English is my second language so please don't be so hard on me!

Watch out for grammar mistakes and enjoy reading!

Toodles!

"You want us to what!?"

Ben looked at his friends tiredly. That was exactly his reaction when his parents told him that the four isle kids are going back to their childhood home this upcoming winter break. Apparently, the council still doesn't trust the four entirely to not trash the school when there are no responsible adults to supervise them. Ben thinks it rubbish, of course, but then again it's him against the whole council so his hands are tied (he may be the king, but they still have the final word). He looked apologetically at his friends, feeling incredibly guilty.

"I am so sorry guys. I tried to talk to them but they just wouldn't listen!"

Mal sighed. She had been there with him when his parents told him about the council's decision. She had seen him tried to talk sense to his parents, had seen him so worked out this week. She's not angry, frustrated maybe, but not angry. She understood, she really do. She wouldn't trust her either if she was in the council place. Just because you announce to the world you choose to be good, didn't mean they would trust you immediately. Honestly, after the shock of being told, she mostly just resigned herself and getting ready to survive the upcoming weeks. She knows the other three would be the same.

"It's okay Ben. It's not the end of the world." She told him with the gentlest voice she could mutter. The poor guy, feeling guilty the whole week.

"But it's not okay Mal! I mean, it's because of me you are in this mess! What if they beat you guys up for being good? Or worse, what if they kill you!?"

Ugh, why does her boyfriend have to be so melodramatic?

"Ben, stop being so melodramatic." And it appears that Eve agreed with her. Her eyes found Eve's, both rolled their eyes together, boys.

"Yeah, it's not the end of the world, we'll live." Jay said.

Oh yeah, Jafar is not the physical abusive type. As long as Jay gives him valuable stuffs, he'll live alright.

"Talk about yourself, dude." Came a sarcastic reply.

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Carlos De Vil was not a happy camper. What did Ben think when he choose, like, a week before the winter break to told them? A week is not enough time for him to go shopping for him and his mother if they were to return to the isle! Although, he was doing a small dance in his head. He gets to see his mother soon!

Busying with his thought, he didn't catch his friends' worried looks. They had totally forgot about Cruella! All of them had heard rumors how bad she could be when she was mad, which is mostly all the time. Carlos was basically her slave back at the isle. After the stunt they had pulled at Ben's coronation, they afraid that she would kill him for trying to betray her. They all shared looks. In the end, it was Evie who was chose to talk to him (Jay is out of the question; Ben is too stressed to be useful; Mal doesn't know tact.)

"Carlos, if you don't feel safe, you can go and live with one of us." She said, smiling at him "we won't mind. Or, you can live at Maleficent's castle! You don't have to come back to Cruella at all!"

Hearing Evie's voice, Carlos snapped out of his thoughts. He gave his friends a small smile. Looked like they misunderstood him. He's not worried about his mother, he's worried for her. Maybe he should shop for her first, he's worried that she won't be warmed enough this winter. Back at the Isle, he used to savage anything burnable for them to keep the fire up. Now that he was in Auradon, he won't have time to do that, and buying woods is out of the question.

"I'll be okay, guys. Promise. But I have some important stuffs to do, so I gotta go. See you at dinner!" after saying that, Carlos fled out of the room Ben had gathered them in, mind twirling.

"What do you mean 'shopping for your mother'!?"

Carlos rolled his eyes but didn't look away from his laptop, exasperated at Jay's disbelief in him buying something nice for Cruella De Vil. She's his mother, he's her son, what's wrong with that?

…

Okay, maybe because his friends still thought Cruella hated him, and maybe because he has never explain their mother-son dynamic to them before, but come on! They are family (as far as the word go when you lived on the Isle of the Lost). Even if not, he still felt guilty living in comfort in Auradon, while his mother suffered on the island. He's her son, it's something nice to do to.

Carlos sighed, tone somewhat suffering, answered.

"It means that I am shopping for my mother, something warm to wear this winter, maybe some make-ups, too."

"Er…with what?" – Jay asked numbly, still shocked at Carlos's words.

"Money, of course"

"You have money to buy clothes for Cruella!? Did you steal from someone?" came the shocked replied. Carlos wanted to roll his eyes so bad.

"Yes, I have money. No, I didn't steal. I'm not you Jay."

"B…but…then, where would you get the money to shop for Cruella De Vill!?" Pause "and hey!"

Ugh. Carlos rolled his eyes, giving in to the temptation.

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When Jay walked into his and Carlos's room that night, the last thing he expected to see was Carlos online shopping for Cruella. At first, he's thought that it was for Carlos's girlfriend or something. So when he opened his mouthed to ask, planning to tease Carlos a bit, about if he's shopping for some dresses to wear, what he got was a deadpanned look and an answer that make him want to check his hearing, fearing he's been…hearing things.

I mean, 'shopping for my mother' means shopping for Carlos's mom, meaning shopping for Cruella De Vil. The Cruella-I-am-a-crazy-hag-De-Vil!

Excuse him for being shocked! It's not everyday one saw someone shopping online for or spend tons of money on Cruella De Vil, her son (former slave) nonetheless! Maybe he should take Carlos to see a doctor, maybe he had hit his head hard somewhere (at this point Jay wasn't sure whose had been hit though). Then he suddenly remembered his father's rant about being not able to understand that bitch, Cruella, at all. Well, who does!? Jay felt a sudden sympathy toward his old man now, this conversation with Carlos is giving him a headache. Maybe he was dreaming? Maybe he's imagining things? Maybe if he wake up the next morning, this would be just a weird, weird dream. Yeah, sleeping sounds good right now.

At that, Jay stumbled over to his bed and fainted.

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Carlos looked up from his laptop when he heard a loud thump, saw Jay fainting, rolled his eyes, and get back to work.

Boys.