Author's Note: Oh my gosh, I apologize profusely for the long wait! I swear I haven't given up on this story; all of my muses just sort of ran away, but they have come back, now. Sadly, this shall be the final chapter of this fic, so expect a long one as a reward for your patience. This will contain happy reunions and much fluff. You have been warned. Disclaimer: The site is called fanfiction, yes? Good.

One Big, Happy Family

After releasing Eugene from the shackle, Rapunzel gathered up a few personal items (mostly painting supplies), and we all went down the trapdoor and out into the sun. Max and Beauty were waiting for us. They both trotted over eagerly.

We were about to mount up and go home when a loud rumble of thunder made us stop. I looked up in confusion; there wasn't a cloud in the sky. When the thunder continued and was accompanied by loud voices, I realized the thunder was actually the sound of several hooves coming towards us. As if on cue, the captain of the guard and at least ten other mounted soldiers burst into the clearing around the tower.

The captain dismounted his borrowed horse and stalked toward Eugene, his eyes blazing with rage. Suddenly, he was forced to stop short when Maximus planted himself firmly between us and him.

He was completely flabbergasted. "Maximus, what are you doing?" he asked, outraged. "He's a criminal, and these two are clearly his accomplices!"

I stepped forward, placing a hand on Max's neck. "It's okay, Max," I murmured. I straightened my back, bracing myself for what I was about to do. "My brother, Eugene, is innocent. My name is Janine Fitzherbert, but you all know me better as Flynn Rider." The other guards started muttering in surprise at that. "You have orders to execute me for stealing the Crown of the Lost Princess, correct?"

After a moment, the others nodded in affirmation. I smiled. "Ah, but you see, I didn't actually steal it."

"Yes, you did! I was there!" one of them shouted.

"Then you didn't do a good job guarding it, did you?" I asked, raising an eyebrow. He flushed in embarrassment. "As I said, I took it, but I didn't steal it…because I brought it to the rightful owner." Never mind that I did so unintentionally.

All eyes now turned to Rapunzel, who was standing nervously in the background, clinging to Eugene's arm. She looked incredibly shy now that everyone was staring at her, but she quickly composed herself. Rapunzel let go of Eugene's arm and stood straight, her shoulders back and her head held high.

"My name is Rapunzel," she declared, "and I am the lost princess. This woman," she continued, taking my hand, "along with her brother saved my life. I request that we all be escorted safely to the palace so that I may prove to the king and queen that I am telling the truth." I waited with bated breath, hardly daring to hope that her wish would be granted.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity of silence, the captain nodded. "All right, then. Men, we're moving out!" Eugene helped Rapunzel onto Max's back, and I mounted Beauty. All of us rode back to Corona, but I could barely hold onto the reins because my hands were sweating so much. What if they didn't recognize Rapunzel? What if they didn't believe I was Flynn Rider? What if they executed me anyway? What if, what if, what if…

My thoughts were interrupted when I realized we had finally arrived at the palace. I dismounted, and a young guard escorted us to a balcony to wait while another fetched the king and queen.

Rapunzel leaned on the railing; her hands were trembling. Eugene wrapped an arm around her shoulders, and I took one of her hands. "Don't worry," I told her. "They'll recognize you."

She nodded. "But…what if they don't like me?" She reached up to twist a piece of hair that wasn't there anymore. "I mean…it's been so long. I was just a baby, and now…"

Eugene tilted her face up to look at him. "Hey," he said softly. "They're going to love you. How could they not?"

I opened my mouth to add something, but I stopped when I heard the doors open behind us. We all turned, and there they were. This was my first real look at the royal family, and now that I saw them, I was kicking myself for not seeing it sooner. Rapunzel was the spitting image of her mother, especially now that her hair was brown.

Slowly, the queen walked forward, a disbelieving expression on her face. She reached for Rapunzel's face hesitantly, studying her intently. After a moment, she smiled, a soft exhale escaping her lips. Without missing a beat, the queen wrapped her daughter in a warm hug, stroking her hair. The king chuckled and embraced them both, and all three sank to the floor.

Eugene smiled, looking down at them tenderly. I joined him, and was surprised when the queen reached out her hand to me. I took it, and she immediately pulled me into the group hug with the others. Not wanting him to feel left out, I dragged Eugene down with me, and for the first time in my life, I felt warm, loved, and…safe.

Aurora and Flynn looked up at me, wide-eyed. Phillip had joined us, and he held our son in his lap as I wrapped up the story. "Well, you can imagine what happened next: the kingdom rejoiced, for their lost princess had returned."

Eugene smirked. "The party lasted an entire week, and honestly, I don't remember most of it."

I rolled my eyes, swatted his arm, and continued. "Dreams came true all over the place. Hook Hand went on to become the most famous concert pianist in the world, if you can believe it! Big Nose, he eventually found true love. And as for Ulf, well, I assume he's happy; he's never told me otherwise." The others roared with laughter at that one.

"Thanks to Maximus, crime in the kingdom disappeared almost overnight…as did most of the apples." Aurora and Flynn giggled happily. "Pascal never changed." Said chameleon made a happy squeak from Rapunzel's shoulder. "At last, Rapunzel was home, and she finally had a real family. She was a princess worth waiting for. Beloved by all, she led her kingdom with all the grace and wisdom that her parents did before her."

I sighed dramatically. "And as for me, well, I started going by Janine again, stopped thieving, and eventually turned it all around. Phillip and I eventually got married, but I know what the big question is: did Rapunzel and Eugene ever do the same?"

Eugene wrapped his arm around his wife. "Well I'm pleased to tell you, that after years and years of asking and asking and asking…I finally said yes."

Rapunzel mock-glared at him. "Eugene…" she said warningly.

He smiled at her. "All right, I asked her."

"And we're living happily ever after," she assured the children, who I'm pretty sure at some point forgot that this story was about their parents.

As Rapunzel leaned into my brother, he kissed the top of her head and murmured, "Yes, we are."