These Runaways Will Run the Night

The Sun Can't Stop Now

Juliet rolled her eyes. "No one knows were here – who else was I going to be?"

Varian shrugged. "I don't know, but I mean, we are kind of wanted fugitives. For all I knew, the guards could have captured you silently and then come after me!"

Juliet raised an eyebrow at him and crossed her arms. "You really thought this through, haven't you?"

He laughed and brushed his hair out of his eyes. She smiled at him before Rudiger cut through their conversation.

"Tell him to take a break!"

Juliet's smile faded at Rudiger's words as she remembered why she had interrupted him in the first place. She saw his smile disappear from his face as well and he turned to Rudiger.

"What did he say? Is something wrong?"

Juliet rubbed her neck anxiously and reached to take his hand with her other one, a smile she hoped come off as gentle gracing her lips.

"Varian..." she said softly, looking him in the eye. "Don't you think that it's time you took a break? You've been at this all day and if you don't break soon, you know what'll happen..."

His concerned frown turned to one of slight fury as he broke out of her grasp and took an angry step back. "I can't take a break!"

Juliet frowned now as well and put her hands on her hips sternly. "Yes, you can!"

"No, I can't!"

"Yes, you can!"

"No, I can't!"

"Juliet, that isn't helping!"

"Do you have a better idea Rudiger?"

"I'm not taking a break, Juliet! And you know why?"

"Varian, please –"

"Juliet, he needs to stop!"

"I am not going to fight with both of you at the same time!"

"Juliet," Varian butted in amongst the yelling between the three of them, his voice soft, "I can't stop. We simply don't have time. My dad doesn't have time."

Juliet hesitated for a moment on what to say in reply. Varian had been working on something to save his father whenever the things he needed to do required him to wait for the next stop, he was working non-stop on something to save his father, Quirin, from his amber fate. Varian had finally divulged what had happened to Quirin and any second available to them for Varian's father was snatched immedailty. But at the risk of Varian's own health? Was it worth it then?

"'Rian," she said. "Listen to me, we will find a way to save your father and we will find a way to get revenge on them. But please you need to rest. Your working all day, you almost never eat anything, and you never sleep. You're awake when I leave at night and awake when I come back and then up before I can wake up!"

"It's like I said," Varian said, "I don't have time."

"Then make time!" Juliet shot at him harshly. "I will not let you work yourself to death! What if the guards did find us here, huh? What could you do? Nothing, because you're so exhausted that you can barely stay awake! You would be fruit ripe for the picking, and you know I would never let you go back there without me, so we would be stuck right back where we were and forced to come up with a new plan!"

Varian at first didn't show a reaction to her little outburst, before he looked away from her and down at his feet. His expression betrayed that he was little upset by her words but otherwise he just appeared aggravated at her. She sighed.

"I'm worried about you." She reached over and took Rudiger into her arms, and he too stared at the boy with genuine concern. "We both are."

He looked up at them, aggravation melting into an indescribable mix of fear and sadness. "I can't stop. Not until he's free and that kingdom knows every bit of pain it put us through." He put a hand on her shoulder. "What they put you through."

She put her hand on the one of his lying on her shoulder and smiled at him. Rudiger quickly used their conjoined touch as a bridge and slipped around Varian's shoulder, snuggling his head down onto the boy's shoulder in a way meant to be comforting.

"Varian, that kingdom, Rapunzel, even your dad, all of them will still be here. I promise you –"

"Don't you dare make me a promise," he exclaimed in a vicious whisper. Juliet blinked once at his harsh words, but he didn't apologize, nor did she expect him too. A promise was something both of them had been given by Rapunzel, only to be sorely disappointed by the outcome.

"I am making you one, right here, right now," she answered shortly. "Because when I say that we will free your dad, that we will make everyone see just who Rapunzel is, know that when I meant it. My promises aren't empty, Varian. And they never will be."

A range of emotions flickered across the young boy's face. Anger. Acceptance. Annoyance. Assurance. Friendship. All of them were directly aimed at her. They were messy and honest and very, very complicated, but neither wavered in that moment. Honest and real and complicated was how they operated.

"Take a break," she said once, her tone gentle and yet also stern. "Please. For me." She caught sight of Rudiger's expression. "And Rudiger."

He looked at her for a moment, and then his expression broke. He gave her a half-smile and straightened his posture up, Rudiger shifting on his shoulders from the movement.

"Well, since you asked so nicely," he joked. "I'll take a break. Perhaps even take a nap."

"Oh, please take a nap," Juliet said. "No offense, but you are mean when you're tired."

Varian raised an eyebrow at her. "I'm mean?"

"Yes, you are. That's why I said it," she said.

"I agree with Juliet," Rudiger interjected. Juliet smiled warmly and pointed at the mammal. "See, Rudiger agrees with me!"

Varian laughed, and not a small laugh, but a real one. Juliet smiled and stepped out of the way. He crossed over to the small bundle of blankets that set up in the corner to sleep in, which Juliet watched with a keen eye, as if she turned away he would make his way back over to his work table. Luckily, he did no such thing and instead laid down on the blankets. Rudiger slipped off his shoulders and quickly crawled over and up Juliet, landing on her shoulders. Varian may be in need of sleep, but Rudiger apparently wasn't. Juliet gave him one pet on the head as acknowledgement before returning her full attention to Varian.

"You better sleep for at least an hour or I swear, I'll turn you back into the guards myself," Juliet warned him. Muffled laughs rang in her ears.

"Dually noted," he said between a yawn. Juliet looked out the window and saw the sun beginning its descent into the land below. It was almost time for her to rally the animals to their cause, and Juliet had the sinking suspicion the moment she was out the door, he would hop right back and keep working.

"If you get up after I'm gone, Rudiger will tell me, so don't think that will work."

Something was muttered she couldn't hear, and she laughed.