006 — JOSH

Flynn woke with a start as he felt someone restricting his airways. His eyes flew open as he looked up at the familiar vampire Josh he thinks his name is. He remembered the boy from the compound when he took the talisman as he was stuck to Marcel's side, he must be one of his lackeys.

"Shh, don't make a sound." He whispered as lifted his hand from Flynn's mouth. He motioned to Rapunzel who was still peacefully sleeping wrapped in her own hair softly snoring.

Flynn looked unbothered as he closed his eyes again. "Well I hope you're here to apologize." He mumbled as he shifted back to a comfortable position.

A scream ripped through the air as Rapunzel woke up disorientated hearing Flynn's scream. She watched as Flynn was being dragged by a stranger as he kept shouting profusely.

"No, put me down." He struggled against the vampire. "Stop it! No! Let me go!" He screamed as Rapunzel jumped up and followed after them, grabbing Flynn's hands as she pulled back trying to get the other guy to let him go.

Rapunzel grunted as the unknown guy kept a firm grip on Flynn. "Give me him!" She whined knowing she wasn't as strong.

The guy somehow ended up with Flynn's shoe as Flynn toppled over on top of Rapunzel who gasped as his weight pressed down on her before carefully pushing him off. Josh grew frustrated at the situation and sped over to the duo but Rapunzel quickly stepped in front of Flynn.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa!" She said trying to calm the guy who tried to dodge her and go around so that he could get ahold of Flynn but she wouldn't let him, she copied his actions causing him to huff.

"Look I don't know who you are but you can't have him, I need him." She stressed as she stood her ground.

Josh cocked an eyebrow as he looked between the blonde and the thief.

"This like Bonnie and Clyde sort of thing?" He asked confused.

Flynn shook his head "Definitely not, this one wouldn't know the first thing about crime or just how to be inconspicuous." He immediately denied making a face.

"Hey!" Rapunzel said taking offence before her face scrunched up. "Who's Bonnie and Clyde?"

Flynn got up from his position on the floor and pushed Rapunzel forward. "Doesn't matter, anyway we'll be on our way now. Nice catching up with you." He waved mockingly calling back to Josh not receiving a reply.

Flynn screamed as Josh appeared in front of him seconds later. "We're not done here."

Rapunzel sighed as his persistence and moved in front of Flynn once again. "Hi, I'm Rapunzel. This guy here climbed my tower and we made a deal and so until that deal is fulfilled he's staying with me." She said firmly as she crossed her arms over her chest to try and look intimidating but it wasn't working.

Josh cocked an eyebrow in amusement at her attempt of being threatening but in the end threw up his hands in defeat knowing that the girl wasn't going to stand down. "Fine, I'll just come with you then." He retorted crossing his arms over his chest.

"Fine." Rapunzel agreed.

"Fine." He repeated childishly giving Flynn a smug look.

"Wait, hold on a minute! We're not bringing this guy along." Flynn refused as he grabbed Rapunzels arm as he moved him a few metres away from the boy. "He's a vampire!" He whisper yelled to her.

"And?" She asked not seeing a problem with it.

"And he wants to eat me." He expressed, not wanting to bring along the guy who was trying to take him to the Mikaelson's who not doubt would remove his head from his body just for taking one of their possessions.

Rapunzel rolled her eyes. "Come on Flynn. He doesn't want to eat you...vampires don't eat people they just suck your blood." She teased him with a smirk as she walked back over to their new companion.

"Hi, I'm Josh. I was sent here by Marcel on behalf of Klaus as this one stole from them." Josh introduced himself to the blonde who smiled at him.

"Makes sense." She shrugged knowing that Flynn must of stole from someone dangerous to be climbing up her tower in the middle of no where.

Flynn mouth fell open not believing that she was in fact siding with this guy. The betrayal, he had told her his name! "Excuse me? He's a bad guy." Flynn said looking betrayed.

"Oh, he's nothing but a big sweetheart. Isn't that right Josh?" Rapunzel chuckled fluffing the vampires hair.

Josh nodded playing into it as Flynn threw his head back not liking the fact that Rapunzel was making friends with the enemy.

"You've got to be kidding me." He scoffed.

"Look. Today is kind of the biggest day of my life, and the thing is, I need you to not kill him." Josh huffed. "Just for 24 hours , and then you can chase each other to your hearts content. Okay?"

Flynn gave in first as he held out his hand for Josh to shake. Josh begrudgingly took it as he squeezed a little too hard, Flynn winced as he tried not to show pain.

"And...it's also my birthday. Just so you know." She grinned as they let go giving each other a fake grin as Rapunzel skipped away into the direction she believed the city to be in.

Josh punched Flynn in the stomach as soon as he knew she wasn't paying attention, making him fall to the ground as Rapunzel walked on ahead hearing bells chime in the distance.

☆☆☆

Rapunzel gasped in awe as her eyes finally set on the edge of New Orleans. She had been dreaming of this day since forever and now she's finally here, her body feel so light and free as she races ahead of the boys who struggle well one struggles to keep up.

As she's weaving her way through crowds as people chatter all around her, it's then that she realises she had forgotten to spell her hair to appear a normal length as it seems no one cares that she's trying to walk past as they push her around causing her to become frazzled as she tries not to bump into anyone else.

"Excuse me sorry!" Rapunzel calls out as people exclaim. "Ouch" she cries as someone steps on her hair without realizing causing her head to jerk back.

Flynn caught on quickly as he hurried to gather up her hair as Rapunzel turned to him slightly embarrassed as her cheeks turned crimson. Flynn however didn't seem to carry the same embarrassment however as he caught sight of a few children braiding each other's hair against a wall. He whistled towards them grabbing their attention before gesturing to Rapunzel's hair. The children's eyes lit up at the sight as they scrambled up pushing each other to try and reach the girl first.

Rapunzel sat down for them as the four girls laughed with each other as they made a game out of braiding her extremely long hair, jumping over a strand as they went. Flynn kept a close eye on them as he also made sure to keep an eye out for any vampires that might be in the French quarter.

Rapunzel did a small twirl once the girls had finished the braid, trying to see it from all angles. "Thank you." She marveled over her hair as she noticed the flowers they had added to it as well.

Flynn had noticed that they had finished and couldn't help but think how beautiful she looked and it wasn't just because of the hair. Josh smirked as he nudged him suggestively before Flynn rolled her eyes and shoved the boy away.

After thanking the girls again Rapunzel grabbed Flynn's hand, who was slightly shocked at the gestured but made no move to remove it and dragged him through all the stalls. She stopped at a stand where so-called witches offer to read your palm to see a glimpse into your future. Although Rapunzel was quite well versed in magic she had never seen this practiced and was excited at the prospect.

She giddily plopped herself down in front of a smiling woman and thrusted her palm out in front of her. The witch smiled welcomely to Rapunzel before gently grasping her hand and looking down at her palm.

The witch makes a noise of uncertainty before looking back at the girl. "Ah my dear, you are on a very special journey...yes?"

Rapunzel looked up at Flynn in excitement as she nodded her head at the woman. "Yes! I am. I am." She coughs trying to not sound too excited.

The woman continues. "In this journey you will discover some untold truths that have been kept from you. Within you is much power and there are others who wish to deceive you to take it for themselves." The witch warns her as she glances up at her companion.

Rapunzel snorts thinking the witch meant Flynn. "Oh no, that's just Flynn." She waves a hand in dismissal.

The witch shakes her head. "It's not the boy I am worried about...someone else...someone much closer to you." The witch reaches a hand out tucking a strand of hair behind the girls ear much like her Mother would.

Rapunzel felt slightly uncomfortable, her eyebrows furrowed as she think on her words but remembers that Flynn told her that some of these witches aren't real witches and just play into it for tourism.

Rapunzel huffs having wanted a much different reading but thanks the woman all the same before forcing Flynn to sit down in front of her instead. He looked like he was about to protest but Rapunzel gave him a stern look and he sighed before begrudgingly giving the witch his own hand.

Turns out Flynn had better luck than Rapunzel as the witch tells him he's destined for a greater purpose and someone will enter his life and change the course of his path whatever that means.

The witch gave a quick glance to Rapunzel seeing that she was distracted by the artists opposite them as she walked over watching a man paint. The witch dropped her voice so that only Flynn could hear. "It will all come at a great sacrifice -" Her eyes suddenly rolled to the back of her head and she had Flynn's hands in a vice grip. " This charade is foolish, I would stop now before somebody gets hurt. Bring the girl to me and I'll bring you what you desire, no one has to get hurt. You have until the end of the day..." The witch gasped as she jerked back looking around confused at what happened.

She quickly removed her hands from Flynn's forearm. "Uh. I-I'm sorry I don't know what just happened. Excuse me." She muttered as she fled realizing that someone had used her body to convey a message.

Flynn looked after the woman in concern before being dragged out of his trance as Rapunzel grabbed his arm. "How come yours was better." She pouted as she wanted a good one but Flynn looked her at confused.

"You didn't see that.." he asked her knowing he couldn't of just made that up.

Rapunzel looked around confused. "See what?, I heard about the whole destined for greatest and then I got sucked into watching these artists painting,  aren't they wonderful." She steered him over to the painters who were sat opposite painting various things. She stopped behind a man who was painting a portrait of a blonde woman but there was no one around. She was fascinated by the painting but she didn't know why, it just seemed familiar to her.

"I don't paint caricatures if that's why you're breathing down my neck. Although I do appreciate an audience." The man spoke to Rapunzel without turning to face her.

She gasped slightly not realizing that the man knew she was watching him so intently. She stammered as she apologised to the man. "I-uh I didn't mean to offend you. Your paintings are truly wonderful I just I don't know there was something familiar about this one." She explained to the man who finally turned around the face her and when he did Flynn froze as he looked into the eyes of Klaus Mikaelson.

Flynn panics as he looks around for Josh having lost him when Rapunzel dragged them over to the witches. He subtly turns away making sure that the man doesn't clock him.

Klaus looks up at the girl and tilts his head looking at her ever growing hair. "A fellow painter I presume?"

Rapunzel nods. "Yes, although nothing like yours. I paint in my free time which is really all the time you could say I never get out...ever. Um, painting just takes my mind off of reality I guess." She fumbled over her words as she tries not to sound crazy.

Klaus gives the girl a rare smile. "Painting does wonders for ones mind." He tells her as he searches her face trying to figure out where he might of seen her before as her eyes are awfully familiar. "You can join me if you like I've an extra canvas." The man patted the seat besides him. Rapunzel seemed hesitant but as she looked around for Flynn it seemed that he had disappeared so he took the man up on his offer and sat besides him taking a brush and dipping it into the yellow paint.

They sat in a comfortable silence as Rapunzel started to paint her home, her tower. As she began to paint her hair flowing down she could feel the mans eyes glancing over every now and then at her painting. 

He cleared his throat as he addressed her. "That's an interesting painting?..."

"Oh well, yeah I um." She stumbled over her words not quite sure what the tell him, he would think she was crazy if she were to tell him the truth that it was her home and she's never ventoured outside until this very day.

"Symbolic I presume." He asked referring to the tower. "Parents?"

She made a noise of agreement. "Mother."

Klaus chuckled placing his brush down. "Oh I know all about controlling parents, I myself am working out a way to expel mine from my life, permanently one hopes."

Rapunzel chuckled nervously as she gave the man an uncertain look. He sounded slightly unhinged but who was she to judge. She was about to ask about his family when Flynn came back into view.

But before either of them could say anymore Flynn tugged on Rapunzels arm. "Blondie, we gotta go...now." He jerks his head in urgency trying to get her to understand that she's talking to the one man who would most definitely kill him if he recognized him.

"Oh well-" She didn't get to finish as Flynn suddenly dragged her away rushing through the crowd to get as far away from the man as possible.

"Eugene, what's wrong?" She pushed against him making him stop for a second.

"Oh nothing, just things to do, so many things. Oh look over there, Beignets. They're great you should try one." He rambled as he shoved her in the direction of the cart before ordering two. He was still freaking out over the witch from before and then he saw Klaus, they needed to get out of the quarter quickly.

Flynn turned back around offering out a Beignet to Rapunzel. "Happy Bi—" He started to say before releasing she wasn't at his side anymore.

He turned and ended up seeing her dance in front of a band of musicians that were playing live music. People started to crowd around watching her as she dragged a couple in getting them to dance with her as more people joined in causing a circle. Rapunzel locked eyes with Flynn inviting him over but he shook his head furiously, he wasn't a dancer. Josh however seem to make the most opportune moment to rejoin them as he shoved Flynn towards her into the crowd of dancing people.

Flynn gave him a dark look before he was dragged into a dance with an elderly woman. Rapunzel laughed as Flynn tried to reach out to her but instead he got switched with someone else, he looked like he was struggling to keep up with them as he gave Rapunzel a pleading helpless look. She giggled as she danced past him twirling around before they joined hands looking up at each other unexpectedly. They stood there staring into each other's eyes before hearing someone yell.

"To the boats!" Flynn and Rapunzel both look at each other sheepishly as they let go before following the crowd to the boats where the fireworks would take place.

AUTHOR'S NOTE :

Another chapter!!
Klaus made an appearance as well as Josh 👀
New year new updates it seems lol, I think I'm just really into writing for this at the moment so hopefully it stays that way!
Let me know what you think and
please Vote, Comment, Share and Follow me. I finally hit 800!!!♥️♥️