Rapunzel Bennett (Jackunzel)

Chapter 9

"Do you believe?" Jamie asked her.
Zel turned her head, "What?"
"Do you believe in the guardians?" Jamie clarified.
"I don't even know what the guardians are."
"Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, the Sandman, the Easter Bunny, and Jack Frost."
Zel shook her head, "Maybe not currently but I know I've believed in most of them at some point in my life." she explained.
"What happened?"
Zel shrugged, "I started focusing more on my education, and they just kind of shifted out. Coupled with the fact I've never had any proof of their existence... I don't know..."
"You had proof."
"What?"
"Today, there was obvious proof. But you tried so hard to be rational you couldn't take it and fainted."
"Do you mean with the ring?"
Jamie nodded, "That was Jack. He's been under a lot of stress lately and he just needed that ring to cope. So he went into the water and got it."
"Jamie, mom--"
"Mom's been frustrated lately too. Everything that happens doesn't have to make sense. Everything can't be given a valid explanation. You just have to trust yourself and others and believe in the unknown. That's basically what religion is all about." he paused, "It's not about the odds... It's about believing."
"But Jamie-"
"I'm hungry, I'm gonna go get something to snack on.. you, adjust. It's up to you whether you want to believe me or not." Jamie finished, climbing back down the ladder.
Zel was left speechless and her mind filling up with thoughts. It's the unknown that has always scared her.

Jack didn't go to Jamie this time.
He didn't go to the lake either.
This time he went to the broken building.
He felt connected to it in a way he couldn't explain.
But lately, he's been right about everything so why wouldn't he be right this time?

He sat down on the pile of rubble and took out the memory vial.
He knew it was Rapunzel's, but the girl on the case looked so much like... Zel.
Both with the tanned skin, short brown hair, and green eyes. They both even had like freckles on the nose and a small gap between their front teeth.
He smiled at the picture, he was finally going to know who she was.
Next, he needs to know why she's been reoccurring now after three hundred years.
But he was going to savor this small victory.

"I want to know... Everything."
Jack closed his eyes and braced himself.

He watched Rapunzel's life like a movie.
He was able to watch her be born, kidnapped, and raised by Gothel.
He watched all the extra attention Gothel gave her hair and the rude comments and gestures she would use to the girl.
He learned she had a dream to see the lanterns.
He watched her grow up and realized that not only did she look like Zel, but... she looked exactly like the girl he'd seen Zel turn into.
They both had the same exact face, every detail matching.
Then he saw himself.

Rapunzel glanced out the window and saw a moving brown figure, "Mother?" she shouted to it.
Jackson jumped and looked into the tower.
He froze in a trance.
Rapunzel jumped back and hid, barely peeking her head out.
"Wow." Jack whispered under his breath.
"Who... Who are you?" Rapunzel timidly asked trying to stay out of the stranger's sight.
Jackson ran his hand through his hair, "Ah, sorry. I'm Jackson and I think I'm a little lost. Do you know where the main town is?"
Rapunzel slowly revealed more of herself, "I don't know, I'm sorry."
Jack nodded, "Figures." he kicked his feet, "Do you... live in there?" Jack called.
Rapunzel nodded.
"How do you leave? There isn't really an exit down here."
"That's really suspicious, you aren't trying to come up here are you?"
"No... It's just when a house that tall is missing a door you kind of take notice."
Rapunzel giggled, "I don't leave." she confided.
"Why not?"
"I'm not allowed."
The two talked for hours until the sun went down. Jackson had to head home after his unsuccessful trip to the market.

After a few visits, some including Mary some without. Rapunzel finally felt comfortable enough to let Jackson up.
But every time she dreaded when he'd leave her alone again.
"You're coming back, right?" Rapunzel nervously asked as Jackson wrapped her hair on the hanger outside.
Jackson chuckled, "You don't have to ask that every time. I'll be back, I promise. I just have a busy day tomorrow so I might be a little late. Mary wants to learn to ice skate."
Rapunzel giggled, "That sounds like it's going to be really fun."
Jackson smiled at her, "Yeah... But I do have something important for you tomorrow so just look forward to it, okay?"
Rapunzel laughed and nodded.
Jackson grabbed her hair and watched as she shifted her gaze to the floor.
Her expression broke his heart so he let go and gently grabbed her chin, pulling her attention to him, he looked into her big green eyes and smiled, "Hey, I'm coming back. And I'll always come back. Rapunzel... I promise I'm never going to leave you, not longer than I have to."
Her eyes glistened in the sun that shone through the window.
"You promise?" Zel repeated.
Jackson nodded.
He slightly puckered his lips and leaned in as Rapunzel did the same but he stopped himself.
He placed his forehead against Rapunzel's with his eyes closed while he breathed heavily, "I'll see you tomorrow."
He pulled himself away and carefully climbed down her hair.
Rapunzel watched him and patiently waited for his return.

But tomorrow never came, not for Jackson.
Rapunzel would go straight to that window every day for a few months, despite Gothel's presence or not.
She waited.
No one ever came to tell her that Jackson had died that day, he had every intention of seeing her but he couldn't.
Rapunzel always thought back to when they almost kissed.
She figured he was repulsed by her and never wanted to see her again.
She took all of the sadness into painting, she would spend hours imagining herself in a perfect world where she fits in and she would paint it on the walls all over the tower.

Until a thief stumbled into the tower.
Jack watched Rapunzel meet Flynn and he watched the two fall in love.
And the most painful memory of all:
He watched them get married.

Yeah yeah, I know the image above sucks. But in my defense, I wanted it to be quick and couldn't find a high-quality image of what I needed and that stuff takes time...
So... Yeah...

Also, I got the promise idea from a post on Pinterest but I didn't know the source so I didn't want to use the image, it says, "She never breaks a promise because he forgot his."
I dunno
Thought it was kinda cute