Zarina's Notes--Blog

Hey, everyone!  Just wanted to let you all know that my posts will officially be on my blog....which you can see HERE.  This is gonna be my last post on here, so if anyone's interested in keeping up with me, you'll want to keep tabs on that blog.  (:

Zarina's Notes--Fitz.

Hey guys, it's Zarina.  I'm thinking about getting my own blog soon here, I don't wanna become unwelcome or anything.  Anyway, today was interesting.
Okay, crappy.  It was crappy.
Everyone went for a walk, except for Ariel, Punzie, Logan, and Fitz.  I was uninvited to the walk, big surprise there.  Belle would have let me go, I'm sure, but Emma and Piper probably had a good say in who went and who didn't. With that aside, I sat down with my book-- Messenger by Lois Lowry.  I had read no more than ten pages when Punzie started on me.
"Oh look, she's being nerdy again.  Having fun reading by yourself?"
Ariel's head tilted away from Logan, who she was probably flirting with, and a nasty gleam came into her eyes. "Oh, how sweet."
"I wonder if she wishes she could crawl into the book world and leave us?  She's nerdy enough to."
"If she did, nobody would notice!" Ariel walked over and stooped to look me in the eye.  "Not a soul."
"Stop," I muttered.
"What?  You're too quiet.  Maybe if you would socialize and talk more, you'd know how to speak!" Ariel said.
I stood, angered and upset.  "Stop it, both of you!  Leave me alone!"
Logan and Fitz were staring at us.  Great, all I wanted was an audience!
"Remember what I said about me being the boss?  My table, my rules.  You don't tell me what to do." Punzie pointed out.
"Just stop.  Please!  I know you don't like me reading, but just don't look if you don't wanna see me read!  Gosh,"
Ariel grabbed the book from me.  I gasped, trying to wrestle it back, yelping at her to give it back.  "No.  Fetch, freakshow!"
With that, she flung the book.  I watched as it skidded off of the edge of the table, thudding on the floor.
"Ariel!" I yelled. "How could you be so horri--"
I didn't even notice I was advancing towards her.  She shoved me away, and I stumbled backwards, off balance.  I grabbed for the huge bench, but instead smacked the right side of my head off of it.  I fell down in a heap in the corner, and when Ariel realized how powerful she could be, she advanced towards me, likely to throw some punches or something.  I couldn't get away, so I balled up in the corner and waited for it.
"Ariel, knock it off."
It was, to my surprise, Fitz's strong Scottish accent that said that.  I looked up, and he actually took Ariel's arm and pulled her back.  He's almost as shy as me, so it was surprising that he did it.
"Who do you think you are, telling me what to do?"
"I don't know, but I dunno who you think you are, treatin her that way, either."
Oh.
Burn.
She gave him a furious glare, but stormed off.  Punzie backed off as well; she wasn't that dumb!  Fitz bent, holding a hand out to me.  I didn't take it, though; I stumbled upright.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah.  I-I'm fine...thank you," I mumbled, frazzled.  I felt like crying.  I needed to get out of here.  I was thinking about what she said...yeah, nobody would care if I would disappear.  Maybe I just would.  But instead of doing that, I eased past Fitz awkwardly and fled for Rapunzel's side of the table.

Of all dolls, Casey was the one who really understood.  I know she had a rough life before coming to Rapunzel, but how could anyone be so cruel to a kid?  I almost cried when she sympathized with me; I feel bad that she went through whatever she went through.
Anyway, I went back at around five.  Everyone was back, but nobody noticed my arrival; huge surprise there!  I sat down by myself, thinking.  I was thankful for Fitz defending me, but was too shy to tell him so again.  Ehh, I had told him before.
To my surprise, Fitz actually came to sit with me.
"Are you okay?  They were really terrible,"
I nodded.  "I'm fine.  Again, thank you for helping me out,"
"Not a problem," he nodded.  We sat in silence for a few minutes before he asked if I would mind if he sat with me.  I shook my head, too surprised to answer.  I didn't mind, though why anyone would want to be around me, I'll never know.

Concerns and Zarina

Today, Zarina came over to us.  She'll probably be posting about it later; she told me she would, anyway.  Regardless, she showed up at around noon, fighting to keep from crying. 
"D-do you mind if I stay over here a-awhile?" 
We all looked up to see her standing awkwardly at the divider, choked up and looking hurt. 
I walked over to her and nodded, shifting Zachary to one arm so I could put my hand on her shoulder.  "What's wrong?" 
She shrugged, promptly clamming up and letting her hair slip down over her eyes.  I knew she was hiding something, so I led her over to sit beside me. 
Casey quickly jumped into her lap, grinning at her, and she smiled back at her.  "If something's wrong, Rina, it's okay now."  (Casey's nickname for her is Rina.) 
She cleared her throat and nodded.  I tried not to stare at her; tried not to bug her until she told me what was wrong.  Eugene did not do either of those. 
"Well, if something's the matter, you can tell us.  We won't gossip, if that's what you're worried about."  he said.  He was sitting in the wicker chair with Audrey and Jordan, and then all eyes were on Zarina, unfortunately. 
"I got into it with Ariel and Punzie.  So...earlier, everyone went for a walk except for Punzie, Ariel, Fitz, and Logan. Punzie started teasing me for reading.  Ariel joined in on it, and went as far as to take my book and throw it off of the table.  I jumped up and told them to buzz off, and basically, Ariel pushed me really hard, I tripped, and when I fell, I smacked the one side of my face off of that stupid bench over there.  She started to continue harassing me, but Fitz helped me out...I can't stand it over there!" 
I gasped, horrified.  Before I could say anything, Casey spoke up.
"Sometimes standing up for yourself gets you hurt, but it's good that you did it.  I know.  And Fitz was really nice to help you, Rina.  Why was it bad that you were reading?"
Zarina's eyes clouded with tears, and she hugged Casey.  "I know.  They were teasing me because they think it's weird to read." 
Her face contorted as she tried to understand THAT concept.  "I don't know why.."
"Me neither," she cracked a bit of a smile. 
Well, my young daughter has a better way with words than I do, apparently.  (Well, she wouldn't even have to TRY to be better than me with words!)  I was still trying to gather my thoughts!  When she noticed my struggle, she shrugged and told me I didn't need to come up with some intricate response, as she hadn't expected any. 
"I just want to stay here for a couple of hours...I had to leave that side of the shelf, I couldn't stand it anymore.  They've been so terrible!" 
"I know.  I'm sorry you have to deal with Ariel - she's pretty awful.  If you ever need to come over to talk or to just get away from them, Zarina, please don't hesitate.  You know our metaphorical door is always open, day or night."  I offered lamely.  I almost wanted to offer her to stay here, period.  She'd be better off, that's for sure.  I was worried for her. 

Well, she left at around five, once the kids had settled for a nap, and things were calm until around one in the morning.  I couldn't sleep at ALL...worrying about Zarina and Jordan, who officially has a smidgen of a cold.  It's also been really chilly by the window these past few nights, which can't help anything. 
So I was up at around one, making my rounds to make sure that the kids were all warm and comfy.  Pascal was buried deep under Audrey and Casey's blankets, as usual.  Zachary was bundled up, sleeping soundly, and Jordan, though a little stuffy, was also bundled up and sleeping well. 
When I had nothing to do and nobody to check up on, I paced the floor a little bit before heading to the windowsill to stand and look outside for awhile, trying to clear my head. 
That's about when Eugene noticed I was gone, and he made it onto the windowsill in record time. 
"There you are," he whispered.  "What's up?" 
I sighed.  "Just thinking - go back to sleep.  Someone's got to be in their right mind tomorrow," I joked. 
He instead came over and pulled me into his arms.  "Huh-uh.  It's chilly over here, c'mon.  Don't want you getting sick, either," he added when I started to shake my head. 
Disgusted, I went back with him and burrowed under the blankets, hoping that that would be the last of his questioning. 
Psshh, this is Eugene.  My husband will interrogate you until he knows exactly what's bothering you, even if it takes all day or night (or both) to drag it out of you. 
"What's my girl thinking about?" 
"Mmmh...a lot," I shrugged, and he kissed the top of my head. 
"Like what?" 
Sighing, I flopped over onto my belly so I could look at his face.  "I'm worried for Jordan.  I don't want her getting sicker, and I don't want anyone else to get sick, especially not Zach.  I'm worried for Zarina, too....I was thinking about talking to you about letting her stay here, but I-I don't know.  I don't know why I'm so worried, but I just feel like something's up." 
He nodded.  "I'll get Tangled Fan to give Jordan some meds tomorrow morning before she leaves the room.  And I know what you mean about Zarina, but I think she'll be okay.  She'll probably be fine once she settles in completely - she's much more shy than you were, so it'll probably take awhile for her to settle in.  Once she does, I'm sure she'll be okay.  She'll know who to avoid and where to go,"
"Are you sure?"  I asked.
He thought for a moment.  "No, but I'm going with my gut.  Don't worry, I'm sure she'll be okay.  And I'm sure the kiddos will be alright and we won't have an epidemic," he teased. 
I sighed, faceplanting into the bed.  "Okay.  Soo I just spent several hours worrying and obsessing over two matters that you explained out in, oh, five minutes?" 
He chuckled.  "They were valid concerns - and I didn't explain them out or anything, really...I just gave you my opinion." 
I nodded, my head still buried into the bed.  "Thank you." 
"Huh?" 
I realized that he probably couldn't understand that, seeing as I kind of had my face mashed into the bed, so I rolled onto my side, slightly embarrassed.  "Thank you." 
He chuckled, reaching to give me a quick kiss on the tip of my nose before pulling me close and promptly falling back asleep. 

Ariel

Hey, guys - so as Eugene mentioned (his post is right here, if you haven't read it), I haven't posted all week because I've been wanting to hang out with him and the kids, and Tangled Fan also has been hogging her tablet.   Using it for research for school, I guess....it's irritating, nonetheless!  But without further ado..

Today, everyone came over to finally hear Eugene's tale.  By everyone, I mean Zarina, Logan, Fitz, Ariel, Punzie, Belle, as well as Zelia and Ray.  Obviously, Zelia and Ray had already heard his story, buuuut they came over anyway.
When the tale was over with around three, the girls were tuckered out.  They'd been up early, so I got them carried over and tucked into bed while Eugene finished up his story, and then checked on Jordan and Zach, who had fallen asleep a little bit earlier.  I get the feeling that Jordan may or may not be coming down with something....oh boy.  :\ 
Anyway, by the time I was done, everyone had filtered back over to their side of the table, all except for Ariel and Logan.  I gave them a curious expression, and Ariel asked Logan to wait up for her.
What was she up to?
She strode over to Eugene, plastering that smile across her face. 
Oh, great. 
"How could you possibly have made it back safely?  How did you keep motivated?"  she asked. 
Eugene shot a glance towards me, but I stood frozen, watching how he would handle the situation.  Would he blow her off, or would he be cordial?  I wasn't sure which I would prefer he do.  When Ariel followed his glance to me, but then looked over her shoulder at Logan, I saw what was going on. 
She was killing two birds with one stone. 
She knew she couldn't have Eugene, but she still wanted to get to me, and she was also doing this to get Logan's attention.  Playing hard to get and using Eugene, just like how Flynn had used me.  I sucked in a deep breath, wondering if anyone else realized that.
"My kids," Eugene answered her.  "They kept me motivated, as well as my girl, of course." 
"Rapunzel?"  she wrinkled her nose, and actually stepped closer to him.  I glanced at her somewhat provocative dress and my face flamed hot with anger.  I wanted to yell at her, but I couldn't wake the kids.  Instead, I decided to see how Eugene would handle this himself. 
Why I was doubting him, I didn't really know.  Maybe because I wasn't sure if this past month had changed him...I don't know. 
He nodded.  "Yep...Rapunzel," 
"I can't imagine how coming home to her could be much of a motivation.  I mean....come on.  She's so...bland."  I looked towards Logan, who was officially staring at the two of them.  She'd gotten what she wanted: his full attention, and she'd gotten me mad.  To boot, she'd gotten Eugene's full attention, too.  It hurt.  It'd been a long time since I had dealt with these kinds of insults, and I guess I've gotten rusty at dealing.  I bit the inside of my cheek and made for the cutout, wanting to go behind it. 
"Well, I guess--I guess I'll, um, go check on Jordan, I think she might be up...okay, Eugene?" I announced.  I planned to listen to Eugene's response from the other side of the cutout.  Nobody knew that I was headed for the wrong side of the cutout to check on the kids, and Eugene didn't even notice me.  He was just staring at her with an unreadable expression. 
As I noticed this, I didn't pay attention to my feet, annnd I tripped.  My face blazing, I stumbled for the cutout as Ariel gave a charming giggle. 
"Plus, she's clumsy, it seems....oh, dear.  Aren't you going to answer me?"

I slipped behind the cutout and dove for the bed, burying my face in the blankets before I could scream in frustration.  She was completely right, but why was I letting her get to me?  Or was it because of Eugene's lack of a response? 
I listened for him to answer, but I could simply hear hushed tones.  What did that mean?  I gulped, tears slipping down my cheeks when I started wondering if he was truly satisfied with having me as his wife.  I mean....why would he be, especially if a pretty young thing like Ariel shows up?  I heard rapid footsteps, and I hoped it was Ariel and Logan leaving.  I took a shuddering breath as soon as I thought of Logan.  Seeing her try to use Eugene in the same manner that Flynn used me had opened up a lot of memories I didn't want to remember, and wished I would've forgotten forever after my accident.  Unfortunately, they had come back, as well as a lot of other memories. 
And I still wasn't even sure why I didn't trust Eugene.  You'd think that if he came back to us after his month-long disappearance, he'd take that as an opportunity to never come back if he was that way.  But...I just really lack trust, I guess. 

As I was pondering these things, Eugene himself appeared, leaning one shoulder up against the edge of the cutout. 
"Hey, what's--" I shot upright in bed, involuntarily doing a weird gasp-sob, and stared at him. 
"Oh!  Um, n-nothing.  I just...I-" I felt how damp my cheeks were, and wanted to wipe them, but I didn't want to draw attention to my crying if he hadn't noticed. 
His expression changed, and his eyebrows furrowed as he stepped to the edge of the bed.  "What's wrong, honey?"
Did I really have to explain that?!  I shook my head.  "Nothing." 
"Mmm, but the way you just answered tells me there's a lot wrong," he pointed out, sitting down beside me and holding a hand out.  I didn't take it; I just buried my face in my hands. 
"It's stupid.  I'm mad over Ariel, and her little show back there, and I know I shouldn't think the way I was thinking, and I shouldn't let her get to me, but....and then you just acted like you couldn't even see or hear me, and..." I gulped.  "Eugene, answer me truthfully.  I hate to do this or even think of this, but are you happy with me? And do you even know what she was doing back there?!" 
The second I was done talking - I'm surprised he let me get the whole way through my speech without breaking me off, which surprised and concerned me -- he fairly pried my hands away from my face, replacing them with his own.  "Sweetheart..." his voice cracked, and I looked up to meet his eyes.  I set my jaw, trying not to be affected by his obvious distress.  "Oh, sweetheart....I'm so sorry.  Of course I'm happy.  You mean the world to me, and y-you're...you're everything I ever wanted.  I'm sorry.  I did notice you, b-but I was so intent on trying not to scream at her that I couldn't even turn my head.  I was afraid that if I opened my mouth, I wouldn't be able to stop yelling.  I couldn't bear how she was talking to you...you have every right to be mad at me, though.  Every single right. But what was she doing, other than the obvious?" 
"She was using you to get Logan's attention.  Just like how Flynn used me," my own voice cracked, which I couldn't stand.  He shut his eyes, nodding, and his hands left my face, reaching for me as if he wanted to hug me.  He must've known that I wouldn't let him, not quite yet, so he let his hands drop. 
"I'm so sorry," he said quietly.  "I didn't even realize that..."
I nodded. "The only reason I did was  because...you know." 
Eugene nodded silently.  "I know.  Honey, I can't tell you how bad I feel that I didn't notice, and didn't say anything to you, and that I made you wonder if I'm happy with you.  You're my best girl, Rapunzel - always was and always will be.  Nothing will change that or come between us, you hear me?  Nothing." 
I took a deep, shuddering breath.  "I-I was stupid to even think that...sor-"
"Don't you say it.  It's fine, and I can understand.  I've been gone for almost a month, and then that happens.  A lot can happen and change in a month, so it's understandable."  I looked down at my lap and nodded again.  I was still an idiot.  "Hey."  he reached to cup my chin in his hand, pulling my face up to meet his eyes. 
"What?"  I asked.
"I know that look.  Gosh, I was hoping I'd never see that look again.  Don't pay any heed to what she says, okay?  C'mere,"
I swallowed, but I reached to slip my arms around his middle, burying my face in his shoulder and sighing.  He slid his arms around me and planted a few kisses in my hair before speaking up again.  "If she ever shows her face again, I'll be surprised, to be honest." 
I pulled away.  "Huh?  Why?" 
"I told her off.  Like...I really, REALLY told her off."  he cleared his throat. 
"What'd you say?" 
"I told her that she didn't know anything, she needed to buzz off, and if she ever comes anywhere near you or the kids again, I'd tell Tangled Fan to put her back in her box, and I was sure that most everyone else, especially Zarina, would agree and back us.  She hoofed it out of here pretty quickly.  Maybe I was a bit too nasty, but I don't really care.  She didn't need to be doing any of what she was doing." 
I took a deep, fairly surprised breath.  "Well...you do have a point, though.  I don't want her anywhere near the kids." When I heard a quiet cry, I paused.  "Speaking of which...it sounds like Jordan's awake." 
Eugene nodded, reaching to give me a quick peck on the cheek before letting me go get Jordan. 

Eugene -- my, uh...adventure....

-Eugene
Hey, everyone - Rapunzel wanted me to tell you guys that she and Zarina have not posted this week because... A) Tangled Fan's been hoarding the tablet  B ) Rapunzel's been wanting to spend time with the girls and I this week...so she feels slightly guilty for leaving you all hanging and C ) you'll hopefully be seeing some posts from the ladies sometime this weekend, maybe. 

Ahh, so I'm a lucky guy: four perfect kiddos and a beautiful wife, plus I just sort of lived through something most dolls don't, and I still have all of my limbs! 
Well, the morning I disappeared, the dogs were in the house.  They were getting fed, and that's a typically crazy time, so I slipped under a recliner until the madness died down.  As soon as the dogs had eaten and the food bowls taken away, I thought I could just slip out to talk to Tangled Fan.  Riiight.  One of the dogs -  a small, brown and white dog that appeared cute but was in reality a monster - saw me, and grabbed me around my midsection.  Being the dork I am, I froze up and couldn't even yell.  That's when all of the dogs suddenly needed outside - right after feeding time, of course - and in the barking, jostling, and bouncing madness, I got lost in the fray.  The dog still had me around the midsection, but Tangled Fan didn't even notice me as she opened the door and left all the dogs -and me - outside. 
Well, okay.  I could just yank away and be on my way, right? 
Nah, of course not. 
The one dog snarled at the dog carrying me, and in her anger, she dropped me.  I quickly rolled away, trying to go unseen, but that's when I failed to realize that I was by the edge of the ramp.  You see, the ramp is very long, and actually has three levels - I'm not sure how to explain it, but it zigzags - and I fell down to a lower level, and I guess that's when I was knocked out.

When I woke up, I was buried under a lot of dirt.  A lot.  It's a good thing that dolls can survive when they're mushed under things like plastic, other dolls in containers, or dirt - because if not, I would've been dead for sure. 
I don't know how long it took me to dig my way out from under the heavy dirt, but it was nighttime when I was out in the fresh air again.  It was really, really cold, and I didn't really know what to do with myself.  I'm thinking that I was probably under the dirt for at least a few days, if not a week. 
When I got out, I sat and thought.  I knew I'd need a hiding spot for when morning came and the dogs were left outside, but I had to wait until dawn to be able to see.  That was nerve-wracking.  That backyard is pretty big for people and dogs, so just imagine what it looked like to a doll a fifth the size of humans!  Massive.  That's how big - massive.  It takes almost a whole day to explore Tangled Fan's bedroom, right?  This backyard dwarfed her room.  I'm not even joking. 

So as soon as dawn came, I was able to make a run for the fort at the top of the swing set and slide that are set up for Tangled Fan's niece and nephew.  Let me tell you, that was a hard climb.  It was taller than the big shelving unit, remember the shelving unit?  The one Rapunzel fell off of that time?  It was slightly taller than that. 
Anyway, I got up there about an hour before the dogs invaded the backyard. 
The bad thing?  The stupid dogs were outside almost all day long.  I couldn't risk leaving my hiding spot, so I used the day to survey the backyard, checking out how I could move and be able to get to cover quickly, if need be.  One of the more interesting experiences of the day was when a cat came up to the fort, threw its food up, and then went in a corner, curling up to sleep the day away.  That was lovely.  (I'm oozing sarcasm here, in case anyone fails to realize that!)  But the plus side was that it came back to sleep there after its evening meal (and the food didn't come back to haunt her this time, which was a plus) and she allowed me to lay down beside her to sleep.  It had started raining, so I couldn't do anything, especially not in the dark.  The cat kept me nice and warm, at least! 
At the crack of dawn the next day, I left the fort via the slide.  It was still raining, but I couldn't just stand around forever - I needed to get back to my family. 
I didn't take into account that the backyard was probably bigger than it appeared when I had almost a bird's eye view (okay, so a bird's eye view for dolls).  I just barely made it to hide in the garden before the dogs went out.  I at least made it that far, and the rain soon left.  But then, I had the added risk of two of the Miniature Horses being left in the backyard.  I've never seen the likes:  using tiny horses for lawnmowers.  Hey, it works.  But I had to dodge hooves, especially since they were two young horses and liked to play a bit.  And walk clumsily through the garden, picking grass out from around the plants.  Yeesh. 
Well, at one point, I got too close to one of the horses, and he stepped on my feet.  Three hundred pound Miniature horse versus a 1/2 pound hunk of plastic, what do you think it's gonna do?  I managed to drag myself back to the slide and work my way up to the fort again, and by that time, I wasn't sure if I could ever walk again.  I was so sore everywhere, and my hip joints were about to give out. 
I made myself stay there for about...I don't even know how long, until I was able to walk again.  After that, I was super careful to watch out for horses as well as dogs.  Good grief! 
I know you're probably asking why no humans noticed I was here?  Well, it's because they don't generally tend to come down by the swing set unless it's the three-year-old nephew.  I met him when I was in the fort recovering...and when he attempted stomping on me to break me, I managed to climb up to the top beam, where the swings hang from.  It was evening before he left, so that was another day wasted. 
The next morning, I hoofed it for the garden once more. 
When I was back in the garden, I stayed there, despite some more rain.  It cleaned me up, anyway.  When the dogs would come around, I would just duck under some sprawling strawberry plants and flatten myself to the ground - they didn't even notice me.  When they were shut in for the night, I started to look around and revise my plan of action. 
As soon as it was light enough for me to see again, I made a quick run to the clothesline posts.  I was halfway through the yard, thank goodness.  As soon as I was there, I decided to go hide in the flower garden, which was really super close by.  There were a lot of nice, tall plants and ferns to hide under!  I would've picked some of the smaller flowers for Rapunzel and the girls, but I knew they'd wilt before I could get them to them. 
Anyway, I waited until the dogs were, once more, shut in for the night before I decided how I could climb to get to the doorknob - the only thing keeping me from getting into the house and being home free. 
By morning, I had that figured out.  There was a small table holding a potted plant near the door, so I took a flying leap and clung to the doorknob, twisting and squirming until it was open. 

Stupid me. 
That's where the dogs stay at night.
As soon as I realized that, I raced for and dove under the sink. 
One of the dogs saw me - an old, grumpy male - but he left me alone, trotting ahead to catch up with the others.  Whew. 
I was able to make my way through the laundry room in a day, and got into the downstairs family room, where I finally allowed myself to sleep for a little while, curled up at the top of the cat tower.  At least, until a cat came and, both irritated at my stealing his nap spot but also intrigued with me, batted me over the edge of the platform.  I was able to catch myself, luckily, and work my way down slowly.  Yeesh. 
Well, after that I crawled into the hammock-like part of the tower, and slept there.  Nobody bothered me, then. 
It took another day for me to creep through the family room; I thought I would be home free after that. 
Pshh, I forgot about the 'downstairs' part.  There were stairs.  A lot of them.  I managed, though; and after that, I could hardly walk once more.  As soon as I got upstairs, I hid behind the couch because those stinking dogs were inside once more.  When I was behind the couch, I slept for the day, hoping my legs would heal up by morning.  Even though they didn't, I still made my way through the hallway and got to Tangled Fan's bedroom, where I had to climb to open the door.  That about did me in....it wasn't easy. 
Then, I knew I was in the homestretch and at around nine-fifteen, I finally made it up onto the table, where I got attacked by two certain little girls that I'd missed a lot! 
So there you have it....a very condensed version, at least. 
It's good to be back. 

Last night's events...

At around nine last night, I was trying to get the girls to wind down for a story before bed.  It's no easy task to get two young girls and a baby settled by yourself, as you could imagine....but I'd been managing to do so.  Making up stories to tell to the girls seemed to do all of us good; it kept me thinking about other things, and they seemed to appreciate me finally picking up something Eugene had done quite often for them.  Even Audrey appreciated it.  Zachary even normally settled down to listen in, but he'd been tuckered out and had gone to bed early. 

 I'd just gotten everyone gathered up on the couch, with Pascal in Jordan's lap, and had begun my tale when we all heard someone coming up onto the table.  First, a large hand appeared, and then a head, and with a grunt, the mystery doll had heaved their body up onto the table.  Only...said doll wasn't a mystery doll.
It. 
Was. 
Eugene. 

He stood slowly and stiffly, and we all stared at him. My heart thundered, skipped, and squeezed in a mix of emotions tumbling over one another.  A gasp tore through me and I let my hand fly to my mouth.  Tears clouded my eyes, but I saw the two older girls scramble off of the couch and fling themselves at him.  Chuckling, he bent to pick them both up, kissing their foreheads and gushing over how much he'd missed them.  Jordan caught sight of him and giggled, clapping her hands and bouncing on her bottom. 
I wanted to grab him into a hug and never let go of him, but I waited my turn, watching as our girls welcomed their Daddy home.  My heart swelled, and I'm pretty sure I fell in love with him all over again, seeing how he laughed and hugged his girls a little tighter.  He looked up to catch my eye, and I dropped my hand from my mouth to smile tearfully at him.  He winked, giving me that beautiful smile I'd missed so much, and then ducked his head again to kiss his daughters' foreheads.
He took as long as he needed with Audrey and Casey.  No way were they going to sleep anytime soon, I imagined!  But after a little bit, they let go of him and wanted to know what kind of stories he was sure to have brought back with him.
"I'll tell you all a little bit, but after that, you have to promise to go to sleep then so you can wake up bright and early in the morning to hear the rest of it, okay?  It's you guys' bedtime already," he told them, and they reluctantly agreed.  "That's my girls.  Now, you two go get settled on the couch while I say hello to your momma, okay?"
They agreed, their faces shining with anticipation and happiness, and my heart leaped into my throat when he met my eyes.  Standing up, I made my way almost shyly over to him, not quite sure I even believed that he was alive and home.  He reached out for my hands and gave me an expression of sheer adoration.
"Boy, is it good to see you..." he grinned. 
I smiled shyly.  "You have no idea.  I love you so much."  Unable to contain myself one more second, I grabbed him into a tight hug, and he reached to do the same; pulling me as close as possible.  I smiled into his shoulder; his mere touch enrapturing me.  I could've remained in that embrace forever, but I let him slip away after only a few seconds. 
"We'll talk later," he promised quietly, adding a soft kiss on my cheek for good measure.
I nodded before following him to the couch. 
When he sat, he scooped Jordan up into his arms, despite the two girls vying for spots on his lap.  When he managed to get all three squeezed onto his lap, he finally realized he was missing someone and looked up at me, his eyes widening with concern. 
"Where's the little guy?" 
"He's sleeping in bed," I reassured him, and he nodded, letting his shoulders lower in relief before slipping into a very simple version of the beginning of his adventures; it was enough to captivate the girls, though, and they were reluctant to go to bed when the first part of his story came to a close at approximately eleven o' clock....despite their tiredness.  We got them to bed, though, and I quickly slipped behind the cutout to get changed for bed while he watched Zachary sleep for a few minutes.
I'd just gotten the bed made when I felt two strong arms grab me round my waist, and he leaned his chin on my shoulder.  I didn't even try to keep the smile off of my face.
"Ready for bed?  I can't wait until tomorrow....I'm hoping Zachary lets me at least hold him for a few seconds.  You'll need to catch me up on everything," he whispered. 
I smiled a bit wider, turning around in his arms to face him.  "Mmhmm...I will, but you have to catch ME up first.  And no promises with Zach letting you hold him, but we'll see.  He's gotten a little better!"
He grinned, cupping my cheeks in his hands.  He opened his mouth to say something, but I snaked my arms around his neck and pulled him into a kiss before he could start his sentence.  He dropped his hands from my face and instead let them slide down my sides before resting around my waist, pulling me closer.  When our lips parted, he met my eyes with a loving expression. 
"I missed you," he said quietly, bumping his forehead against mine. I gave him another teary-eyed smile, and he dropped a couple quick kisses onto my brow before leading me over to the edge of the bed.  He sat down and collected me up into his lap for a couple of minutes.  "Now...before I get into what all happened, I want to warn you before I forget:  I might have some nightmares, and I'll probably be up through the night.  Don't worry, though, okay?  And I apologize in advance if I wake you up....I've been, uh...having pretty bad ones.  Nightmares, I mean," he admitted sheepishly. 
I nodded, my brows furrowing.  What had he gone through?!
I won't include his tale in here right now; he said he would post it himself on here very soon. It was one in the morning before he  finally finished the tale, so it's a long one.

When he finally finished, he stretched his back with a grunt.  "Climbing so much really did me in. Basically every inch of my body aches!" I nodded empathetically, staring at him with concern.  He caught on and smiled at me, reaching over to kiss the tip of my nose.  "I'll be fine.  But enough about me.  What's been going on here?  Or are you too tired?" 
I shrugged.  Quite honestly, I was beyond tired, but at the same time, I was so happy and excited that I probably COULDN'T sleep.  If that makes sense...have you ever had that feeling? "I don't know if I'll be able to sleep, but I'm sure you're really tired, huh?" 
"You bet.  But why won't you be able to sleep?"  he flopped down on his side, reaching behind him with one hand to rub at what must've been a particularly sore spot on his back. 
"Well, for one, I'm excited because I thought I'd never see you again-"
"Why'd you think that?  How long was I gone?"  he asked, quirking a brow. 
"Almost a month...I-I thought you were dead.  We all did," I muttered, dropping my gaze away from him to my lap when I felt my eyes fill with tears.  Just thinking about it got me upset.
His eyebrows furrowed.  "Oh, honey...c'mere." 
I shook my head.  "I'll be fine.  I'm sorry,"
"About what?" 
"It was my fault.  If it weren't for me, you wouldn't have been going to talk to Tangled Fan, and--"
"Hey.  Enough of that!  You and the girls are the only reason I stayed determined enough to come home, just for the record." 
I swallowed, nodding.  When I knew I was composed once more, I smoothed the blanket over him like I always did before curling underneath them myself, turning on my side to face away from him, at least until I was positive I could look at his face without crying.  Within a couple of seconds, he pulled me close up against him, tucking some hair away from my ear before slipping an arm snugly around my midsection.  I put my own hand over his, lacing my fingers with his and sighing shakily. Oh, how I'd missed him!  But he wasn't about to go to sleep quite yet--of course not.
"You blamed yourself the entire time I was gone, right?"  he whispered.
"Mmmh...It doesn't matter, rest up,"
He sighed in frustration.  "I don't know why you blame yourself for everything...it was the dog's fault, honey.  How can I be so crazy over you if you're so frustrating?" he teased.
I giggled quietly.  "Sorry." 
Chuckling, he cuddled up just a little closer to me before going to sleep.

I woke up at around 3 in the morning to Eugene tossing and turning, mumbling and breathing as though he was running a marathon.  His face was pinched and worried, so I propped myself up on one elbow and started shaking his shoulder, talking quietly to try to get him to wake up out of the nightmare.  With a gasp, he finally woke up and shot straight upright in bed.  I quickly sat up, too, and put a hand on his shoulder a moment before pulling him into a hug.
"It's just a nightmare," I whispered.  "You're okay." 
He buried his face into the crook of my neck, much like the kids do when they're upset, scared, or tired, and my heart squeezed with empathy.  I gave him a couple of quick kisses behind his ear and rested my cheek up against his head, keeping my arms around him until he calmed down.  When he finally pulled out of the hug, he took a deep, shuddering breath. 
"Did I wake you?" he whispered.
"It's fine," I said quietly, reaching to smooth his collar. 
"I'll go sleep on the couch--" he started to leave the bed, and I grabbed his arm. 
"Um, no you're not!"
"I don't want to wake you, though...you--"
"I don't care, Eugene; you're sleeping in bed.  It'll be better for your joints, too." I added. 
Plus, I didn't care about being woken up; the love of my life was home after almost a month--like fun I cared if he woke me up having a nightmare!  He took another deep breath, and I reached to give him another quick hug before he settled  back down under the blanket.  I curled up with the blanket up to my chin, and he reached to pull me close to him once again, sucking in another deep breath that was no less shuddering than the one before. Within minutes, I was back asleep, but I don't know about him.  

Zarina's Notes--Rapunzel and Her Brood

Hey, guys-it's Zarina.
Yesterday was Zachary's one-month birthday.  Obviously, Rapunzel didn't throw a party or anything for it, but it was a milestone of sorts.  He had been so weak and premature when he was born that it was kind of a big thing that he'd reached one month old and was going strong.
Rapunzel didn't do anything special for him, but she just held him a lot yesterday.  That was enough to please him for the day!  He's not been getting near as much attention as he'd like, not since Eugene's death.
Today, I went over to talk to Rapunzel and help her with her kids.
She was especially down today, I mean...she's been in the dumps since the 23rd, but she was really bad today.
Audrey was at one end of their side of the table, with Pascal, and Casey was hanging around her mother.  Jordan was amusing herself, and Rapunzel was holding a whimpering Zachary.
I cleared my throat.  "Need help?"
She looked up, alarmed, but quickly answered me.  "Oh!  Hello.  Uh...yeah, if you're not busy."
"Me, busy?" I shook my head, kneeling down to talk to Casey, who had come over and promptly started pleading with me to play with her.

I played with Casey and helped with Jordan until their four o' clock nap.  Rapunzel toted a fussy Zachary around and tried to talk to Audrey, which failed hugely.
When they were all settled for their naps, Rapunzel thanked me.
"You don't have to come over and help, Zarina.  I mean, you've only been here about a month, you've got things to do and people to get acquainted with.  I appreciate it s lot, though," she added quickly.
"It's fine.  I enjoy helping out over here...those individuals on the other side are complete jerks.  If I'm not over here, I'm sitting on Tangled Fan's old saddle by myself, usually reading.  So no biggie," I said, "but I do wonder why you're so down today.  What's up?"
Rapunzel shook her head, dropping her gaze to her lap.  Her pained eyes spoke volumes.  "He, uh....one year ago today, I met Eu-Eugene.  Of all things, I fell--we were over on that shelving unit over there," she gestured vaguely.  "Of all things, I'd fallen and caught myself on the electric cord of an alarm clock that was there at the time.  This..this random guy helped me up, a-and I was so shy and embarrassed, but he was, too...and somehow, out of that, we kindled a friendship and...and then got married." she gulped, fighting for composure.  I felt bad for asking her why she was so upset.
"Oh...I'm so sorry," I said quietly.
She shook her head.  "It's... It's fine.  I-I...Zarina, do you ever feel like if you'd never met someone, the other person would have benefitted?"
I shook my head.  I'd only been here a month, after all.
But I could see where she was heading with it.
"At least...I mean, going off of what back story Zelia provided me with at one point...at least you had each other for that amount of time.  I mean, he loved you.  He would've been lonely without you."
"But he'd still be alive," she rubbed at her nose and wouldn't look at me.
"Living a crappy and lonely life," I added.  I didn't say any more.
She nodded silently.  When she didn't say anything more, just staring at her lap, I decided that I had failed at trying to make her feel better and I needed to just leave.