You Got Some Power in Your Corner Now

Rapunzel perched herself on the edge of the couch, watching as Genie laid out their dinner on the coffee table. “Thanks again for ordering all of this.” She smiled, reaching for her burger once he got settled in his spot. “I hope the smell of all this food doesn’t wake her. I swear, every time I had food brought to me in Avalor, she would perk right up. I have a feeling she’s inherited your food radar.” Zel snickered, popping a fry into her mouth. 

Rapunzel grinned as Genie reappeared with a set of baby monitors. “I forgot we bought these. Probably because we also bought out half the Babies’R’Us that day, but I digress.” She chuckled softly, accepting the piece he handed to her. “Thank you.” Zel said genuinely as she closed Sadie’s door behind her — only to crack it open once more, just in case the monitor didn’t pick up her cries. “Oh, thank God. I’m starving.”

Rapunzel smirked to herself as she followed Genie into the nursery. Per usual, she hesitated when it came time to put the baby down — but could anyone really fault her for that? Letting out a sigh, she gently placed Sadie in her crib, moving the bunny far enough away that it wouldn’t pose a safety hazard, before standing upright to gaze down at her girl. With a gentle smile, the blonde turned on the mobile that hung above the crib, finally nodding for Genie to follow her back out to the living room.

Rapunzel swallowed thickly, giving him a reluctant nod prior to taking a deep breath. “God, I guess the jet lag is starting to get to me, too.” She laughed off the way her emotions swelled, quickly brushing at her eyes with the back of her free hand. “Could you grab her stuffed bunny out of the diaper bag? I’m going to put her in the crib so I can actually eat when the food gets here.”

Rapunzel stroked Sadie’s cheek as she finally stopped fighting the urge to fall asleep, her eyelids totally falling to hide her vibrant green eyes. It was in moments like these that the blonde felt the most at ease, as if she had finally found the missing piece of her life — the one she ached for so deeply even at the beginning of that year. It wasn’t until Genie spoke that her eyes finally flickered up, away from the baby, to meet his. “Thank you.” She murmured with a gentle smile, her gaze falling back on the baby. After a moment, she sighed. “It feels like she’s the only thing I’ve ever done right.”

“Whatever you say.” Rapunzel shook her head with a smile, moving to the edge of the couch before standing up. She walked around the room slowly and continued to rock Sadie back and forth — a little trick she discovered put her right to sleep. “Thank you. The doctor said it might take her a little bit of time to adjust to this timezone, so we’ll have to be quiet as mice until she figures out that daylight means it’s time to stay awake. Isn’t that right, Sadie?” She cooed, letting a moment pass before humming a soft, aimless tune.

“Oh please, I looked like my parents picked me up from the middle of a crop circle. That’s why you never saw any of my baby pictures. Well, that and the fact that I don’t really have those on-hand. But still.” Rapunzel rolled her eyes, a soft laugh escaping her. “Don’t start using the baby to prove a point. That’s not fair.” She shifted Sadie from her lap and into her arms, rocking her gently as her little eyelids began to droop. “Why don’t we order out?” Zel suggested quietly. “I don’t want to disturb her with too much noise.”

“Yes, but I’ll deny it if you ever tell anyone.” Rapunzel laughed, nudging him slightly. “I’m not sure there were many cute babies in my family, so she very well may be the first on my side. Thankfully she doesn’t look like a weird little alien like I did.” She snorted, smoothing out Sadie’s fine, blonde hair that had a tendency of sticking up in the strangest directions. After a moment had passed, Zel scrunched up her nose. “Have we eaten anything since we left Avalor? Because I just got a sudden craving for a burger and that doesn’t usually happen unless I’m starving or pregnant, so.”

“Oh, God, me too. I can’t tell you how many times I wake up in the middle of the night and pinch her nose, just to make sure she starts breathing through her mouth.” Rapunzel admitted, shaking her head. She quirked a brow at his comment, a slight smirk tugging at the corners of her lips. “Yeah, yeah, I know. And let the record show I never said you were wrong. But I didn’t think it was possible to make a baby as good looking as her.” She laughed softly, gently tapping Sadie’s nose, which immediately crinkled up from a smile she’d inherited from her mother. “Oh, sweet girl, you’re so loved.” Rapunzel cooed, leaning her head against Genie’s, a content sigh escaping her.

He nodded in agreement, unpacking a few things “I keep checking on her to make sure she’s still there,” he admitted with a little laugh, “still breathing, still, doing baby things,” he sat down, scooting beside Punzie, looking at Sadie laying in her lap, waving with a finger and watching the little one yawn, “Told you we’d make good looking kids,” he teased her, winking, “Yeah, you little cutie,” he cooed at Sadie, his little bundle, him and Punzies little bundle. He was a dad, it hit him, he rested his chin on Rapunzel’s shoulder, watching their baby from her eye level, “We really did it,” 

He was thankful to see their place, setting things down and letting out a bit of a sigh, “Home sweet home,” he unlocked the door, glancing down at the sleepy one, “Oh yeah, better watch out, it might go all to her head,” he teased, hearing the click and letting them in, bringing everything in after and following mom and baby. He paused after setting things down and closing the door, watching the two for a moment before going over, sneaking a kiss from both of them, “Welcome home little snug bug,”

Zel was practically glowing as Genie pulled the car into its usual space and cut the engine, her bag already slung over her shoulder and her seatbelt undone as they prepared to bring the most beautiful baby girl home for the very first time. With bright eyes and a nose-crinkling smile of her own, she made eye contact with his reflection in the rearview mirror. “Are you ready?”

When he parked he just kept looking at Rapunzel and the little one through the rearview mirror, he nodded when she met his eye, “Let’s get this little bean in her new digs,” he said, a bright smile spreading across his features as he scooted out and went to help get mom and baby out of the backseat. 

“Hi Genie.” Rapunzel chimed, unable to stop herself from giggling at his overt excitement. At the mention of how much food he’d prepared, though, she couldn’t help but quirk a brow. “Oh, you didn’t have to go through all that trouble for me! But thank you, I really do appreciate it.” Her genuine smile mirrored his as she stepped inside, setting the catalogues down on the entry table as she shed her light jacket. “It’s the same old, same old for me. Classes, baking, and all. This little one is growing like a weed, though. I think she’s starting to run out of room.” She chuckled, rubbing her belly lightly. “How about you?”

Rapunzel lingered near the front door of her old apartment, a stack of baby catalogues tucked under her arm. Although she and Genie had agreed with excitement that they would spend the evening deciding on decor for the baby’s rooms, something about being alone with him in their old place made her feel, well… nervous. Sucking in a deep breath, the girl knocked on the door, a gentle smile appearing on her lips as she waited for his response. 

“Ah, my knight in shining armor. Feed me.” Rapunzel laughed, hesitating for a moment before taking his hand – not really because she needed to but, in that moment, she wanted to. And so they left the office hand in hand, only separating when it came time to climb into the car and hunt down some food. “So,” the blonde began as she buckled her seatbelt, “now that we know the gender, I guess it’s time to start talking names.”

While they were staring at the snapshots of their little bean, Rapunzel unwittingly leaned into him, her head on his shoulder and a soft but proud smile still lighting up her features. “Parents… Wow. We’re in for it, aren’t we? All the late nights, the feedings, the crying… And that’s all just coming from me.” She teased with a snicker, finally moving to sit up and slip off the table. “You wanna take all this excitement and parental joy to a diner? This baby wants a bacon cheeseburger.”

“A girl.” Rapunzel breathed, awestruck as the doctor handed them prints of the ultrasound images. He congratulated them once more before slipping out and letting them have a moment to themselves. “That’s our girl. Our daughter.” She beamed with pride, brushing her finger across the glossy image of their little one’s profile. “Look at her little button nose and her tiny little fingers. She looks like she’s waving at us in this one!”