FAST!
I took Belle's poufy dress and promptly got to work, worming my way into it.  As I was trying to squeeze into it, I heard clomping footsteps coming towards the cutout.
Eugene. 
Oh no. 
"Don't come behind the cutout, I'm getting dressed!"  I called. 
"Okay," he called back. 
I squeezed into the dress hurriedly, and started trying to get the Velcro fastened --that's always fun.  Unfortunately, I couldn't reach to squeeze the tight bodice shut 100%. 
Ohh, great...
I grunted, sucking in a breath as I tried to shut the Velcro at the middle of my back. 
"You okay back there?" 
"Y-yeahh...well...actually...can you come back here, please?  I can't...reach the Velcro."
"Okaayy," he cleared his throat, and within a few seconds, he was behind the cutout as well.  He yanked and tugged at the bodice edges until he got them fastened together.  "There you go." 
I sighed.  "Thank you...you're awesome." 
He laughed, and I quickly tried something new with my hair--pulling it around in a braid.  It makes more sense when you see the pictures...I can't explain it.  Anyway, Eugene watched while I did so, and the second I was done, he reached to turn me around to face him.  His warm eyes flicked over me from head to toe, a small smile creeping up on his face.  He led me out from behind the cutout before allowing his grin to blossom into a toothy smile.  "You look great!" 

"Mmh...I don't really think this dress is good on me, though.  The color...it's the same as my hair, almost.  And--OH, do you know where everyone else is?  I need to help them with stuff, if there's anything to do!  What time is it?!" 
"Okay...let's see.  First off, I was instructed to keep you from doing any prep work.  I'm about to get this place ready, but that'll just take a few minutes.  And FYI, you are beautiful.  I mean, you always are,
but...anyway.  And yeah, it's the same color as your hair, but it brings out your pretty green eyes...and the freckles on your nose."  he reached to kiss the tip of said nose, and then gave me a mushy sort of smile.  "Oh, and Tangled Fan is bringing the girls in a little bit...sorry I didn't tell you till now, but I just asked her to last night.  I figured you'd be asleep, so I didn't want to wake you up." 
Well.  THAT was a bit of a surprise!
"Hmmh...I probably look awful.  But--Wait.  The girls are coming?!"  I gasped.  "But--but what if...I didn't have time to re-read the posts about them--" he put a finger to my lips and shook his head, chuckling. 
"You look great.  Looks don't matter to me, anyway...it's the fact that after this morning, you'll officially be my girl again.  And the girls understand about what happened, so it's no big problem.  If you need to ask me about something, don't hesitate, okay?  Love you." 

I almost melted at that!  He bent to steal a quick kiss..and then the door opened. 

Tangled Fan bustled in.
Eugene pulled away quickly, and I put a hand to my stomach in surprise. 
Tangled Fan held her hand out to us, and in that hand were three ADORABLE little girls. 
Casey, Audrey, and Jordan!  My heart squeezed just at the sight of them, and I could hardly contain my excitement!


 She left them with us and then gave us some alone time together before we started the ceremony in half an hour. 
The girl with green eyes -- Casey -- just stared at me, wide-eyed, until I knelt in front of her, holding my arms out.  I could remember that she was shy, so I wanted to give her space if she needed it. 
She didn't need it.

The poor girl didn't waste any time throwing herself into my arms, and she buried her face in my neck.  I cuddled her close, standing up to see Audrey and Jordan.  Audrey was clinging to Eugene, but when I offered my other arm to her, she promptly reached over to get a hug from me.  Jordan was fussy, but quickly calmed down when Eugene started humming some sweet little song.  Nobody said anything at first, we just held the girls tight.  Casey was the first to speak up. 
"I love you...I missed you so much, Mommy," she looked up with those big green eyes, and my heart squeezed.  I told her I loved her, too...and Audrey as well...and I wasn't lying.  In the few seconds that I had met them -- well...seen them again, I guess--I fell in love with the three of them.  They were so sweet, and adorable, and...wow.  When Audrey agreed with Casey, the tears I had fought when Casey told me came out full force.
When Audrey came over to hug me again, Eugene shifted Jordan to his other arm so he could rub my back, noticing that I was on the verge of having a good cry.  Crying from happiness, mind you.
Once I had gained composure, I sat down with the three of them by myself as Eugene prepped the place for the ceremony.  The two older girls just could hardly contain their excitement, and I guess it was contagious, because Jordan started doing this adorable little belly laugh that made all of us start laughing.  It was an amazing way to calm down before the ceremony, but by the time 9 o' clock rolled around, I didn't want to leave the girls long enough to actually participate in the renewal of our vows!  xD 

Eugene had left the boxes tilted over, so the attendants could sit down. EVERYONE came, so every bit of the sitting space was used.  Even Punzie came, saying she wanted to make sure I was gone for SURE this time.  Belle and Zelia practically had to pry the girls away from me, but once they had, they held them there.  Kristoff was performing the ceremony, and he looked terrified.

I snagged Belle and thanked her for letting me use her dress, adding that she looked beautiful in the pink gown she'd donned.  She thanked me, saying that she liked it -- despite the fact that the bodice was much too loose in some spots...and then she waved me off, telling me to go as she gestured towards my husband.  I  hadn't realized that the guys were waiting, so I sprinted (and almost tripped) to go stand with Eugene.   
As soon as I did, the piano part of this beautiful little song came on.  I looked up in surprise, and Tangled Fan was beside her laptop.  That was when the tears sprang into my eyes...this was just so perfect.
The second I looked at Eugene, he flashed that special grin of his and took my hands in his.  Our eyes met, and I don't think either of us looked away for the majority of the whole entire thing. 
Kristoff mumbled the explanation of why we were here today, and I could tell he was soo embarrassed to be in front of people :D  I'm thankful he did it, though.
We didn't tie the ribbon, like you do when you get married...we just exchanged vows.
My guy went first.  He gave me an embarrassed little grin, shifting from foot to foot a couple of times.  "R-Rapunzel..."
"Eugene..." I mimicked, trying to get him to feel less shy, and he burst out laughing. 
Once he stopped, he smiled and squeezed my hands, silently thanking me.  "Hmm...well...I don't really know what to say.  There's so much I want to tell you, but I can't really put everything into words...you know how I am with words.  Well, let's just say...I love you.  I love you to the moon and back, and I can't even tell you how excited I am to have you back as my wife.  It was a long couple of months, and I, um...a couple of times, I thought I was going to lose you.  Spent more than a few nights not sleeping over that...and a couple more when I just couldn't stop thinking about you.  You drive me crazy, girl...seriously.  I promise I'll love you until the last day of my plastic life.  And if I ever argue with you about something--"
"Slap him in the face!  Or better yet, lemme at him!"  Zelia piped up, and I looked over to see she was crying.  I laughed when I saw Eugene's mock-terrified face. That's about when everyone else in the place lost it laughing.
"Please don't.  Keep me away from her, please!  YOU can slap my face all you want, but don't let her near me," he pretended to whimper fearfully, and at that point, I was laughing so hard I couldn't breathe.  It was quite the change, because I'd been crying over his sweet little speech up until that point.  I waited until I regained my composure, and then I dove into my little speech--which was nothing compared to his. I had had this great little speech planned, but in the midst of all this...I forgot it. 
"Well...gosh, I...I don't know what to say, either.  I planned this speech all out, and standing here...I just--I forgot it.  I blame it on you, because I got sidetracked by you."  he chuckled, and I continued.  "Um...I'm just eternally thankful I met you.  I'm thankful I met you when I met you the first time, and I'm glad you stuck with me, even after I forgot everything.  I'm sooo thankful for you.  You've helped me through so many things, and you're my very best friend.  I care about you so, so much, and I don't think I'll ever stop.  And I can't wait to start--" I froze as I messed that up.  I wasn't STARTING my life with him....I was resuming it.  I gave him a slightly horrified look, and he gave my hands a squeeze of reassurance before whispering 'it's okay'.  "I can't wait to CONTINUE, rather, my life with you.  You and those adorable girls over there...I'm so thankful for all of you." I looked over towards the girls, and Audrey and Casey grinned.  "And...that's about it, I guess?  And yes.  I will take you up on that offer to swat you if you're arguing with me.  But I doubt I'll have many chances to do so...at least, I hope not." 
He laughed, and Kristoff finished up the ceremony.  When Kris said that we could kiss, moving from his spot beside us, Eugene glanced over towards the girls, a teasing look on his face.
"You know, Rapunzel...we always had this rule that we could never kiss in front of the girls...I guess the renewal of our vows is cancelled, then--"
Audrey took the bait, while Casey seemed to know what was up.  She jumped up out of Zelia's lap and gave her daddy a horrified look.  "No, it ISN'T!  You kiss Momma, right now...I can't wait one more minute to have my mommy back!"
We all laughed at her prompt and demanding response, and while I was laughing, Eugene gave me an impish grin.

  "Well, we can't let the little lady wait, now can we...?"  before suddenly tipping me backwards and kissing me.  It only lasted a second because we were both laughing, and when he tipped me upright again, I gave him a teasing swat on the arm.  We turned around, and before we could even move a step, the two oldest girls threw themselves at us :D
Tangled Fan had a whole party planned, apparently.
As soon as that little song had finished its' final round, she turned on some other music and snagged her camera.  Oh boy.
"I thought you guys could have a little party.  Music, dancing, talking...whatever you please.  I'll stay outta the way, but I do want to get some pictures," she told us, and I nodded.

And thus, the party started.  It was just a flurry of craziness and fun.  We talked with everyone, and between the two of us, we juggled the three girls until the two oldest had had enough and wanted down to play some. 
I was surprised to see Zelia talking to Anna....and there was no bloodshed or yelling! 

And I'm pretty sure that kids are in the future of Elsa and Kristoff...since they stood watching the girls play for a good while.  When Jordan fell asleep, Eugene finally convinced me to let her sleep on the floor behind the cutout...which was no easy task.  I wanted to hold her forever =D 
Speaking of Eugene...oh, goodness.  He stuck by my side like GLUE the whole entire time, and the only time he left me was to go play with the girls. 
We all decided to dance for awhile -- we tried to refrain from too many slow or couple dances, so everyone could dance.  I've never seen my sister dance....let's just say that she did not have a great teacher, and I know for sure now that she is my sister.  I think once, she tripped and about knocked Elsa down xD
 For one of the couples' dances, Ray grabbed my sister and danced with her.  I'm pretty sure she was shocked...as were the rest of us. 
As soon as I saw what was happening, I raced over to Eugene (I had been standing by myself with Jordan, while he talked with Casey and Audrey after they called him over for something) and tapped his shoulder.  He glanced away from the girls.  "What?"

"Zelia.  Ray.  Look!"  I hissed, trying to gesture vaguely.  Kristoff noticed, too, and I could see his eyes widen from here!
Eugene choked, which he quickly attempted to cover up by coughing.  "Wow.  Um...didn't see that coming."  We stared at the both of them, and even saw Zelia smile up at him. 
WHOA.
When the song ended, she left his arms and he gave a little bow...and then she turned away.  Towards us. 
CRUMBS!
I quickly averted my attention back to Jordan, but poor Eugene was frozen in surprise...his mouth was hanging open.  I elbowed him, and he snapped his mouth shut hard enough to clack his teeth together, hard.  He grimaced, cleared his throat, and quickly turned away, back to the girls.   
A good while after that, Jordan went to sleep again, so I took her back behind the cutout to sleep. 
I was just starting to feel a little overwhelmed with all of the noise and everything, and it was a bit loud,  (I have no idea how Jordan slept!) so when I took her back, I leaned up against the cardboard, watching her sleep. 
After a few minutes, Eugene crept back, grinning. 
"She asleep?"
"Mmhmm," I nodded, and he reached to slip his arms around my waist. 
"So, are you enjoying yourself?  You looked kinda overwhelmed." he whispered. 
"Yeah, I'm having fun...it's just that all the dolls and the chatter and everything started getting to me.  I'm okay...plus, I wanted to check up on little Miss Cutie," I gave him a reassuring smile, and he gave me a quick hug. 
"Okay, m'lady.  Just wanted to make sure," he gave me that special grin of his before bending to give me a quick, gentle kiss.
As we were kissing, we both heard a little giggle.  I quickly pulled away from him to see...none other than Casey and Audrey, peeking in at us.  And then ZELIA poked her head out! 
The trio gasped and ducked back away from the cutout, and Eugene looked at me, an impish gleam coming into his eyes.
"I say we get them."  he tried to keep a straight face, but the excitement and happiness in his eyes were clear. 
"Mmmhmmm," I giggled as he grabbed my hand and pulled me out from behind the cutout, where we promptly chased down the girls and engaged in tickling the both of them until they laughed so hard no sound came out.  I was laughing fairly hard as well :D  When that was taken care of, Eugene risked sneaking up behind Zelia to tickle her sides, and I'm pretty sure he got a few good smacks on the hands...no, I'm POSITIVE he did!  :D
About an hour after that, Anna wandered up to me, rubbing her arm awkwardly. 
"Um...can I talk to you for a-a minute?  Alone?" 
I nodded, wondering what on earth she was going to tell me.  Eugene nodded and quickly left, but he kept an eye on us.
"I'm sorry for being such a jerk.  I was so senseless, and...I'm sorry for everything I've put you and your family through; it won't happen again."  When she said it wouldn't happen again, a strange expression crossed her face.
"It's fine -- I haven't been mad at you," I reassured her with a smile.   I was a little on edge--c'mon, who wouldn't be? --but I kept a smile on my face.  "Thank you for coming today!"
She nodded.  "Thanks for having us."  we stood awkwardly, looking around, but then she reached to give me a quick hug...and just like that, she left. 

After that, Tangled Fan gathered everyone up to take some pictures. Seems  like Aunty Z missed the girls quite a bit as well...the girls got a picture (I don't have it, though, unfortunately...) with Zelia, and she wouldn't let me have Jordan back afterwards! She literally gave me a shove and told me to 'enjoy the day while she enjoyed her adorable niece'.  :P

Yup.  My wonderful sis pulled a 'bunny ears' on me...and I didn't notice until Tangled Fan showed this one to me. 

And of course, I LOVE how this turned out (:

When the crowd finally dispersed to the other side of the table, we persuaded Tangled Fan to leave the girls here.  It took a little bit of convincing, because she thought I would want a day or two to settle back into my role as wife before I resumed my role as mother, but she did give in.  (:
It was about 11:30 PM, and I quite frankly have no clue how everyone talked and danced and just hung out for so long...yikes.  I know one thing was for sure...I was beyond exhausted.  I helped to put the girls to bed, and settled down on the wicker chair to get Jordan to fall asleep after that. 
When she was asleep--which didn't take more than a couple of minutes -- Eugene came over and stood in front of us. 
"Hmm....I missed that sight.  She asleep?" 
"Mmhmm," I nodded, kissing the top of her head before I allowed him to take her.  I wandered back behind the cutout to change into my nightie and brush my hair, and Eugene made sure Jordan was going to stay asleep in her bed while I did that.

  When I was making our own bed--which had been set upright for the day--, Eugene asked if I was decent.  I said I was, and within a few seconds, I felt him slide his arms around my waist from behind. 
I tossed the blanket back on the bed before I turned to look at him.  "What?"
"Love ya," he winked before kissing the tip of my nose.
I grinned before collapsing dramatically against him.  "I didn't realize how tiring a party could possibly be.."
He laughed.  "Yeah...I didn't think they'd stick around that long.  I guess they enjoyed themselves,"
I nodded, pulling away from his arms so we could go to bed.  I don't think I've ever been so happy to go to bed in my life...I was so tired!  I started to pull the covers up and smooth them over the both of us, but then I noticed him staring at me in an odd way.  "What? Did I...did I do something--"
"No-no-no-no, no...you're fine.  It's just that you used to do that before, too," he gave me a reassuring smile, and I pressed my edge of the blanket up against my chest, thinking about that.
"Really?  I just...I just wish I could remember everything!"  I stared down at the blanket, trying to concentrate to see if I could remember something more.  Nah...it just made me yawn. 
"Hey...c'mere," he broke my thoughts,  so I let myself tip over backwards.  He put both his arms around me and pulled me as snug to him as possible, sighing contentedly. 
"You have no idea how happy I am to have you back, sweet girl of..."
I missed the rest of what he said, because I fell asleep.

Save the Date (:

~Rapunzel
This morning, bright and early at seven, I was up.  Since Eugene said he'd be up at seven, I brushed my hair, smoothed my dress out (which was wrinkled from me sleeping in it), snagged Pascal, and rushed to his side of the table.  He wasn't up, or so it seemed, so I crept back to peek behind the cutout.  He wasn't there, either...maybe he was on the window?  I went behind the cutout and pulled the curtain back, looking at the windowsill. 
He wasn't there, either!
Um...
I turned around to call for him, and was met face-to-face with none other than Eugene.
Instead of being relieved, I gasped and jumped back in surprise.  My foot slipped, and I almost went off the edge of the table, and that's when he grabbed me, chuckling. 
"Sorry--I didn't think you'd be quite that surprised.  You alright?" 
"Geez, Eugene!  How did you even DO that??" I exclaimed, giving him a wide-eyed stare. 
"I heard you come in, and I was still in bed, so I slipped around to come out through the OTHER side of the cutout...and when I saw you go in to check the windowsill, I followed you.  I was going to grab your shoulders or scare you, but you turned around before I could," he said, giving me a crummy little grin. 
I shoved him.  "I promise you, if you do that again, I'll--"
"-kiss me?"  he finished my sentence. 
"Yes!"  I gave him an exasperated look.  "YOU know--Wait.  Umm, no.  I-I meant--"
He laughed.  "I was wondering how long it would take you...sorry." 
"Are you always this terrible?!" I threw my hands up in the air, but I wasn't even anywhere close to being mad at his antics. 
"Mmm...I might be slightly more obnoxious today, but that's just because I'm relieved and excited,"
I giggled.  "I'll say...ohh, what am I getting myself into?" 
With a laugh, he took my hand and twirled me around.  "I quite frankly have no idea, darling, but I think it's called love, and oh, what a lovely mess it is, indeed!"  -- Spoken with a terrible attempt at a British accent.  Or something.  I'm not really sure what you'd call that!
I laughed when he twirled me until I bumped up against him, and then he put his hands on my waist.  "Ahh, I see.  What a mess, that's for sure!" 
He gave me a surprised laugh, and I guess it was because I played along with the sudden British accent game.  "Hmm...well, Rapunzel - my love - why don't we go see about talking to the human?" 
I grinned, rolling my eyes teasingly.  "Why yes, kind sir...let's." 

We left the table to find Tangled Fan, who was just getting her laptop out, so it didn't take long. 
"Tangled Fan!"  he yelled...still in a terrible accent.  I elbowed him in the ribs, and he dropped the accent, his face turning beet red.  I guess he must've forgotten to not talk to Tangled Fan in his awful accent..?  Regardless, it was all I could do not to start laughing. 

It didn't take us long to discuss anything.  She said she would do everything and make sure we had a nice little day planned out (which, handing everything over to Tangled Fan quite frankly terrified me), and we will renew our vows on Wednesday, June 11th at 9 AM.  Not too far out, surprisingly!  I'm very excited, of course...and Eugene's just about bouncing off the walls.
When Tangled Fan left us to our own devices, he turned to me, arms spread out. 
I grinned and accepted his silent invitation, slipping in to hug him. 
"I can't wait for Wednesday," he said, nuzzling my hair a second before kissing the top of my head. 
I nodded, and then he pulled away. 
"Well...since we have the day...what do you want to do?  Dance?"  he suggested. 
I gasped.  "That would be awesome!" 
He smiled, taking my hand in his, and we went to get the MP3 and headphones.

When we turned it on, the first song to come on was 'I See the Light'.  He grinned, swept me into his arms, and we started to dance to it.  Halfway through, though, I cleared my throat. I just felt like I'd done this before. 
"Have we danced to this before?"  I asked, looking up to meet his eyes. 
He didn't miss a beat, just kept leading me around and around as he thought, scrunching his nose up.  "Um...actually...yeah, we have!  Did you remember something?" 
I smiled.  "It just felt like we had before."
"Mmhm.  It was the first song we ever danced to.  I was so horrible -- I'd never danced before--but you were so patient in teaching me-"
"Wait.  I taught you?"  I asked.  "You said you had had a great teacher..."
"Yup, and I meant it," he winked, and I blushed. 

We spent the whole day together, not doing anything in particular.  Late in the evening, when all the dolls came back from their week-long expedition, we were still on the floor.  We asked Zelia and Belle to stay back with us, and they did. 
"What?"  Zelia asked immediately. "I'm tired, I want to go back to the shelf...state your business!" 
"You guys free on Wednesday, at 9 AM?"  I asked. 
"Why?"  Zelia gave us a cross look, but a small smile lifted the corners of Belle's lips. 
"We're renewing our vows," I answered. 
She just stared at us.  Belle gasped and hurried over to hug both Eugene and I. 
"I am so happy that you will both get the happily ever after you deserve," she smiled kindly.  "It seems as though Zelia is rather tongue-tied about the matter, though!"
I glanced back up at my sister, whose lips were flubbing around uselessly, until she finally managed, "G-good grief.  I leave for a week, and LOOK what happens!  Did you tell her?" 
"She, um...found out on her own.  I just filled in things she needed to know," he cast me a loving glance. 
"When?" 
"Well...all this week, I guess,"
He apparently didn't want to talk about my dumb little meltdown, so we'd leave that out. 
"Told you you could do it," she immediately went over and punched Eugene's shoulder before going over to give me a sisterly hug.  "I'm so happy for you guys...really.  I almost feel like crying.  It's probably just from exhaustion, though."  she whispered to me as she hugged me. 
I laughed.  "Ohh, Zelia...we're polar opposites, but you're a great sis."  I patted her on the back, and she took a deep breath before standing a bit straighter. 
"So.  Wednesday at 9?" 
"Yep...this Wednesday!"  Eugene said. 
"What dress will you wear?"  Belle piped up.
"I haven't really considered it...I'll probably just wear this one," I shrugged, looking down at my normal purple dress. 
"Oh, no, no!  You can wear my dress!"  Belle smiled excitedly, grabbing a lock of my hair and holding it to her yellow skirt.  "You would look fantastic in it!" 
"Ohh, I don't know...it's really kind of you to offer, though," I said.  I didn't want to wear it because I was afraid I'd trip and ruin it or something. 
"I insist.  You would be sooo pretty!"  she started babbling on and on about...I'm not even sure what all...dresses, hair, excitement over us renewing our vows...and I gave Eugene a frantic glance a couple of times.  Zelia caught it, though, and broke in to say that she wanted to go back. 
Belle nodded, and almost stayed talking anyway, but she repeated her request before actually taking her arm and toting her off.  Belle promised we'd talk later...oh boy. 

When they left, I turned back to Eugene.  "So...hubby..."
He chuckled.  "I've missed hearing that from you." 
I grinned.  "I wish I remembered everything..."
"Yeah, but that's fine.  Don't you trust me?  I'll help you out, I promise," he moved to cup my face in his hands. 
"I trust you, I just..wish I didn't HAVE to ask you!" 
He nodded.  "It'll be tough, I'm sure...but everything will work out.  Who knows, maybe you'll remember more stuff." 
I nodded, closing my eyes and trying to concentrate for a few moments, trying to MAKE myself remember something...anything...else.  My concentration was broken when he asked what was wrong. 
"Um...nothing.  I was just trying to make myself remember something." 
He nodded.  "Well...enough of that.  Shall we go wait for the stars to come out tonight?  I bet they'll be out; it's been cloud-free so far all day." 
I grinned.  "Sure!" This guy...how did I ever even think for a second that he had used me? 

I Lied...I'm Back, and Better Than Ever. [=

~Rapunzel
This afternoon, when I went to turn on Tangled Fan's tablet, I found a sticky note attached to the screen. 
"If you're afraid to talk to me, don't be.  And if you think I'm mad, I'm not, I promise.  But if this is the last you want to see or hear of me, I promise it will be.  Just let me know one way or the other...even if it's just a note.  I'm worried about you.."
I cried.  I HAD been wanting to talk to him, but I was just scared.  I had gone through alllll of the blog posts --I actually read them all...twice...up to the post explaining about my accident.  I had also looked up that Thompson Square song he had had me listen to when we broke up before we got engaged...(guess I'm best known for my stupid mistakes, huh??) and it made me remember THE ENTIRE EVENING.  Reading the posts, I also remembered quick little fragments.  I remembered quite a bit about Casey, Audrey, and Jordan, which makes sense, because he's talked so much about them.  I also remembered talking to Zelia about something.  But...back to the current time, I couldn't believe how stupid I had been.  That assumption that he was married didn't even make sense...but at the time, it did.  I felt so horrible about how I had treated him, and I couldn't believe that he cared so much about me.  I didn't deserve that! 
But after I dried my eyes, I suddenly began to feel giddy.  He wanted to see me, so he'd see me. 
I snagged Pascal, and hurried to his side of the table.  He wasn't there, but I found out where I had been hearing quiet strains of some familiar song.  He was under the chair, listening to Tangled Fan's MP3 player.  He had the headphones, of course, but had it just loud enough that I caught a few louder notes every once in awhile. 

As soon as I caught a glimpse of him under the chair--which was pulled up to the table-- I suddenly got nervous.  I didn't know why, but I did.  What would I say?  What would I...oh boy.
My heart almost immediately started thundering.  I dropped down from the table to the chair, almost tripping over my own hair.  After I untangled my legs from my hair, I took a deep breath, glanced at Pascal, who was on my shoulder, and then laid down on my belly, hanging my head over the edge of the chair.  He was RIGHT THERE, but he had his eyes shut, and the music was probably too loud for him to hear me when I said 'hey you'.  I could hear what he was listening to, and it was that Thompson Square song....If I Didn't Have You, I think? 
That's when I noticed the wet on his cheeks.
Enough of THAT!  I took a lock of my hair, leaning over as much as I could so I could just barely tickle the tip of his nose with it. 
"Hello," I giggled when his eyes flew open and he swatted at his face.  He was in the middle of scratching his nose when he finally saw me. 
His eyes lit up like a little boy's.  "Rapunzel?!  H-how long have you been here?  I'm sorry, I didn't notice you-"
"It's fine," I laughed as he scrambled to turn the music off.  "That's the song you had me listen to before we got engaged, right?" 
He finally looked me in the eye, and he gave me a surprised smile.  "Yeah, it is...I had it on, uh...I had it on repeat."
"Hmm.  Okay, we'll talk as soon as I get down," I told him, standing up.  He jumped up as well, and then held his hands up, giving me an adorable smile. 
"I'll catch ya,"
I sat down and allowed myself to slide off of the edge of the chair, and he quickly caught my waist, setting me down ever so gently on my feet.  Suddenly, though, he bit his lip and gave me a mildly concerned look. 
"So...what's the verdict?" 
"Um...I don't really know what all to say.  I have a lot to say, you know.  But I do know one thing, and the verdict is that I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you all over again.  How's that?"
He gulped, and I thought he was going to hyperventilate for a minute there.
Finally, he chuckled.  "I would normally have a quick answer to give to you in response to that, but I can't even think straight.  I blame you,"
"Okay.  Well...I-I read everything, and I even remembered a few things.  I remembered the night we got engaged, and quite a bit about the girls, and talking to Zelia about something.  I'm glad you gave me that note, because I WAS scared to talk to you.  Anyway, I'm so sorry for accusing you of all that stuff, and-and for all the hateful things I told you.  I was so dumb...as always.  I don't even deserve to be with you...you're so great of a guy, and I'm just...I'm me.  I screw up--"
"Alright...I'm gonna stop you there.  You don't screw everything up, and it's okay.  I love you--oh, gosh...I love you so much, honey..." he grabbed me into the tightest hug I could ever imagine -- so tight that he literally lifted my feet up off of the ground a tiny bit, to be exact.  But before I could settle into the hug and return it, he let go of me and gave me a wide-eyed stare.  "Wait.  You remembered--you remembered a few things?"
"Mmhmm-- I mean, not EVERYTHING...I wish I could remember everything, but I can't.  Just what I said about," I rambled.  That's when he sprinkled my face in at least half a dozen soft kisses -- across my cheeks, my nose, and on my forehead.  And then he hugged me again, bending so he could bury his face into the crook of my neck...right before his shoulders started shaking. 
"Eugene, geez...why are you crying?!"  I was slightly alarmed. 
He sniffed and pulled himself together before lifting his head to look at me.  "I'm just so glad...you don't know how many nights I spent up, worrying about you and wondering if we would be able to resume our life together.  And if I wasn't worrying about that, I was promising that if we would get back together, I wouldn't let you out of my sight again.  So don't, um...don't be upset  if I'm a little squirrel-y about letting you climb anything tall.  And...it's awesome that you remembered that much!" he gave me that crooked grin, and I had to smile. 
"Okay.  Don't cry, though, because if you do, I'll start up, and then..." I trailed off, reaching up to wipe his damp cheeks before kissing the tip of his nose.
He chuckled.  "Okay.  So, are you free today?" 
"Pssh, Eugene, no.  I'm the most popular doll here, so I'm spending all day with my doting doll followers.  You know how many I have!  Punzie, Anna, Emma...."  I joked sarcastically, and he laughed. 
"Mmhmm...okay.  I guess that's more important than talking with your husband, who has missed you this week..." he sighed, backing away from me with what seemed like a poor attempt at a forlorn face. 
I giggled.  "Come back here," I said, reaching to pull him into another hug.  He sidestepped quickly, staying JUST out of reach, and continued backing up away from me teasingly, giving me a silly grin.  He had a mischievous glint in those perfect brown eyes, so I played along. 
At least...until he tripped over his own feet and started backpedaling.  I didn't stop in time, and when he went down, I tripped over HIS feet, too.  Luckily, I didn't land right on him when I fell face first onto the floor...which would have been awkward.
"You okay?"  he asked, even though he was still laughing. 
"Yeah.  Are you?"  I grinned, not even embarrassed over my fall...my face was red, though.  I propped my chin up on my arms and peeked at him from the corner of my eyes, and caught him grinning at me.  
"Never better," he said -- and I'm pretty sure that didn't mean that he was okay after tripping. 
I turned over on my back, putting my hands behind my head, and then just laughed.  "We're so weird..." 
"Yup, but I wouldn't have it any other way," he agreed, his teasing smile turning into that special little grin that only he can make...the one that makes my heart flip-flop a little bit.

We talked late into the night, and eventually decided to talk to Tangled Fan in the morning about renewing our wedding vows, but then he cleared his throat and asked if I wanted to stargaze. 
I gasped.  "Eugene, is that even a question?!  Yes, of course!"
He laughed.  "Well...c'mon."
I gathered Pascal, and we headed for the windowsill...only to see that the sky was blanketed in thick clouds laden with rain. 
"Hmmm..." I sighed.  "Looks like we'll have to stargaze another day." 
"Yep...sorry for getting your hopes up," he cleared his throat and peered out the window.  I followed him and tucked myself under his arm, putting my own arms loosely around his midsection. 
He chuckled, kissing my hair before he gave me a one-armed hug.  We just stayed there for a couple of minutes, and then I spoke up. 
"If you don't want to renew our vows, I'm fine with that, too...I mean, I think it's a pretty big thing just for me, just because I can't remember our wedding day.  Then, we could get back to being husband and wife, and parents quicker." 
"No, it's fine!   I want to make sure you're comfortable with it, and I know you wouldn't be comfortable just going from thinking I betrayed you  to back to being a wife and mother within a week...so that's just fine." 
I grinned.  "I guess you do know me better than I know myself." 
"Well...we HAVE known each other for almost nine months.  That's a good while in doll time." 
"I guess..." I sighed.  "I wish I could remember EVERYTHING!  I feel pretty stupid, not remembering all this stuff." 
He turned so we were facing each other, and he took my hands in his.  "Hey...don't say that, and don't think that.  Like I said...I'll help you remember.  Whenever you're not sure about something, just talk to me.  I'll be happy to reminisce." 
I smiled, trying not to tear up.  "Okay, mister perfection..."
He laughed, reaching to kiss my nose.  "I suppose....we should probably go to bed.  It's eleven-"
"Eleven?!"  I gasped.  "I guess so...wow." 
He grinned.  "Yup.  Time flies when you're having fun, I guess?" 
"Guess so, " I agreed, letting him lead me over to his side of the table.  We stopped at the divider, and I gave him a smile, reaching to hug him.  He gave me yet another perfect hug, and when he pulled away, I bit my lip and blushed.  I wanted to give him a kiss--since we ARE married, I guess--but I was kind of nervous about it, I'm not sure why. 
"What?"  he asked.  "You look like you're worried." 
"I AM a little nervous..." I trailed off before standing up on tiptoe, pulling him by the shirt collar so I could reach to kiss him.  He stiffened in surprise, but then he slid one arm around me, putting his other hand on the back of my head before he gave me a fervent kiss in return.  I'm pretty sure it contained any pent-up emotions he may have had...all I know is that it was perfect and it made my stomach erupt in butterflies,  my heart pounding. 
When our lips parted, he grinned down at me. 

"Hmm...that was pretty terrible."
Not quite what I was expecting, but at the same time...it's Eugene.  Only he could say that and NOT ruin the moment.  
 I laughed.  "YOU'RE terrible." 
"You wouldn't like my any other way!"  he bumped his forehead against mine before brushing his lips against mine again, and I grinned. 
"Probably not.  Okay...I'll see you in the morning.  What time?" 
"Yup...bright and early.  I'm up at seven," he told me, "and if I'm not, just come and scream in my face." 
Hmm....imagine me screaming in someone's face....I can't see it.  Can you guys? 
"Okay," I laughed.
We said our good-nights, and he gave me a kiss on the cheek and one last hug before I left for my side of the table.  I didn't bother changing into my nightie, I just faceplanted on the floor with Pascal, curled up, and went to sleep, relieved to have this resolved. 
But oh my gosh...I can't believe this was all real.  He's my husband.  We have three kids.  And...oh, wow.  I'm a really lucky girl.  I can't wait for tomorrow, and I can't wait until we can renew our vows! 

Curiosity Killed the Cat

~Rapunzel
This is going to be my last time posting on here.  In HIS favor, I'll write everything down about the whole day...apologies if I get a bit cynical, but when you get to the end, you will understand why.  I don't even know why I'm typing this! 

Yesterday, EVERYONE else started off for a week-long trip exploring the house.  Of course, I wasn't invited, because Anna and Punzie were going along.  Big surprise there, right? 
So today, Eugene was gone for most of the day.  To keep myself busy, I sung and danced by myself.  I had a question for him about the blog, so I just couldn't WAIT for him to get back.

When he did, I promptly hurried over to his side of the table. 
"Hey!"  I said excitedly.  Ahh, gotta love the feeling of excitement you get when you see someone you love, right? 
"Hey, yourself," he gave me that smile of his -- the one that made my stomach erupt in butterflies.  Then, he pulled a small stem of slightly wilted flowers from behind his back.  "Tangled Fan got a bunch of little flowers so I could give them to you and the girls.  They're, ah...kinda wilted up, but-"

I was so excited.  I was soo, so happy.  "Oh my gosh, Eugene!  Thank you so much!"  

With a chuckle, he handed them to me.  I wasted no time, going ahead to bury my face in them and take a deep whiff.  I'd never smelled flowers before!  I'd never been given flowers before, either.  

"Mmm...they smell soo sweet!  Thank you so, so much!"  I looked up at him and grinned, and he laughed. 
"You have some yellow gunk on your nose," he told me before he dabbed it off himself.  After he wiped his fingers on his pants, he pulled me close and gave me a quick kiss on the forehead. 

"So, how was your day?"  he asked.  

I moved away so I could set the flowers down in a safe place, and then I slid back into his arms.  For the moment being, I felt so at home and so comfortable in his arms... ugh. 
"Well, everyone else left last night for this week-long expedition to explore the house, and of course, I had to stay behind...Punzie and Anna, y'know?  So, I just sang and danced by myself today.  It was pretty fun, actually...nobody pushing me around or saying mean things.  OH, I have a question for you!  Someone commented on your last blog post, but they directed it towards me...I saw the preview of it, but I didn't go see the whole thing, because I didn't want to...you know...look at your post, because you said not to." 
He nodded.  "You can stick around here as much as you like, then, if you're all by yourself over there.  I mean, you always CAN, but...you know.  Anyway, uh...yeah, you can answer it.  Noo problem.  It's not like I'm hiding bad secrets there or anything, so I really...I just...um..am self-conscious of my writing."  [Hmmph.  Yeahh...right.]
"Aw, I'm sure your writing is good!" I told him. 

 We talked for a little while, but then I left for my side (where I had left Tangled Fan's tablet) to go check on that comment before I forgot. 

Before I left, I made sure to snag the flowers -- of course.  He gave me the usual hug, kiss on the cheek, and 'I love you, see you later', and I did the same.  

I was on cloud 9, as I normally was after I'd had a visit with him, when I went to check the comment.  

It was on the last post on the blog (Sorry about that, nothing really interesting has been going on, but I had been visiting with him everyday.  Y'know...falling in love...) when I caught sight of something on the page. 
Something about him not wanting to let me meet the orphan girls because he couldn't make them 'pretend to not know their mother'.  

Mother?  

Since I'm obviously not married to him, and I had never met the girls, I  decided to do a little digging.  

I flipped through a couple of the most popular posts.

Apparently, he has a thing for clumsy 2010 Rapunzels. 
He has a wife.  

I was too mad to cry.  Didn't he think I had gone through enough already?!  Why, why, WHY??!!  UGH! 

I grabbed the tablet, the flowers, and Pascal, and stormed over to his side of the table, where he was sitting. 
He greeted me with a surprised smile as he strode over to me. 

"Y-you...you could've told me." I gave him a firm shove right off the bat, knocking him right back away from me. 
"What?" He gave me a slightly terrified and confused look.
"THIS.  What the heck is all this?!"  I shoved the tablet at him and flicked through several pictures he, or his WIFE, rather, had on "our" blog. 
He stammered around terribly for a few minutes, and I could feel my eyes watering as I waited for a response.  My stomach was twisted in knots, and I wanted to be furious at him, but suddenly, all I could feel was sorrow.  For so long...so long...he had led me to believe he loved me, and it turns out it was unrequited affection once more.  Why?  When he just answered me with an 'it's complicated...sit down for a minute', I just gave up.  I should've known better to have hoped he truly cared for me!  I'd just gotten played...just like last time.  But wait...I still wanted answers.
"Well, where's she at...that girl?  It looks like you have a THING for the 2010 model.  And what about--what about all your kids?  Nice to know you were visiting your CHILDREN, not orphans like you told me you were."  I glared, oozing sarcasm.  "I ought to warn your WIFE about what's been going on!  She should at least have fair warning to know something like this could happen again!  And why hasn't she been posting?  Or HAS she, and I just didn't notice because of your stupid little 'no reading' rule?"  
"She's...well...the kids were taken away.  And she is standing right in front of me."  he gave me a serious look.
Was the doll delusional?
"What, then...are you, like...are you mad?!"  I barked.
"No, I'm not mad--"
"Mad as in crazy in the head."   Stupid...! 
"No.  I'm not that, either.  I --"
"I don't want to hear any more excuses!"  I put my hand up, hauling the tablet along with me as I turned to leave.  "I'm done.  I'm sick of MEN!"  I gave the tablet a firm shove to the other side of the table.

"Wait...you don't understand.  Let me explain-"  he succeeded in grabbing my arm.
"Did you not just hear me?" I was mad at myself for the tears that were spilling down my cheeks.  "Let me go!" 
"Please...just listen for..f-for five minutes, Rapunzel--"
"NO!  Let me go, you sick, twisted...freak!  I can't believe you....!"  I cried.   I managed to yank away from him, and I almost fell down.  I managed to stay on my feet, though, and I quickly stumbled back on the other side of the table.  My side.  I'd never cross to the other side of that table again.  I was finished.  I was finished with relationships, and liars, and men who used you and made you think they loved you, and...I'm done with LOVE.  Finished.
 Why must I be so naive....?
I went to my corner, where I'd left Pascal, and sat down.  Nobody was there, of course. Part of me was glad nobody was there to see me like this, but part of me wanted Zelia or Belle.  But they might not even care...Why WOULD anyone care, anyway?  It's ME.  I'm stupid, and I'm worthless, and...why can't I be smart for once??
I can honestly say that this is worse, though.  Looking back, I should have seen it coming with Flynn.  But Eugene had been so sweet with me, and had told me nearly every day that he loved me.  Why??  Didn't he think I had been through enough the first time??!  And yet, my stupid heart kept squeezing every time I thought about him.  Why did it?  Some small voice kept telling me that he hadn't used me, and I wished it would shut up!  I was too shocked to even cry, but if I COULD cry, I would probably feel better.  I felt like I was going to throw up.

Our Memorial Day

Eugene

Happy Memorial Day, everyone!  We might be dolls, but we still make sure to dedicate today to all the soldiers that fought to keep the place we live in safe.  Are any of you guys doing anything for Memorial Day? 
Zelia and I convinced Tangled Fan to let us take the girls outside for the first time...and she actually let us!  She made sure we waited until the backyard was cleaned up and mowed (they're having a picnic or something later, I guess)...and then she let us take them out.  She limited us to the ramp and the small strip of grass by the ramp, but that's plennnty of space for us dolls --it's humongous for the kids!  Zelia and I took turns staying in the shade with Jordan to keep her safe from the sun, and when one was watching her, the other was playing with and keeping track of rambunctious little Audrey and Casey.
When I told the girls we were going outside, they were just bouncing off the walls. 
"Really?!"  Casey gasped.
"You mean...you mean for real?"  Audrey overlapped her sister before they both started squealing and running in impatient circles around us.  That sent Jordan crying, so I asked them to calm down until they were set loose outside, and they obliged...somewhat. 

Buddy, they had a BLAST.  They were so happy to get out of that old box Tangled Fan has them in, poor things.  They ran...and ran...and ran...and tripped and kept running...and jumped, screamed, giggled, and played for a good solid hour, playing anything from tag-you're-it to hide and seek, plus a few little games they've invented themselves. 
  I think we were all exhausted by the time Tangled Fan came back out to get us.  Jordan was sleeping, and the other two were so tired that they went to sleep as soon as they got back to their box.  After we exchanged our normal 'love you, see you again really soon's, Tangled Fan took Zelia and I back.  I was reluctant to let them go, as was usual, but we headed back to the bedroom anyway. 

As we walked, we talked. 
"So...how are things moving along with you and Rapunzel?"  Zelia asked me.  "She seems pretty fascinated by you at this point." 
I grinned.  "I'm hoping that it won't be too much longer, but you never know.  I want to make sure not to go too fast for her,"
"Yeah.  You don't want to lose her now," Zelia groaned.  "If you would, I think I would slap you.  Repeatedly." 
"No doubt in my mind.  I want to tell her about everything, but I just can't think of the right time to tell her.  I don't want to freak her out, and I don't know if she trusts me enough yet."  I added. 
"Mmhm.  You should wait for a little while, just don't wait too long,"
We talked a little bit more about her, and Ray and Belle as well, until we got to their side of the table.  I followed Zelia up, and saw Rapunzel was sitting in her corner....alone...with Pascal.  Belle, Elsa, Anna, Emma, and Piper were gone, leaving her with Ray, Kristoff, Hans, and Punzie. 
Well, I can see where this is going...."Hey, you," I knelt in front of her, putting a hand on her shoulder.  She looked up sharply, and I was greeted with a relieved smile. 
"Hey, yourself," she told me. 
"Why is such a pretty girl such as yourself sitting back here?"  I asked, and she blushed, even though her face clouded with that look of rejection. 
"Everyone else went for a walk, and Anna and Emma didn't want me to go, so I stayed here.  Ray tried to strike up a conversation with me, and then got frustrated with me because I started to stammer around, so I just went back here," she shrugged. 
"Hmm...I'm sorry, sweetheart.  Do you want to go for a walk or something?"  I suggested.  I was really tired, yeah, but if my girl wanted to do something, I was all for it. 
Her whole face lit up.  "Oh!  Yeah, of course!!"
But after she said so, her smile faltered and her gaze dropped down to her lap.  "O-oh...oh geez.  I haven't even changed out of my nightie yet--oh my gosh, I'm so sorry-"
"It's fine," I laughed.  I hadn't even noticed that, to be honest. 
"I guess...if you want to let me change and get my hair brushed out, I'll meet you under the table?" 
"M'kay...sounds good," I chuckled, standing up. 

I waited for her under the table...and waited...and waited. I was just starting to wonder if she had forgotten already, but then she came sliding down the table leg.  She was wearing her normal purple dress and had Pascal on her shoulder, but her hair was braided like the movie Rapunzel's.  She gave me a red-faced smile as she came over.  I still don't know why my heart starts pounding and I feel kind of dizzy every time I see her, I mean...it's been eight months since I met her! 
I strode over and pulled her into a quick hug, grinning.  "Wow...you look amazing..I mean, you always do, but-"
She giggled, the tips of her ears turning red.  "I don't think so, but thank you.  Zelia said you guys went to see the girls today...how were they today?" 
As we walked, I narrated the hour outside with the girls, and she gave me a huge smile. 
"Aw...I bet they really enjoyed it!  They just seem like they're so sweet," she told me.  I saw a glimmer--just a split-second glimmer--of the adoring expression in her eyes that she used to have when she'd hold one of the girls.  I had to smile when I realized that. 
"They are," I nodded, "that they are." 
"Someday, you'll have to introduce them to me," she suggested once more. 
Ooh no.  Don't panic, don't--I really don't want to do this.  I can't expect the girls to act like they don't know their own mother, that's way too much for them. "Maybe we can adopt them, someday," I winked, and her eyebrows shot up in surprise. 
"Hmm..."
"What?"  I started to panic on the inside.That probably wasn't what she had wanted to hear...?
"I was just thinking about how unlikely that is, but how much fun it would be," she ducked her head in embarrassment. 
"Who says it's unlikely?"  I reached to tickle her side, and she jumped back, laughing.  She almost tripped, but I snagged her arm and kept her upright. 
"Well, you're so perfect, and I'm so...not," she said, even though she was still grinning. 
"Me?  Perfect?  Pfft.  And no, you're not a cookie-cutter doll, but that's what makes you great!"  I told her, threatening to tickle her again. 
"Stop!  Don't you dare tickle me," she grabbed my hands.  "And...once more, thanks, but I don't think so." 
"Remember what Belle told you," I kissed her cheek.  "And I won't tickle you more, but if you degrade yourself again, I might just have to..."
She rolled her eyes.  "You're terrible....I love you." 
"Talk about a contradiction...love you, too, though," I teased. 
After that, we just walked and talked for awhile; eventually retiring to the window to sit and read for the afternoon.

Today's Events (:

 Today, I took Belle on an expedition of Tangled Fan's bedroom.  We tried to persuade Ray to go with us, but he strongly refused, so we just left him alone with the rest of the bunch.  I would have asked Eugene to come with us, too, but he had told me yesterday evening that he was going to go visit Casey, Audrey, and Jordan again.  
Soo, we had a girl's day out.  We explored quite a few places --not nearly all of the room, of course, but the half of the room closest to our table.  We'd explore the far side another day, we decided.  (:

Belle is seriously soo nice.  We talked about things we liked to do, and she apparently loves reading and going for walks.  She said she wasn't much of one for music unless it was classical, though.  She also brought up  horseback riding, which is something I have always wanted to try.  I'll have to ask Tangled Fan if there are any horses we could ride...either her or Eugene, since he's been around here a lot longer than I have.

After awhile, we went up to the windowsill to look out at the front yard for awhile.  A strong breeze was maintained through the open window, which blew any loose hairs out of my braid.  I don't know how Belle's stayed perfectly in place. 
I sat down, and Belle followed suit, smiling when Pascal crawled over to her lap.  I just hoped he wouldn't stick his tongue in her ear, which was something that he did if he didn't like or trust someone.  He's  actually  a very good judge of character, because he had always hated Flynn.  Thankfully, he didn't do anything to her, and just came back to sit up on my shoulder.

"He's so cute," Belle said, smiling kindly.
"Yeah, he is...he was my best buddy until I met Eugene - and he's still my best buddy in the animal category,"  I smiled and cuddled him against my cheek for a moment.
"Speaking of Eugene, where is he today?  I am surprised that he isn't tagging along with you today,"  she said.  Her French accent made her sentence smooth and pretty.
 "He's visiting these three little orphan girls today...he does quite a bit,"  I explained.
She smiled.  "That is very sweet of him.  Do you know their names?"
"Casey, Aurey, and Jordan.  I've never met any of them, but I'd love to," I told her.
She didn't look surprised or anything, and almost acted like she knew what I was going to say, but I'm not sure why.  "Aw.  I bet they are absolutely adorable.  Do the two of you plan on adopting them someday?"

Oh.  Ummm...heh.  I'd never thought about that...I was still cautious about letting myself remember that he loved me, because love seems to  be a pretty loose term nowadays.
"Well....I don't really know.  I've never thought about that.  If --and that's a HUGE if--we ever get married, I know I would love to adopt them, but...I don't know.  I don't see us getting married.  I mean...I don't know."  I shrugged, twisting my hands together awkwardly.
"Why is that such a huge if?"
"He's so perfect and I'm so...not.  I'd feel BAD for him if he wanted to marry me, because I'm sure he could find a much better wife than what I could be.  Plus, the word 'love' seems to be a pretty widely-used term anymore.  Not saying I'd MIND marrying him..of course."  I winked, and she laughed quietly.
"I am pretty sure you guys will get married.  I have seen the way you look at each other, and he thinks the world of you."  Belle smiled, and I blushed.
"So...what about you?  Any love interests before?  Ray?"
She shook her head.  "Not for me.  This is only the second home I have ever been to, so I never knew many dolls.  I did like a gentleman from my previous home, but he did not even know I existed.  And oh, goodness...Ray and I do not get along well.  He only tolerates me, although he has been a bit more gentleman-like towards me since we left our old home," she gave a wistful smile as she obviously reminisced about the guy that she had liked.
"Aw....I'm so sorry.  At least nobody's ever used you to get the attention of another girl--that's what the guy in my previous home did with me," I laughed at how naive I'd been.  "What was his name?"
"Edmund, and he was a newer model of Snow White's prince," she smiled.  "I must admit, he and Elisa --an Ariel doll--made a sweet couple.  I got to hold their baby girl a couple of days before I left.  They met, got married, and adopted her, all in one month...they were pretty sure of themselves.  I would love to know how one can be so sure of someone's affections--I would never have moved that quicky!"
"Same here....but, aww!"  I smiled.  "Do you have a thing for kids?"
"Oh, I simply adore children!  At my old home, I would babysit for a couple of my friends,"  her face lit up as she talked.
"You should ask Tangled Fan if you could go visit some of the orphans, like what Eugene does,"  I suggested.
"Ohh, I would love that so much, but I do not know if I could bear to leave them there!"  she smiled, and I nodded.
"Understandable,"
After that, our chatter trailed off, and I looked around, trying to think of something to say.  Finally, I lamely suggested we head back.  She agreed, and we stood to go. 

I watched her as she made her way to the floor first.  She hopped from the sill to the chair and onto the floor with grace to spare....ugh.  I wish I could be HALF as graceful as she is!
I, on the other hand, got my leg tangled up in the end of my braid when I went to jump from the chair to the floor.  And, of course, I hit the floor, stumbled a few steps, and almost fell flat on my face.  Gasping when my ankle twisted and the hair pulled tighter, I reached for the nearby bin to lean against.
I was purely horrified.  Most dolls left quickly, never to return or talk again as soon as they realized how clumsy I am, but Belle stuck around.

"Oh goodness, are you alright, Rapunzel?  Can I help you with...something?"
I grunted (which, to my horror, I realized that it was quite an unladylike response  in the presence of my very ladylike friend) as I bent to untangle my leg.  "Nah, I'm fine...my hair got tangled up.  Sorry!"
"What are you apologizing for?"
What on...
Sorry for making what probably seemed to you like a huge production of tripping?
 Sorry for being such an ungraceful moron?
I waited until my leg was freed before I answered, so I could see what kind of expression she had on her face.
"Sorry for tripping.  I wasn't making  a big show out of it, I promise--I-"
"I did not think you were.  Are you sure you are okay?"  she asked, looking quite concerned.
"Yeah, I'm sure.  I do this all the time...I'm probably the clumsiest Disney doll on earth,"  I groaned.  My face was so warm, and I wished she would just drop the topic.  And I thought talking about Eugene was awkward!  I'll take that topic any day over talking about my clumsiness.  
"Oh, you are not that bad," she reassured me.  "At least you have quirks."
"At least?!"  I blurted.  I didn't mean to be rude, but it just came out.

Open mouth. 
Insert foot. 

"It makes you more interesting.  I'm just like the rest of them, and that is definitely boring; trust me when I tell you this.  Look at it as though it is a special gift that hardly any Disney dolls are blessed with."
"Hmm....want to trade personalities?  You can be awkward and weird for a few days, I'm sure you won't view it as a blessing, then!"  I joked.

"I would give anything to be like you, to be honest.  I'm tired of being a perfect little princess!  And just keep in mind that Eugene does not love a cookie cutter doll, he loves you."
I gulped.  Wow.  Was it really a bad thing to be just like the others?  "Oh...I never really thought about it.  You're so nice, though - you're not like most of the others around here.  So it must not be  a rare gift to be different?"
"Each doll is different, they all think and act differently, but on the inside, most of us have to be perfect; we simply do not have it in us to be different or quirky.  It's a blessing to be different, I promise."  she explained a little further, but it only confused me more.
We quietly continued on our way back to our side of the table.  When we got back, I peeked around the divider to see if Eugene was back yet, since Tangled Fan had just left the room.

He was just sitting down on his wicker chair.  Yess!!
I hurried over to his side of the table, and when he saw me, he stood back up and grinned at me.

"Hey!"  I walked over to him, and he promptly took my hands into his.
"Hey, yourself.  You look happy," he observed.
"Mmhm!  Oh--do you want me to leave?  You're probably tired--"  I realized he might want to be left alone.  After all, he'd been off with the girls for the majority of the day. 
"Are you kidding me?  No, stay and tell me about your day.  I want to know what made you look so happy."  he studied my face and gave me an adorable grin.  I about melted at the gaze he gave me.  After he grinned, he left go of one of my hands to cup one of my cheeks.  "Wish you'd be this happy more often, you look simply radiant."
I giggled.  "Well, having a good friend and an amazing guy in my life helps."  I led him over to the chair and boxes, and took my normal spot on the box.
Instead of sitting on the chair, he sat beside me on the box and watched me while I unbraided my hair, holding Pascal for me as I did so.  When I had it unbraided, I looked at my mass of messy hair with a groan.  "Soo, it went from being a mess to being messIER, but oh well."

"You look fine," he chuckled, slipping an arm around my shoulders.  "So...today..?"
I explained everything Belle and I did today, and about what she had said about me being different.  When I finished, he nodded.
"I'm really glad you're making friends with Belle, and I hope it lasts.  I agree with her, but I'm pretty sure I'd think you were perfect no matter what.  I hope you start looking at your quirks with this in mind."
"No guarantees.  I get soo embarrassed when I'm clumsy...but enough about me.  How was your day with Casey, Audrey, and Jordan?"  I asked.
"Great....we just talked and I played with them for most of the day.  Except for Jordan, of course --she's a baby, so of course she can't partake in most games.  Patty-cake usually gets her riled up and all giggly, though," his smile showed how much he cared about those little girls...wow.  I couldn't help but smile.
"They sound absolutely adorable...maybe one day, you can take me to meet them!"
He shrugged, suddenly looking just a bit panic stricken.  "We'll have to see.  I'm pretty sure they would like it, though, but I'll have to talk to Tangled Fan."
I nodded, wondering why he was kind of guarded about me meeting them.  I just shook it off, though, and asked him to describe them for me.  That, he could do.
As he talked, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I knew those girls...even though I had never met any kids from here....weird.  Maybe I just feel like I know them because he talks so much about them?
Regardless, we talked for a good while, mostly about the girls and my day out with Belle.  It felt really great to have someone to talk to about the day and to unwind with (:

Ray's Issues and A Continuation to Yesterday's Post

So...to continue last night's post from Eugene (you'll want to check it out if you haven't seen it already, or this post won't make ANY sense, I'm sure xD)....
We just sat and talked for awhile, all avoiding any talk of Ray or the incident.  Eventually, though, Zelia fell asleep..and then Belle.  Eugene and I were the only ones up -- even Pascal was asleep on my lap. 
"So...should I carry them back or should we go get their blankets?"  Eugene whispered. 
"Probably get their blankets and leave them here," I recommended.  "If Zelia woke up when you were carrying her, she'd likely punch your lights out."
"Probably," Eugene said without a moment's hesitation.  I giggled, and then we headed silently over to the other side of the table.  It was dark, and we could hardly see, but we managed to find the blankets. 
I tripped over someone's foot --not sure who--and Eugene, who was right beside me, grabbed my arm and kept me upright.  Whew.  When we got back over to Eugene's side of the table, I tossed a blanket over Zelia, and Eugene slid Belle to lay on the floor --since she was propped up against the cutout--before doing the same to her. 
When that was done, he turned around and gave me a smile, slipping my blanket around my shoulders and using it to pull me into a hug. 
"If you're sleepy, you can go back over there...?" 
I sighed.  To be honest, I was kinda scared to go back over there.  I know to you humans, that wasn't that big of an event, but to dolls....it's big.  Since we can't kill or dismember each other, any physical contact that ends up hurting someone on purpose is a big deal.  Although...I don't know.  Zelia might be able to dismember someone if she got mad enough, but...regardless.  xD 
"I don't know.  Can I stay here for a bit?  If you're tired...no, I'll j-just go back," I realized I was being kind of selfish. 
"You're scared, aren't you?  I can't blame you.  You can stay here, it's fine," he told me.  He kissed my hair, and then sat down.  I sat beside, and went to lean my head up against his shoulder. My neck soon reminded me that it wasn't a good idea, and I moved. 
"What?  Is your neck still sore?"  he asked, and I could hear the concern in his voice. 
"Yeahh..." I groaned quietly. 
"And what about your jaw?  Your leg?" 
"My jaw's okay, and my leg's a little stiff.  I'll be fine," I said. 
He put an arm around me.  "I'm sorry...I-I froze up when he grabbed you the first time...I should've been able to just jump into actio--"
My heart squeezed as I realized how upset he seriously was over this.  "It's okay, Eugene...it's no big deal!  You act like I...I fell off of something really high, rather than just have my neck yanked around by a rude jerk and fall a short distance and hurt my leg."
He fell silent for a few minutes, and I worried that I'd insulted him or something. 
"I didn't...upset you, did I?  I mean..I appreciate your concern, but I just don't want you to be so worried about me,"
"You didn't upset me...I just, um, tend to overreact if someone gets hurt....'specially if they just happen to be my best gal," I heard the teasing tone in his voice, and smiled, my face getting hot. 
We talked quietly for a few more minutes, but then I guess I must've fallen asleep. 

The next morning, I woke up feeling like someone was watching me.  When I opened my eyes, I saw Eugene peering around the cutout, watching me. 
I shot upright.  "Wh...where...?" I couldn't form a logical sentence, so I just flubbed my lips uselessly and stared a hole through Eugene.
He chuckled.  "When you fell asleep last night, I thought maybe it would be more comfortable on your leg and neck if you slept on the bed back here.  Pascal and I took the wicker chair.  How do you feel?" 
Aw.  I hadn't meant to kick him out of his own bed, but I suppose I was asleep and hadn't had a say in the matter. 
"Oh...well...thanks, I mean..I'm sorry, you could've let me on the floor and I woulda been fine..your hip joints won't get messed up, will they?" 
I patted the bed beside me, scooting over a bit and smiling at him 
He chuckled, accepting my silent offer, and sat beside me.  "My joints are fine.  But you never answered me about YOUR joints!" 

I laughed quietly.  "My leg feels a lot better."

                                                                           

"And...your neck?"  he asked, touching my cheek with an incredible amount of tenderness.  Much nicer than Ray's brutal jerking around from yesterday.  I leaned into his touch and smiled.  "I'm fine, I promise.  See?  I moved my neck...no problems."  
"I'm glad.  So...today...what are you planning on doing?" 
"I don't know," I sighed, turning away to look down in my lap.  "It's so dumb of me to be so scared to go back and face him.  It's stupid, and it's really, really cowardly." 
"No, it's not!  I told Tangled Fan that I wanted to go see Jordan, Casey, and Audrey today, so...either you can stay here, or go over to your side of the table.  We could talk when I come back, though?"  he offered. 
I bit my lip.  I knew I'd need to face him sooner or later, so I may as well get it over with.  "Okay.  Might as well just do it and get it over with,"
"I'll go with you when you go to do so," he told me.
"Okay...stinky old boyfriend of mine," I teased, referring to what Zelia had called him yesterday evening, elbowing him.
"Alright, stinky old girlfriend of mine," he threw back, giving me a gentle shove in return.  I giggled, shoving him back, and then he reached to tickle me.
"Hey!  Stop it!"  I laughed, grabbing his hand and making him stop.
He laughed, pulling away so he could slip an arm round my shoulders.  "Anything to make you laugh, darling."
I wrinkled my nose and giggled.  "Darling?  It sounds like you should have a British accent when you say that."
"Okeeh-dokahy, dahling," he made a terrible attempt at a British accent, and I laughed again.
"You're terrible...." I remembered that there were supposed to be storms last night. "Hey, did it storm overnight?"
"Nope...I asked Tangled Fan and it went right around us," he said.  "So...you ready to get up and going?  I think Zelia's  still asleep, but Belle is up.  If I didn't value my life, I would do something to pick on Zelia to wake her up...but I value my life."
I laughed.  "Yeah...we'd better get going. And yes, leave her alone unless you wish to die.  And I don't know about you, but I'd like for you to stay around for a bit."
He chuckled.  "Okay, I won't.  C'mon," he stood up and offered me his hand, which I took.  We headed out from behind the cutout, and since Zelia was up -and Belle was busying herself by playing with Pascal--we headed to the other side.
When we got there, the Frozen gang was gone already.  Zelia headed to go discuss something with Zelia and Emma, and Belle hung in the background, watching.
As soon as Ray saw me, he stood.  I tried not to be scared.  I don't know how the sight of him could scare me, but it did.  He strode over to both of us, and I immediately backed up a step. I didn't mean to, but I did.  Eugene put a reassuring hand on my back.
"Rapunzel...I apologize for yesterday.  Please, sit," he sat and offered the place next to him on the box, but I quickly refused.
He didn't even look at me the whole time he spoke.  I didn't know how to feel about that, but regardless.

"I apologize.  I should never have let my temper flare in the way that it did.  It was inexcusable, but I do hope you accept my deepest regrets for it ever happening.  I try to control my temper, but...it doesn't work sometimes.  I truly thought you were an attention-seeker, and I cannot stand attention-seekers, and your behavior simply infuriated me.  But I now understand that you are simply clumsy, and I am sorry."

His eyebrows furrowed, and he went silent for a moment, but then he continued.  "All Beast dolls are given either a temperment and personality similar to Prince Adam's, or a personality and temper similar to Beast's.  I was unfortunate enough to recieve a Beast personality, and I cannot control my temper at times."
Even though I was shaking, I nodded and tried to smile.  I felt terrible for being so scared, since everyone probably feared him, but I told him that I accepted his apology and thanked him for his explanation.  Then, Tangled Fan came in and took Eugene, so I was left on my own.

When he left the box, I went to sit on it with Pascal, and I played with him for awhile.  I was once more invisible, and nobody else was bothering with me, so all I had to do was play with Pascal --not a bad deal, I suppose!
Until Ray came back over to me.
"I-I'll move," I quickly offered, and he shook his head.
"Please, stop looking so terrified of me."

How can I, when in doll terms, you practically ASSAULTED me yesterday??!
"No, seriously, I'm fine moving-"
He grabbed my shoulder.  How could everything about him be so sharp, rough, and terrifying?!  "Don't!  All I did was ask a simple request of you, and you act as though I threatened you.  I thought you might understand, but I see that you cannot.  You're like.."
"Raymond, if all this is just a-about  seat...or..or a facial expression, seriously, I'll just go-"
He gave me an incredibly frustrated look, and that's when Belle raced over, whispered something to him, and then he left, giving us both a cross look.

She sat down beside me.  "I am terribly sorry...he is taking the change so roughly.  He gets upset if he knows anyone around is scared of him, but it's not like you are overreacting.  He can be quite terrifying,"   she played with her skirt as she spoke.
"I understand.  Thank you for breaking that up...you're really kind."  I gave her a small smile, and she nodded.
"Thank you for being a good friend to me," Belle said.
I laughed.  "I've hardly done anything for you...and you're saving my sorry self right and left!"
"Yes, but I view you as a good friend, also," she nodded, so sure of herself.
"Wow..well...why don't we go do something soon?  I could show you around the room; there's a lot of neat little places that we could explore," I offered, feeling sort of awkward.  I didn't know how to react to anyone saying that I was their FRIEND!
"That would be wonderful!"  Belle exclaimed, ever-so-elegantly.
We talked for awhile, but then she went to go talk with some of the others.  I was once more all alone, except for Pascal, and Ray kept looking at me; watching me...staring at me.  It just really creeped me out..!

So when Tangled Fan brought Eugene back around four, I was about to lose my mind if Ray didn't stop watching me.  As soon as Tangled Fan left, I ran over to his side of the table and grabbed him into an excited hug.

"Hey, sweet girl...I mean, I guess I missed you today too, but..wow.  I'll take it, though," he teased me before he put his arms around me.  "How did your day go?"
"It was fine..I could hardly stand the tension anymore, though.  He just stared at me, like the whole day.   It was really freaking me out!"
"Hmm...I'm sorry.  Why don't we go chat on the window for awhile?"  he kissed the top of my head, and I grinned.
"Is that even a question?  Sure!"
...And then I realized Pascal wasn't with me.
I quickly ducked around the divider, and saw that Belle was playing with him.  When she saw me, she smiled and said she would keep an eye on Pascal, so then I thanked her and then went to go spend the afternoon with Eugene, talking about anything and everything, and Jordan, Casey, and Audrey.  =]