...yeah...another one...don't hate me for throwing all these out you. I'm abandoning my other ones, I promise, but I got to get these ideas out there!

Chapter 1 – A Day in the Life of Rapunzel Mitty

"You're going too fast. Why are you going so fast? You were going thirty-five. I like to go thirty and you were going thirty-five!"

"Sorry, Father." Rapunzel slowed down the five miles. She promptly had to halt at a stop light. She looked at it, annoyed.

"Rapunzel, you always have your mind on something else, always doing something else." Her father sounded exasperated with her. "You haven't been listening to a word I've been saying, have you?"

"Yes, I have, you told me I was going thirty-five and you want me to go thirty." The light changed green and Rapunzel accelerated, slowly.

"Oh, alright then. What would you like for the center pieces then?"

"Center pieces for what?" Rapunzel had no idea what her father was talking about.

"Your wedding! Oh, I knew it, you haven't been listening. What am I going to do with you?" Rapunzel sighed and sank lower in her seat. She came to another stop light. Her father looked up at a billboard on top of a building. It was an advertisement for Sea Drift soap chips. "Oh, Rapunzel don't forget to get soap chips while you're out. Don't forget, the brand is Sea Drift. It doesn't make you itch. Remember, Sea Drift. Sea drift… Sea drift…."

Far out on the China Sea, between salvation and disaster, caught in a storm not even Poseidon himself would be caught in, a small cargo ship full of a million dollars worth of the orient's best spices was being tossed up and down by the malicious waves. The engine gave a protesting ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa as it struggled against the angry current. Hard rain pounded the deck of the boat, feeling like bullets on the crew's skin. The captain, a tall, dark haired man with dark eyes, desperately pulled at the helm, but the sea was too great. He was removed from his position as a wave came upon his deck, like a hand batting away a pesky fly. His fall was broken by a crate tied down to the deck, but his fall wasn't the only thing that broke. As he stood, he realized his arm was void of feeling, and flopped at more angles than an arm should have. He cursed at his new incapacitation. Still, he struggled back the helm, which was widely turning in a circle, causing the ship to spin sickeningly. He placed his one good, strong hand on the helm and pulled against it, willing the ship to be righted. But even his legendary strength was not enough to save the ship. The helm pulled at him.

Rapunzel Mitty, a stole away on the ship, saw the captain struggle to steer his ship. She also saw how none of her crew was coming to his aid. Not caring that she would reveal herself, Rapunzel dashed from her hiding spot between two crates and placed both of her hands on the wheel, right beside the captain's. He gave a confused glance at her, wondering if she had come down from heaven, but he could see that the safety of his crew and cargo were more important. He stepped aside, so Rapunzel could have as good of footing as he did. Together, they fought the sea and steered towards the horizon, where they saw the promise of the dawn and a clear sky. They sailed to their point, saving crew, ship, and cargo from certain doom.

Once in safe waters, the captain rounded on Rapunzel. He beheld the small woman, amazed that such a tiny figure could have helped him against the storm. Upon seeing her clearly whitout a sheet of rain, he beheld her soaked trench coat and new she was a stole-away.

"You are," said the dark haired, dark eyed captain, "by far, the most insubordinate woman I've ever met. Here you've snuck on my ship, which is no place for a woman, I might add. The bad luck you broght could have caused that storm, but," he said lowly, his voice slowly filling with desire as he took Rapunzel in his arms, "I owe you my life. Thank you." Rapunzel batted her wet lashes up at him.

"I'd be happy with just a kiss from you, captain." He smiled and leaned down to give her her reward.

"Rapunzel!"

Rapunzel was rudely brought out of her daydream just when it was getting good. But it was a good thing that she was. She swerved away from a curb. Rapunzel pulled into the lot of the train station. She turned the car off and got out with her father. She followed him as he quickly walked up to the train.

"Do you have the list?"

"Yes."

"Better make sure it's in your little black book." Rapunzel dug in her purse for the book. She pulled it out, as well as a pencil and began to jot down her father's list. "You said you ran out of number two thread, you wanted to plant snapdragons, so snapdragon seeds, darning thread, can of Gleamo Floor Wax, fly spray, cheese grater, Sea Drift soap chips. Oh, and make sure you return this." Rapunzel's father handed her a large and cumbersome department store box tied up with string and brown paper. "The color of that suit isn't very becoming on me."

The conductor walked by.

"All aboard." Nic moved to get on the train.

"Good-bye, sweetie." He put a foot on the steps, bending down to receive a kiss from his daughter. "Don't forget to pick me up after work."

"Yes, father." The train whistle blared. It lurched forward.

"And don't forget the cake!" called Nic, hoping Rapunzel heard him.

"Yes, father." She waved good-bye to him.

Rapunzel got back in the car and headed to her own job. At her building, she brought in the suit box, of which, people gave her curious looks for lugging such a large box into the office. The elevator was very packed and Rapunzel had to hold the box over her head so that everyone could fit inside.

On her floor, she greeted her co-workers, picking up a new manuscript to read for the latest murder mystery magazine. She walked to her work station, which was past a sign that read, 'good taste and good reading for thirty years. Corona publishing.' With great joy, Rapunzel finally reached her work table. She set the large box down and took her coat off, hanging it over the back of her chair. She ran a hand down her dress to smooth out the wrinkles, then reached into her bag for a brown paper sack. She walked over the window and opened it. On the ledge was a flock of pigeons.

"Well, good morning, every-birdy," Rapunzel said, enjoying her everyday pun. "Did you think I'd forgotten you? Here we are." She crumbled some of the crumbs on the ledge and the birds started to feed. The more bold ones pecked the bread out of her hands. "Oh, Elmer, you've had enough. Give the others a chance." She shooed the bird away and put her hand back down to feed the others.

Some of her office mates walked up to her station. They were grinning, like they all had just heard a very funny joke.

"Hey, dream girl. The old man wants to see you in his office."

"Oh, dear, what is it this time?" She dumped the remaining contents of the bread on the ledge.

"Don't know," said one of the men, shrugging his shoulders. "Something about the last cover you just finished, the one for the murder mystery." Rapunzel scrunched up her face.

"He loved the sketch. What doesn't he like about the finished product?" the others shrugged and walked away, still ginning.

Rapunzel crossed the office to her boss' door. She knocked, just in case he was busy.

"Come in," he said on the other side. Rapunzel opened the door to Mr. Corona's office.

Max Corona wasn't an old man, but he was so worldly, it just seemed like it. He was well put together, sitting like a preened rooster in a white suit, his blonde hair combed back perfectly, like Clark Gable's.

"Mitty," he said standing for the presence of his female employee. "Take a seat." He gestured to a chair on the opposite side of his desk. Rapunzel sat, running her hands down the back her legs so that her skirt was not crumpled underneath her.

On his desk, Mr. Corona took out a folder. He opened it and handed the contents to Rapunzel.

"Mitty, take a look at this. What do you see?" She took it and did as she was instructed.

"Uh, a cover for a magazine that I drew."

"Yes, but really look at it. Look at the man." She did look. He looked good, if she did say so herself, in his fedora and trench coat, his handgun pulled up by his face as he shielded a beautiful lady behind himself.

"He's a very dashing man. Isn't that what he's supposed to be?"

"Yes, but he looks just like all your other dashing men. The people who read this can't keep having the same man popping up on all the story covers as their protagonist. It'll confuse them." Rapunzel frowned at her boss.

"I don't really think the readers notice, sir."

"Do I pay you to think?"

"No, sir." Rapunzel killed the urge to slouch in her seat. It was irritating how her boss would talk down to her.

"We put out a very long and proud list of magazines: detective, astounding adventure, air aces, frontier stories, exotic love tales, murders mysteries. With so many, readers are bound to notice that a certain dark haired, dark eyed man keeps showing up on the covers, clutching a different dame in his arms."

"Well sir, one good looking man looks like any other good looking man."

"No, men are all different. Dames are the ones who all look the same. Do you know why I keep you here, Mitty?"

"Because I'm an excellent artist and I'm good my job?"

"Because you're an excellent artist and you're-" Max glared at Rapunzel. "Now see here, Mitty. An office is only fit for woman if she's the secretary or the typist. A pretty dame like you shouldn't be here. It's a good thing you'll be getting married next week. Marriage is just the thing for you."

"Yes, sir."

"Thank God you didn't go into nursing, Mitty. With your wandering mind, you might have killed someone."

"Nursing…"

The beautiful nurse with the chestnut hair had seen too much hurt, too much pain, so when her eyes fell upon the dark haired, dark eyed man, whom she had slowly fallen in love with, she could not help but weep. His heart rate machine went ta-pocketa-pocketa-pocketa, telling all who listened that he was on his last breaths. He took her hand, gently, weakly. He was so close to death's door; his hand was already cold. The wound that had been inflicted by the cold, evil barrel of a Nazi glock was slowly claiming his life.

"You shouldn't cry for me, darling," his voice croaked, beautifully, still sounding like resonating church bells. "A beauty such as yourself must have millions of our boys falling over each other, just to give you their name."

"I don't," Nurse Mitty said, dabbing her glistening green eyes. "When I became a nurse, I devoted my life to lives of others. I haven't given one selfish thought to myself in years."

"Well, maybe it's time, doll," her solider boy said. "Go out and find yourself a man. A good man, who will take you in his arms and whisper love to you. A man who will build you a good house, with a white picket fence. A man who will support you and the beautiful children you'll have. A man, who will never raise his hand or voice against you and cherish you all his days." Slowly, his voice was fading into a dying whisper. Nurse Mitty put the man's hand to her face.

"What if I told you that that man is right in front of me? Tell me you love," she said desperately. "Tell me of the future we could have." She put his hand against her chest. "Feel the fleeting beating of my heart as I tell you I cherish you and I want to cherish you all my days. Please, say you'll marry me, solider boy." He smiled weakly at her, tears in his eyes.

"These wounds are taking me away from here, baby. I can't give you what you want. I love you too, but you have to forget about me. I'm not long for this world. I can't even see your face anymore…"

"You won't die. You won't die. You won't die…."

"Mitty!"

"Hm!" Rapunzel sat bolt upright in her seat, looking as alert as possible. Max was glaring at her.

"If I ask you a question, I expect an answer."

"Yes, sir," she said nodding, fighting down her alarm. He looked at her, expectantly.

"You weren't listening again, were you? Always daydreaming. How do you expect to stay on here if you keep daydreaming? I asked you how soon you'll have the cover done for our new series, Sky Kings?"

"Oh, this afternoon, sir."

"Then what are you doing in my office? Get on with it!"

"Yes, sir." Rapunzel left Max's office, glad she was finally done with him.

"And put a different man on it!" Max called after her.