So I watched this movie the other day, and I found Isabelle to be generally useless, and as much as I loved that Jack walked out with the crown at the end, it also kind of bugged me that she didn't. So I wrote a missing moment that makes me better able to cope with her doing absolutely nothing for an entire movie.

The resounding thud of the General's hand hitting the ground was still ringing in Jack's ears as he checked Isabelle over for injuries. His hands skittered over her frame repeatedly until she finally grabbed his wrists and pulled him into a hug.

Too soon, though, they were reminded of the ongoing battle by the rumbling of the castle keep as its foundations were pierced by the growing beanstalk. The two teens looked around the room and their eyes eventually landed on a large ring spanning across two fingers of the giant's severed hand.

Isabelle recognized the slate grey crown first, but Jack's realization came not soon after, accompanied by a look of relief and hope. Of course, these emotions only lasted until he realized that the princess wasn't moving to take the crown.

"Isabelle, what are you waiting for?"

His question was met with a look of such genuine confusion that for a brief second he wondered if his assumption was completely ridiculous.

"What do you mean, 'what am I waiting for?'"

And with that Jack came back to his senses. "The crown! You've got to put it on and go stop the giants!"

His harried response was punctuated by another shift of the keep's foundations, and the princess' look of confusion morphed into one of surprise.

"You want me to take it?" she asked, and the surprise gave way to pure panic.

"Yes I want you to take it! You're the princess, and it's you're ancestor's crown!" Jack responded with growing urgency.

"Jack, I'm not taking it. This has been your fight from the beginning; all I've done is get in the way, and get good people killed." There were tears in her eyes now, and even though Jack knew that they really didn't have time for this, he was quickly learning that he couldn't say no to the beautiful Princess of Cloisters.

So he stepped closer, took her face in his hands, and said, "Isabelle, none of this was your fault. You were caught up in a horrible, and pretty remarkable situation, and because of that we had warning of Roderick's plan to attack the kingdom."

"But the people..."

"Anyone who died," Jack interrupted, "did so because they believed in giving you the chance to be the best queen Cloisters has ever seen. You told me once that you wanted to prove yourself to your father and to your people. Here's your chance."

He let go of her face as she turned to once again look the crown, her expression rife with indecision.

Then, as another quake rocked the keep, Isabelle's indecision melted away and her look became one of determination. Jack thought that he'd gotten through to her until she turned that look away from the crown and onto him.

"You're right, Jack, it is a chance."

And then the princess kissed him in a way that he was perilously close to getting used to.

"But maybe I want you to be the one who proves himself to my father and the kingdom."

Five minutes later the couple walked out of the demolished castle keep, Jack holding an ancient stone crown high above his head.

I have more ideas for conversations wear Jack ends up wearing a crown, but I'm not sure whether they'll ever get written, so even though I'm marking it complete, watch for updates.