Chapter 11: Wounds

He opens his eyes in complete and utter darkness. For a moment he thinks that he is already dead and in some sort of never-ending emptiness. But he realizes that he is still wearing his watch.

Wait, he thinks. Who would wear a watch when they're dead?

Eugene touches the dial on his watch and the light of the screen shines in the darkness and he can see that he is in the trunk of a car. He directs the light to the corners in search of things that can help him out of the trunk which vehicle is immobile and finds nothing useful. From his compressed and uncomfortable point of view, he can see nothing of use but a thing he finds peculiar. It is a cylindrical metal can, like the ones that contain cocoa powder. He wants to find out what is in the can that will be useful to arm himself with. He is hoping that he can find a small knife or, a scissor or a hair pin, even. His hands are tied but they are tied in front of him. So he manipulates them and is able to open the lid of the can. He is surprised that he finds the can is filled with ashes. He has a bad feeling about the origin of the ashes and closes the lid. Only then, he sees something written on top of the can lid in permanent ink – Gothel Bathory.

Oh God! He chokes and coughs. He is in the same cramped dark space as Rapunzel's dead Mother. The bizarreness of the situation makes him want to throw up.

The car trunk opens and salty fresh air greets him.

"Ah!" He breathes and immediately sees the two faces he missed dearly. He rather sees the Stabbingtons than be in the trunk with Gothel's canned ashes.

"Hey guys! I thought I'd never see you again," he says with genuine relief.

"Tough luck, Rider," says the one with the eye patch and pulls him out of the trunk.

Out of the trunk, he sees the world is already dark. Everything looks eerily familiar, the salty sea breeze sweeping his face and the wide platform gazing blankly back at him. However, he is glad that he has blood flowing again in his legs.

"What?" He gasps when he sees a familiar silhouette seated on a bench in the dark against the zodiacal light in the horizon. He is washed over by a horrific sense of déjà vu. Anger kicks in. Using his combined fists, he swings into the face of the eye-patched Stabbington, sending the man staggering. The other Stabbington lunges at him with his a gun in his hand but receives a kick to the face. He is sent flying to the concrete. Eugene takes the gun which has been thrown with a clatter of sound and holds it with both hands.

"Stop, Rider!" A scratchy voice calls out. Eugene knows the voice at once and walks toward it, pointing the gun with both hands. He still hasn't managed to undo the binding on his wrists. Inadvertently, he is pointing the gun at her as he is pointing to gun to the voice.

"Rapunzel!" He calls out. Her mouth is bound, and it is not a scarf this time binding her. It is duct tape that is impossible to slide off, without something sharp to cut through it.

"Move an inch and she's dead."

Al Hapone is hiding behind the bench where she is sitting, pointing a gleaming gun to her head. The state of affairs in the crime world is so bad now that Al Hapone has to do everything himself. However, in the light of the current event, all leverage is on Al Hapone's side.

"She has nothing to do with this. Let her go!" Flynnagan calls out.

"I lost my daughter. Someone should pay."

"But not her!"

The Stabbingtons are already up and they pounce on him like hyenas. He let go of the gun. They kick him at the back of his knees and bring him kneeling on the concrete. He sees fear so palpable in her eyes and they spoke the words she could not speak though her lips. The Stabbingtons bring him forward so the aging crime boss can see him properly and aim properly as well.

Eugene, I'm so scared. She seems to be saying. She is scared for his life, he knows. She is scared of a future without him after the pleasures that she had last night. And God knows how scared he is too. He is scared of life without her again. Years and years of being alone in the midst of people who clamour over him. And he is scared that if she is going to be scarred by the consequences of tonight's event. He is not scared to die, though. Dying is already like breathing to him. It is living without her that scares him to death.

"Everything's going be alright, Princess," he says. He wants to touch her but his hands are tied. They are only separated by the space of mere yards.

"It's me who drove your daughter to madness," Flynnagan turns and speak to the aging crime boss.

"And it's her who drove you to madness," the old menace responds bitterly.

"It is not her fault that I can't forget her."

He sees that she is crying now, a trail of wetness flooding down her cheeks, her eyes two pools of despair.

"Now, it's going to be your fault that she's not going to forget tonight. She will be driven into madness by your death in your effort to save her life," Al Hapone continues and bitterness is replaced by relish.

"I've died a hundred times and she finds herself new dreams everyday. She has promised me that she will again. And she never breaks a promise," Flynnagan replies in resignation. He only wants to remind Rapunzel of her promise to him four years ago. He wants her to live no matter what happens tonight.

"We'll see if that promise will be kept this time."

A crash of a gun rings so close in his ears. His body feels like lead. He falls to the ground, with tied hands. It hurts like being torched and he isn't able to staunch his own wound.

A muffled cry comes from his beloved who is tied to the bench.

And at the instant, sound of sirens interrupted the outcome of the horrid execution. Steps of running men and shouting officers assail his hearing. In laboured breath, he sees a familiar face.

Ah, the cavalry. Always two seconds too late.

"Get up, Rider!" A stern voice yelled at him.

"What?" He gasps.

It was Maximus, the detective standing over him with a jeering face.

"That is a fucking flesh wound!" The man says.

"I know!" Eugene exclaims in return.

Maximus takes out a knife and cuts off the duct tape binding his wrists.

"Then why on earth are you still lying on the concrete? Get the fuck on your feet, man!"

"I'm basking in the beauty of flesh wounds. My first flesh wound. I can get hundreds of these and not complain one bit," Flynnagan says with his eyes closed. He is holding the bleeding on his upper left arm.

"He can't even aim properly now," Flynnagan exhales in relief.

"It was so close."

"Count yourself one blessed son a b*tch, Rider. Not your first lucky ticket, I believe?"

"No. "

Maximus becomes quiet and slowly, a smile grows on his face. Maximus begins to laugh. He kneels and tie a handkerchief to Flynnagan Rider's nicked shoulder.

"Enjoy your flesh wound, Rider. Hopefully it will be the last of any kind of wound you'll ever have."

"Thank you, Detective. But how did you find us?"

"It's your boot."

Flynaggan takes off his boot and turns it upside down. There is a square sticker on the sole and he peels it off, revealing an apparatus the size of a coin.

"Yours I believe?"

"Yeah."

"Eugene!"

He sees Rapunzel already freed from her restrains by the police and she kneels beside him. Only then he has the strength to sit. She hugs him at his waist.

"Are you OK, Princess?"

"You're shot and you're asking me if I'm OK?" Rapunzel asks disbelievingly.

"I'm sorry that I put you through this."

"It's not your fault. And you're alive. We're alive, Eugene!"

Eugene gets on his feet and takes her by the hand. He heads to the car that he was kept in.

"I have something for you," he says and takes out the cocoa powder can that he encountered in the trunk.

"What is it?" Rapunzel asks, laughing nervously.

"This is Mother Gothel."

"What?"

Rapunzel takes the can and read the writing on the lid.

"Oh!" She gasps.

Eugene sees that Detective Maximus is witnessing this exchange and he has a feeling that the man will take the can away from her. But the detective turns and walks away from the scene. Detective Maximus never sees the can containing Gothel's ashes. The police don't need the ashes. But Rachel Kingsley aka Rapunzel Bathory does. Eugene, that is who he is now, remembers last night they have spent talking about the four years they have lost. Rapunzel has told him about the nightmares she has about Mother. The grieving daughter needs her closure.

"I think it's time to say good bye to Mother."

Eugene and Rapunzel walk to the edge of the Pier, at the exact spot where he had bled out after Gothel shot him. At the exact spot where Rapunzel had tried to staunch the bleeding to no avail. And the spot where Gothel had jumped into the sea when he had thrown the enchanted book and pen into the waves. Rapunzel opens the lid of the can and pours out its contents into the wind. Grey ashes flew out, some scattered by the wind but finally all are swallowed by the sea.

"Goodbye, Mother," she whispers. Eugene holds her by the shoulder.

"I'm so proud of you."

She is crying without a sound.

"Ahem!" Someone is clearing his throat. Eugene turns around.

"I'm taking you for a ride, Rider," Detective Maximus says.

"Where?" Eugene asks.

"Rachel Kingsley has had her goodbye. Don't you want to have yours?"

"What?"

"To the Weeping Willows Cemetery in North Corona."

"Oh."

"I'm going with him," Rapunzel says.

"Your parents are here, Miss Kingsley," Maximus informs.

"They will understand."

"Suit yourself."

Detective Maximus drives like a lunatic with a dire need of going to the washroom. They reach the Weeping Willow Cemetery in North Corona at first light of a new day. The detective shows Eugene two tombstones, simple grey slabs laid side by side on the green grass. One has the words 'Eugene R. Fitzherbert. 1954 – 1982. Loving husband and father' written on it. And next to it is another slab written 'Sophia Garcia Goya Fitzherbert. Loving wife and mother.1960 – 1983.'

Eugene kneels to the ground, speechless as he reads the years and words engraved on the stones.

"It's not their fault," he whispers.

"No, it is not," Rapunzel exhales.

And the talk about consequences so feared by Eugene makes the most logical sense to her. Somehow, his tragedy is wired deep in him without him knowing it. He doesn't want to make her take that kind of risk without the guarantee that he will be by her side. But as the tombstones had spoken the truth about risks and consequences, they both know that life itself is a risk, a gamble of the most foolish kind. And none has no power to guarantee nothing at all but promises they make while they still have breath in them.

Rapunzel takes Eugene in her arms and cradles his head in the crook of her breasts as he releases his anguish.

As they embrace, the sun rises from the tree-lined horizon with soft golden light.

"The second sunrise after the night you climbed into my tower," she says softly. He raises his head from her breasts.

"It is time for us to live," he exhales, kisses her on the lips and says.

"Happily ever after starts now."

THE END

Author's Note: With great relief I wrote this. To everyone reading this, Damon, Aerrows Girl_07, Sparklewolf7000, An Unknown Foreign Beauty, Romance and Musical, PampleMousse07, CommanderNemo, the-fairy-godmother, Wolfram-and-Hart-Sauron, FaithRivens, TruliFrighteningMonsterAlice, Alltangledup, SWACGleekFreak, AIOFanNCRM, goatgod, CocoRocks, couchyogurt, thank you all very much!