A/N: Hey guys! This is my first Descendants fic. I'm a young adult who shouldn't have loved the movie as much as I do. This is more or less a sequel to the film. The story is going to be really, really long with long chapters but I hope you all enjoy this anyway. I have written a few chapters already but I will only publish chapters three at a time. I've just finished editing the first three chapters and they will be up tonight (Australian time as I live in Australia). I have a MASSIVE plan this year for all my unfinished fics for other fandoms so it might take me a while to post more chapters up. Updates will be irregular and won't be everyday. Also, please note that if you find any plot points and/or characters that are similar to other fanfics in this fandom, it is purely coincidental. I hope you all enjoy the first chapter of Descendants: Something Good This Way Comes.

Descendants: Something Good This Way Comes

Chapter One: Misunderstood

Ben had always known that he would become king. He just didn't expect it to be when he turned sixteen. He had always said that he had the poster parents for all things good. As much as he loved them, they could be a bit… overbearing, even at the best of times. Before his coronation, they had asked so much of him. While he understood where they had been coming from, he didn't want to rule Auradon like they had where everything had to be perfect.

Belle and Beast had ruled for just over twenty years and were greatly beloved by almost everyone in Auradon. They were wise and merciful and just.

Before Ben had been born, Beast had come up with the law that the heir apparent would become monarch at sixteen, regardless if the child were male or female. Beast and Belle loved their son more then anything in the kingdom and it had been obvious from the very start that Ben was very much like his mother.

Ben was kind, didn't have his father's temper and was well, benevolent. He was best known for seeing the goodness in people and treating everyone, now matter if they were heroes or villains like equals. His one belief: everybody deserved a chance to redeem themselves.

Staring out of his bedroom window, Ben looked across at the recently repaired barrier that held the Isle of the Lost. The young king's mind drifted to his new girlfriend Mal, the daughter of Auradon's greatest enemy, Maleficent. The evil fairy had turned herself into a lizard upon losing her stare-off with her daughter.

The evil fairy's lizard form was a reminder of how much love she had had in her heart. It was very little, even when it came to her daughter. The stare-off had occurred at Ben's coronation two weeks earlier. A smile formed on his face before it quickly vanished to form an expression of sadness.

Mal and her friends had been sent back to the Isle of the Lost the week before when Ben's ex-girlfriend, Audrey and her new boyfriend, Chad Charming had spread a rumor about the formerly evil quartet. Almost everyone in Auradon had believed the rumor and it had started a witch-hunt of sorts. It hurt as Ben had become close to all of them but he had to do what he needed to even if it was against his better judgment and of course; his heart. Sending them back had pained him especially since it would separate him from Mal.

Ben had never loved anyone else as much as he loved Mal. He might have only known her six weeks but he knew she was definitely the one for him. She was better then Audrey on so many levels and she had taught him so much. He knew some day; he might make her his queen but that was a very long way off.

He sighed as the sound of Mal's infectious laughter bounced around inside his skull.

"Ben?"

Ben turned to see his mother standing a few steps away from him.

Belle could see her son was distracted. She knew he was missing Mal and her villain friends. She gave him a small smile, hoping it would settle him. "She's here." She said with a bright smile.

Ben didn't have to be told twice. He quickly followed Belle from the room and down towards the front doors of the castle.

Mal, Evie, Jay and Carlos all sat miserably in the tiny space they shared with their parents. They missed Auradon. They wanted to be back with their hero friends and doing things that they actually enjoyed.

Carlos wanted to be back with his newfound canine friend Dude, the Auradon Prep campus mutt and playing Tourney with Jay and Ben, eating chocolate and fixing things as well as spending time with Jane, Fairy Godmother's daughter.

Evie wanted to be back giving fashion advice to Mulan's daughter Lonnie and Jane, hanging out with her boyfriend Doug and of course, passing chemistry and fashion design.

Jay wanted to be back playing Tourney with the boys and flirting with the girls. He missed the pizza and the bragging rights he got for becoming the Auradon Fighting Knights' MVP (Most Valuable Player).

Mal wanted nothing more then to be back in Ben's arms. She missed hearing his laughter and teasing and listening to his stories. Heck, she even missed the attempts he made to kiss her.

The Isle of the Lost wasn't exactly known for its technological advances. It had virtually no phone reception and Wi-Fi didn't exist. The newest television anyone had was about eleven years old and terribly small. Computers were relatively new to the island but it didn't help without any Wi-Fi connectivity. The use of any form of Internet usage was only given on special occasions from Auradon.

"Mal?"

Mal looked up to see Evie's mother, the Evil Queen watching her in concern.

Queen Grimhilde or the Evil Queen as she was widely known, had actually made an effort to be a good parent (or as good as any villain parent could be) to her daughter. Jafar, Maleficent and Cruella had all treated their children like slaves.

"You okay, dear?"

"Yeah," Mal said, her voice a few levels above a whisper. "Never better, EQ."

Evil Queen sighed and sat down next to her. "Are you thinking about that king of yours?"

Mal could feel her eyes water but wiped the tears away before they could form. The very mention of Ben made her want to curl up and cry herself to sleep. She looked at Evil Queen, her eyes wide, almost pleading.

"Evie told me." Evil Queen told her. "Love is a strange thing, Mal." She smiled as if remembering some long lost memory.

"I thought Evie might tell you," Mal admitted, clenching her hands together so tightly that her knuckles turned white under the protection of her fingerless gloves. "Sounds like something she would do."

Evie sat nearby listening but didn't speak up. She was too miserable about not being with Doug and doing the things she loved back in Auradon to respond.

"I understand that Ben had to do what he needed to for his people but…" Mal couldn't bring herself to finish. It hurt too much. Being separated from Ben was like being separated from her friends but fifty times worse. Was this truly what a broken heart felt like?

Evil Queen looked at her sympathetically. "Well if you want to talk, I'm here, okay?"

Mal nodded as Evil Queen got up and went back to what she had been doing.

Mal looked over to see Jay and Carlos playing some boring card game that she didn't recognize. She knew Evie was watching her. "Don't E," she groaned. "I know what you're thinking."

"Do you?" Evie replied sounding bored. "What was I thinking?"

"I know that you're trying to convince me that this is for the best but I don't believe that."

Evie snorted. "That isn't what I was thinking."

"What were you thinking, Ev?" Jay asked looking over briefly from his card game with Carlos.

"I was thinking that we have to stop this." Evie stood up.

"Stop what, E?" Mal asked. "The residents of Auradon spoke up. It doesn't matter that we stopped my mother from destroying their home and livelihoods. To them, we are still as bad as she is."

Evie looked at her, her eyes shining sadly. "I know, Mal, but Ben could have stopped them from wanting us out."

Mal knew as much as Evie did that Ben wasn't to blame for their current exile. He was pressured into booting them home.

"We need to show the people that we aren't who our parents raised us to be. Screw that rumor." There was a defiant edge to Evie's voice.

The rumor she was referring to was the most ridiculous of accusations.

They were accused of plotting to bring down Ben so that they could use him to get Fairy Godmother's wand to free their parents from their island prison. Like that hadn't already been done before. Yes, they had tried to steal the wand for Maleficent but they had given up their villainous traits in exchange for forgiveness. They were remorseful for everything they had done. Shouldn't that have been enough? Plus, couldn't Chad and Audrey come up with an original rumor instead of recycling something that had happened in the past?

There was no doubt in the minds of the VKs that Audrey had been planning all of this so she could get back at Mal for 'stealing' Ben away from her. She was that spiteful and so clearly jealous of how Mal made Ben feel.

Mal remembered Ben confessing to her that even after the love potion had worn off, his feelings for her were as true as they came. She knew Ben wasn't stupid enough to go back to Audrey. He had more brains then Chad did who was just as self-absorbed and vain as Audrey was. It was clear, from the way Ben had been talking that Belle and Beast hadn't been Audrey's biggest fans when he'd been dating her.

Mal wondered what kind of relationship Belle and Beast had with Audrey's parents. A thought suddenly came to her. Maybe, just maybe, they thought Aurora and Philip were just like their daughter. Like Evil Queen always said, 'The poison apple doesn't fall far from the tree.'

"What can we do?" Carlos asked as he finally looked up from his game with Jay. "The only one that can allow us back into Auradon is Ben." He turned to Mal. "Has he made contact with you?"

Mal wanted to say yes but her heart told her to tell the truth. "No, he hasn't. "

Everybody was silent. They wished they had a time machine so they could go back in time and stop the rumor from being started. They hated being back in familiar territory where they had only experienced pain. It also pained them to see so many familiar faces that hated them as they hated their parents.

Mal looked down at Ben's signet ring that still sat on her left index finger. He had told her to keep it as a way of remembering him. She sighed, holding back a series of sobs. She wanted nothing more then to be back where she felt safe and where Ben could just hold her.

Carlos looked sadly over at her. Ben had shown him dogs weren't vicious, rabid pack animals like Cruella had told him. He had come to love Dude. He still couldn't believe that he had actually stood up to his mother. He was still adjusting to the fearful looks Cruella was now giving him. Apparently, she didn't like being told what to do or when to cork it.

Jay didn't move or say anything. He was too distraught over everything he had worked so hard to achieve and had lost so quickly. He hated feeling like he was worthless. He now knew how Aladdin must have felt while he'd been a street rat.

Evie watched Mal twirl Ben's ring around her finger. The Evil Queen's daughter was no dummy. Of their little group of outcasts, she was the love and beauty expert. She knew Mal's every thought was Ben. Thinking back to the aftermath of Ben's coronation, Evie couldn't remember a time when Mal had been so happy.

Having spent most of the after-party with Doug and the boys, Evie had watched from the sidelines as Mal had stayed at Ben's side most of the night. It was a sight that had to seen to be believed: a son born to a set of heroes and a daughter of a villain very much in love. Evie had wanted to cry at the sight. That was evidence that villainous offspring could be given a second chance and become friends or in Mal's case, become romantically involved with a hero's child.

Before their adventure in Auradon, the VKs had thought that they would become their parents.

Jay had always thought he would become as powerful as his father but without the magical snake staff and the talking parrot who hated crackers. Turned out, he was anything but powerful. Sure, he was crafty and sneaky but he didn't know the tricks of the trade when it came to being all out evil. He didn't want to know any of it now. Auradon had been too good to him.

Evie had always believed she would become as vain and as air-headed as her mother. Needless to say, Mal had been correct about one thing. She wasn't like her mother at all. She was smart and didn't need to act dumb to get the guy of her dreams. Doug had liked her just the way she was.

Carlos thought he would become as hating of dogs as his mother. As it turned out, he had been fearful of dogs, having not been raised around them. After Ben had introduced him to Dude, Carlos had come to realize that his mother had been very wrong about dogs. He figured she had only been using that as an excuse to ensure he didn't become soft and sympathetic towards them. Clearly, it hadn't worked the way Cruella had thought it would.

Since their return, the kids' parents (minus Maleficent) had done everything humanly possible to suck up to their children.

Evie had given her mother a sour look for even trying to get in her good books.

Carlos had rolled his eyes and walked off when his mother had begged for forgiveness. Plus she had given him frightened looks.

Jay had ignored his father's pleading and attempts to bribe him into doing his bidding.

Finally, the villains had merely given up, reverting back to sulking and snapping at each other for no apparent reason.

The kids had simply come to the conclusion that their parents weren't going to change their wicked ways. They were called villains for a reason.

Ben waited patiently as the limo pulled up outside Castle Beast. He clenched and unclenched his hands, which were restless behind his back.

The door opened and a young woman a few years older then him got out, the door of the car closing behind her. She was of average height but was shorter then he, standing a little shorter then Mal. She had black hair and an odd eye colour that Ben had never been able to identify. She was dressed in red and her hair was pulled back into a high ponytail with a pair of aviator sunglasses sitting atop her head. Around her neck was an enchanted locket in the shape of an oval, donning the Auradon crest.

"Welcome home, G." Ben smiled as he moved to help her.

Gia smiled. "Thank you, my dear little brother." She reached up and tilted his crown.

Ben chuckled as she hugged him.

Gia pulled back, going down into a small curtsey. "I really should be addressing you as 'Your Majesty' now, shouldn't I?" She teased.

Ben snorted in amusement. "You know we don't address each other by titles at home, Gia."

Gia allowed a smirk to cross her face. "I know. Just checking to see just how much you've changed since I've been gone."

"I haven't changed at all. Well, except for the title."

Gia chuckled as she reached for Ben's out stretched arm. She turned and waved a hand at her bags that the driver had discarded behind her. The bags rose into the air just as Gia and Ben turned and walked up the stairs. The bags followed the pair as they walked.

"Still up to your normal magic tricks?" Ben teased.

"Of course. I wouldn't be me without my trusty locket."

"You know mom and dad warned you about using magic at home."

"I know but I don't do it all that often."

Ben raised an eyebrow but said nothing. He knew she secretly used it for almost everything she did.

Gia cleared her throat. "Enough about me, I'm not interesting. What about you? What's this I hear that you have a new girlfriend?"

Ben's face lit up at the indirect mention of Mal. "Yeah, I do."

"That's a relief." Gia sighed as they entered the castle.

"You never did approve of me dating Audrey." Ben said thoughtfully.

"No, I didn't. I, much like your mother, always thought Audrey was self-absorbed and arrogant."

"You knew about that?"

"You bet I did. Belle often confides in me about your love life and her constant concerns for your wellbeing."

"I bet she does. Your love life on the other hand, is none existent."

Gia sniggered. "I prefer it that way. Gives me a chance to watch over you."

"I can take care of myself."

"Ah-huh, yeah. Now, tell me about her. What's she like? What's her name?"

"She's amazing. Well, her name's Mal and she's Maleficent's daughter."

Gia looked at him but to his surprise, she wasn't shocked. "Ah. Yes, your first official proclamation as King of Auradon: To have the children of the Isle of the Lost here in Auradon in order to give them a second chance at life. How did that turn out by the way?" Ben gave her a puzzled look. "I heard a lot of things on my travels."

Ben was quick to answer. "It went well. Until Audrey and Chad spread a rumor about the four I chose."

"I take it Mal was among this group?"

Ben nodded, his grief at losing Mal apparent.

Gia gave him a look of sympathy. "I always hated Chad. I know Cinderella and she would never allow her son to be so heartless and cruel."

Before Ben could respond, they looked up at the sound of approaching footsteps.

"Ah, we thought we heard voices." Former King Adam, better known to everyone as Beast said with a smile.

"Hi dad. Mom." Ben said with a bright smile.

Belle smiled at her son while Adam ignored him.

"Gia, my dear, welcome home." The former king spread his arms wide.

Gia released Ben's arm and went to hug her co-guardian. "Thank you Adam. It's good to be home." She pulled back and turned to Belle who was standing beside him.

"Gia." Belle said as they embraced. "We've missed you."

"I missed you all too. I'm so sorry that I missed Ben's coronation." Gia looked between her adopted family members.

"Ben missed you the most." Belle grinned, arming a well-placed smirk at her son.

Ben narrowed his eyes at his mother, ignoring her comment. "We understand," he said patting Gia on the shoulder. "I understand. It would have been nice to have you there."

Gia nodded. "I wish I could have met Mal and her friends."

Belle and Adam exchanged looks. They had only just come to accept Mal as their son's girlfriend and potential future daughter-in-law when Ben had been forced to send her and her friends back to the Isle of the Lost. They understood that Ben was upset that his own people wanted nothing more to do with the descendants of their enemies. It wasn't fair that they wouldn't give the VKs a second chance.

Gia turned from her embrace with Belle and started to head back the way she and Ben had come.

"Where are you going?" Adam called after her.

"To see Ella. I want this rumor defused."

No one tried to stop her, knowing it was pointless. Having been raised by Belle and Adam from a young age, Gia was just as independent as Ben was but she had more freedom, as she didn't have the reality of becoming a monarch looming over her like Ben did.

Gia found herself stomping her way towards the castle in which Cinderella lived with her husband and son. Gus and Mary, two of Cinderella's mice friends who had been turned human, greeted her at the castle door.

"Welcome back Lady Gia." Mary curtsied.

"Thank you Mary," Gia smiled at the former mouse. "I came to see Ella."

"What for?" Gus asked.

"I've come to talk to her about the rumor that was spread about the VKs by Chad and Audrey."

"Go on in," Gus said as he opened the door for her. "Cinderelly is in the library."

"Great," Gia said with a determined smile. "Thanks." She slipped inside, missing the horrified look that Gus and Mary shared.

Gus had been right when he had said that Cinderella was in the library.

Cinderella had always been a kind woman and had always been motherly towards Gia and hadn't treated her like she was a villain, despite her villainous bloodline.

"Ella." Gia said as she stopped in the doorway of the library.

"Gia. Oh, my darling." Cinderella rose from her armchair and went to embrace her young friend. "How was your trip?"

"Eventful." Gia admitted truthfully as Cinderella lead her over to where she had been sitting just moments before.

The queen gestured to the chair opposite hers. "Now, what can I do for you?"

Gia sat down. "I need to talk to you."

"Okay." Cinderella nodded.

"Do you remember when Ben decreed that the children from the Isle of the Lost were to be given a chance to live in Auradon?"

"Indeed I do." Cinderella nodded in reply. "Why do you ask, darling?"

"Well the villainous descendants were sent back to the island."

"Yes, I heard." Cinderella said bowing her head. "It was such a shame. Some of the kids really liked them. I heard some lovely things from Belle about them, particularly Evil Queen's daughter Evie. Such a sweet girl." Cinderella mused. "And that Mal, Daughter of Maleficent. I never would have thought Ben would choose her over Audrey. It was a good move I must admit. Audrey does come off as pushy and self-indulgent. I never liked her myself. I couldn't believe it when Chad started dating her."

Gia ignored Cinderella's after thoughts. "You know what it's like to be discriminated against, Ella," she said. "Now, I don't mean to speak out of turn, but Ben discovered that Chad was involved with sending the VKs back to the island."

Cinderella blinked and bowed her head, ashamed.

"I'm sure you're aware by now that Ben was loved spelled by Mal."

"Mal cast a love spell on Ben?" Cinderella frowned.

"Yes but it wore off. Anyway, that's not important. I came to tell you that Chad is partially the reason why the VKs were sent home."

Cinderella sighed. She went to open her mouth to speak but Gia cut across her.

"Why he did it to begin with, I wish I knew but I will not allow him to ruin Ben's happiness." Gia's tone was stern and merciless.

Cinderella sighed again. "I had a feeling Chad was going to pull something like this."

"You did?" Gia asked in surprise.

"Yes. When he came home after Ben's coronation after-party, he was in a much happier mood then normal. After he had fallen sleep, I went into his room and found a notebook in one of his desk drawers. I opened it and found that it was a plan, detailing how to get rid of the villainous descendants. At first I thought it was a joke but now that you're talking about a rumor beginning started, my worse fears have been realized."

"I am so sorry to bring you this news, Ella." Gia was truly remorseful towards Chad's mother but she wasn't at all sorry for wanting to kick Chad to the Isle of the Lost.

"That's quite alright, my dear. Charming has always had that boy of ours wrapped around his little finger. I wanted to raise our son to be like Ben. Kind. Thoughtful. Selfless. Not bratty, self-loving and judgmental. Charming wanted to raise him like he was raised." Cinderella rolled her eyes in disgust.

Gia nodded, understanding Cinderella's pain and her disgust at Chad's actions.

"I never thought Chad would be so self-absorbed." Cinderella said, giving Gia a look of remorse.

"Well, I think we both know where he gets that from."

"Audrey." The pair said in unison.

"It's strange to think that children can be very different to their parents." Gia said half-heartedly.

"You are the perfect example of that, Gia."

"I hardly think so." Gia didn't want to draw too much attention to her. After all, this was about Ben and his happiness. Not hers.

"I think so. As does Adam and Belle. Just because your father is a villain doesn't make you a villain."

"I agree, but I have always felt that it was wrong for me to be in Auradon at all."

"You were born before Adam put the decree in place that all villains were to be booted to the island."

"Actually, I was born when the law was put in place. In fact, the law had been in force a year when I was born and my father was imprisoned on that godforsaken island."

"It was the same with my stepfamily. They too were imprisoned around that time. They weren't deemed all that dangerous. Only, my stepmother tried to ruin my life when she stole Fairy Godmother's wand."

Gia pursed her lips and nodded. "I was only allowed to stay because my mother refused to give me to my father to be raised. Also, my mother was a friend of Belle's from the village she lived in."

"True but Gia, it doesn't matter anymore. You're of age now. You can do what you like. You don't have to listen to Belle and Beast anymore."

"I know but they are still the closest thing to parents that I have ever had. With my father on the Isle of the Lost and my mother dead, my only family is Belle, Beast and Ben."

Gia didn't like bringing her adoptive family into her issues. Like Ben always said, Belle and Beast were the poster parents for good. Gia knew he was 110% right.

"Don't be down on yourself, Gia." Cinderella said gently. "You are not your father."

Gia gave her a thankful look.

"So where are you going now?"

"Aurora and Philip's. I need to tell them about Audrey's part in this." Gia rose from her seat. Cinderella did the same.

"You are a good friend to Ben for helping him."

Gia grinned. "I vowed when I was young that I would never become my father."

"That's a good vow to keep." Cinderella nodded as she led Gia to the door. "One I think others should follow."

Gia smiled and nodded as they headed towards the front door. "I hope I can sort this out for Ben's sake."

"As do I, my dear. Don't worry about Chad. I'll let you know what happens."

"Great, thanks." Gia stepped out the door. "Please don't tell him it was me that told you about the rumor."

"I won't, trust me. My lips are sealed." Cinderella did a zipping gesture over her mouth.

Gia smiled again. "Good because if he knew it was me he would take it out on Ben and I don't want that."

"Don't worry, he won't find out it was you. I know how much you two cannot stand each other."

"I don't blame you for the way Chad turned out. I blame Charming."

"I appreciate that. I can handle my husband, don't concern yourself with him."

Gia waved her goodbyes to Cinderella.

Cinderella waved in response before she headed back inside.

Making her way down the path towards Aurora and Philip's castle, Gia thought of a million things she could say to Aurora and Philip about Audrey. Gia was polite but she spoke up when something wasn't right. Belle, on the other hand, tended to keep her thoughts as well as her opinions to herself.

Gia had grown up with a number of the hero kids and had come to know most of them well. Of all of the ones she didn't like, she detested Audrey and Chad the most. They were pompous, arrogant and rude and it pained her that they had been the ones to cause Ben the pain of losing Mal. Ben had always been like a little brother to her and she hated seeing him hurt.

Her thoughts came to a halt when she stopped outside Aurora and Philip's castle. She ignored the guards and marched inside.

"Gia?"

Gia ignored the look of surprise on Queen Leah's face as she passed. She had no time to listen to the elderly woman's rant about the villains.

Marching into the throne room, Gia came face to face with Aurora and Philip.

"Gia." Philip said, surprised to see her.

"You need to talk to your daughter." Gia said, her voice was level and to the point. She was pissed. She didn't miss the wide-eyed look that Aurora was giving her.

"Why? What has Audrey done?" Aurora asked, her eyes going from her husband to Gia and back again.

"She helped Chad Charming spread a rumor to get the villainous descendants sent back to the Isle of the Lost." Gia said, her disgust evident.

Aurora and Philip stared at her.

"Our Audrey would never do that." Philip said, highly offended that Gia would suggest such a thing.

"You wanna make a bet?" Gia didn't care if she as being rude. She had simply had enough of the crap Audrey was putting Ben through. "Do something about it or I will." She hissed before turning on her heel and stomping out of the room and back outside.

Aurora and Philip stared after her, unsure of how to respond.

A moment later, Leah poked her head in and entered the room, the door closing behind her.

"Why was Gia here?" the old woman asked her daughter and son-in-law.

Aurora and Philip merely shook their heads.

"You did WHAT?" Ben exclaimed after Gia had explained what she'd done. They were in Ben's dorm room that he shared with Doug. It was now mid-afternoon.

"Do I have to repeat myself?" Gia said with a roll of her eyes.

"G, you can't do that. Queen Leah already has it out for me after what happened at Family Day. Your interference will only make it worse."

"Who says?"

"Me! I'm the king now, Gia. I have to handle things my own way."

Gia groaned. "You might be king now Ben, but you're letting your subjects walk all over you."

"I'm not-"

Gia held up a ringed hand, silencing him. "You are," she said sternly. "Your mother has always told you to follow your heart and you haven't done that. You let the people who despise your girlfriend and her friends because of who they are. A king is supposed to lead by example and you aren't doing that."

Ben simply stared at her, unable to believe what he's just heard. "I thought you were on my side."

Gia could tell this was going to blow up into a full-scale argument. "I AM on your side, Ben. You can't let anyone push you around, especially bullies like Chad and Audrey."

Ben was silent for a moment before he turned his full attention to his longtime friend. "You're right, G."

Gia raised an eyebrow, daring him to say more.

"I can't let those who hate the villains' offspring win. Everybody deserves a second chance."

"Now you're talkin' and beginning to take being king seriously." Gia practically gloated. She then punched him gently in the shoulder.

"I know what I have to do." Ben smiled and Gia smiled at him, knowing exactly what he had planned.

Evening had fallen by the time Mal had claimed the couch. Evie was sitting next to her while Jay and Carlos were perched on each of the arms.

Evil Queen, Jafar and Cruella had joined them and for once, they weren't arguing. In a way, they were grateful towards their children for getting rid of Maleficent.

Television programming on the island was pretty much the leftovers of what had aired in Auradon the week before. Nothing was ever 'current' except the news reports that filtered in and out during the day.

"Is there anything interesting on?" Carlos whined.

Before anyone could answer him, the Auradon crest appeared on screen.

The room went silent as they waited.

A moment later, Ben's face appeared on screen.

Mal could feel a smile form at the sight of her boyfriend.

Evie, Carlos and Jay stared wide-eyed at the screen waiting for Ben to speak.

"Citizens of Auradon and those watching on the Isle of the Lost."

The VKs knew he was referring to them without actually saying their names.

"I am decreeing that the children of the Isle of the Lost that were amongst us just two weeks ago be allowed to return to Auradon. I know there are those citizens of Auradon that never approved of my first proclamation to allow the villainous descendants of Cruella De Vil, Jafar, the Evil Queen and Maleficent to live in Auradon but I know there are those that supported it. I ask you all to look at yourselves and ask whether you could have done some things differently with your story and if you can see the reason why the villains tried to destroy us. I ask you all to think back to the days of old and ask yourselves this: if the villains were the heroes, would they approve of you trying to ruin their lives?"

There was silence as the villains and their children continued to stare at the television. The adults looked at each other while the kids did the same.

Mal's heart started to beat faster. Ben was giving them a second chance to redeem themselves even though they hadn't done anything. Once Ben's address was over she jumped to her feet. "Right, guys, let's pack. Car arrives first thing tomorrow morning." She looked over at Evil Queen who gave her a look of reassurance. She beamed before hurrying off after Evie to pack for the trip home.

The next morning, Ben paced back and forth across the bottom step in the castle courtyard where the car carrying the original VKs would pull up in just minutes. This was all déjà vu for him, only the location was different.

Gia stood a few steps above him, watching. She wore a red and yellow dress with a headdress decorating her hair and forehead.

"Ben."

The king continued to pace, totally ignoring her.

"Ben." Gia tried again.

More pacing.

"Benjamin!"

Ben jumped. He turned and looked up at Gia whose eyebrows had shot up her forehead.

"Can you please stop pacing? You're making me anxious." She muttered.

"Sorry." Ben apologized.

Gia stepped down the stairs so that she was standing next to him. "Nervous, huh? Funny. I never thought you were the type of guy to get nervous."

Ben took a shaky breath. He didn't react when Gia placed a hand on his shoulder.

"It hasn't been that long since you last saw Mal. You act like you haven't seen her in six months."

It feels like six months, Gia heard Ben think.

Gia groaned throwing her hands up in the air.

"What?" Ben asked frowning.

"I really have to break that Telepathic Link Fairy Godmother cast between us when we were kids. Your thoughts of Mal are the only things occupying your brain. It's sickening." Gia strung the word out to add strength to her disgust.

Ben gave her that same cheeky smile he had given her when they were kids growing up.

"What is it with little brothers and that cheeky grin?" Gia sighed dramatically.

"What is it with big sisters and their overprotective streaks?" Ben said with faux annoyance.

Gia chuckled as she reached over and ruffled his hair, tilting his crown.

The sound of a car horn gave out, causing Ben and Gia to stop their roughhousing.

Ben straightened his crown and stood straighter then he ever had in his life just as the car came to a slow stop in front of them.

This is it, Ben. Breath.

The car stopped and the doors opened. One by one the villainous descendants exited the car. Mal was the last one out the car.

Gia watched as Ben tensed and she saw his face light up at the sight of Mal. She knew Mal was the girl with the purple hair. Evie, Mal's best female friend was the girl with the blue hair. She had to remember that for future reference.

"Welcome back." Ben said with the biggest smile Gia had ever seen.

"It's good to be back." Jay smiled.

Jafar's son, Ben told Gia via their link.

Figured that out already, Gia replied silently.

Ben's gaze turned from Evie and Jay to Mal.

Gia could sense that Ben was forcing himself not to pull Mal into his arms and kiss her.

"What about me?"

Ben forced himself to look away from Mal and focused on Carlos who was giving him a sour look for forgetting him.

"Sorry Carlos." Ben apologized.

Carlos simply beamed and nodded, saying nothing else.

There was a clearing of a throat.

Ben looked over to see Gia glaring at him, as if he had forgotten her too.

"Oh! Right. Everyone I would like to introduce you to a very old friend of mine." Ben smiled. "This is Gianna, daughter of Gaston, the ward of my parents and the Lady of Auradon. My adoptive sister… in a way."

Gia bowed her head before speaking up. " First off Ben, it's Gia. No one ever calls me Gianna unless it's a formal situation," She gave Ben a look of distaste before a kind smile crossed her face as she turned to face the VKs. "I have heard so much about you all. Please allow me to extend my own warm welcome to you all." She stepped over to where Carlos was standing. "Welcome Carlos, son of Cruella De Vil." Carlos nodded. She stepped over to Evie. "Welcome Evie, daughter of the Evil Queen." Evie beamed before going down into a quick curtsey. Stepping over to Jay, it took Gia a few seconds to cover the blush that had formed on her face. "Welcome Jay, son of Jafar." Jay winked at her, flirtatiously. She made every attempt to ignore it but felt her lips tug up into a grin. Finally, she stopped in front of Mal. "Welcome Mal, daughter of Maleficent," Gia turned to Ben who smiled. "And girlfriend of King Ben."

Mal laughed. "You know about that, huh?"

"You could say that. Ben tells me pretty much everything."

"Not true." Ben said from behind Gia.

Mal and Gia ignored him and shared a smile.

"Excuse me, ah, Gia?"

Mal and Gia turned to see Evie watching them.

"Yes, Evie?" Gia replied politely.

"Are you really the daughter of Gaston? Shouldn't you be on the island?"

"All your questions will be answered once we get inside." Said Ben as he stepped forward to join them. He was quick to step to Mal's side and take her hand, lacing his fingers with hers.

Gia turned to look at them to see them exchange loving looks. She grinned, glad to see Ben happy at last.

Lead the way, G. Ben's voice echoed through Gia's skull.

"Please follow me to the royal library." Gia turned on her heel and lead the group up into the castle.

The kids from the Isle of the Lost had seen a lot of Auradon in their short time in the heroes' territory but they had never been inside the castle. They looked around in awe. They had never seen anything so beautiful in all their lives.

The castle had everything. Rooms for everything you could think of.

Jay and Carlos practically drooled at the idea of the food and all the other things they enjoyed.

Evie could just imagine the idea of watching the palace seamstresses sewing all the fine gowns and suits that were worn by everybody in the palace that had royal or noble status.

Ben watched as Mal looked back and forth in amazement. He wished he had of shown her his home sooner but after his coronation and the spreading of Audrey and Chad's rumor, things had gotten out of control.

Gia walked on Ben's left side as she led the way towards the library.

Carlos and Jay looked around, their eyes bulging out of the heads. Who knew just want wonderful treasures were behind all these doors?

"Here we are." Gia announced suddenly, pulling the boys from their auras of awe.

Once everybody was inside, Gia closed the door just as the villain kids were sitting down.

Mal claimed her spot next to Ben while Jay and Carlos fought over the only armchair available. Evie rolled her eyes and took her place next to Gia.

"Okay," Gia said as she looked around at the villain kids "I suspect you all have questions?"

The villain kids nodded.

"Ask away."

Evie was the first to speak up. "Can you please answer my question from before?" she asked sweetly.

"Of course," Gia nodded. "Well, like Ben mentioned before, I was born the daughter of Gaston, the arch enemy of Beast and Belle but I was raised here in Auradon alongside the children of the heroes."

"How is that possible?" Mal asked. "You're a villain's child. Shouldn't you have been thrown onto the island with the rest of us?"

Gia pursed her lips and shook her head. "No, but I would have been if Belle hadn't of intervened."

Ben knew about Gia's parentage but he didn't know the whole story.

Gia continued. "When my mother discovered she was carrying Gaston's child, she went to Belle for help, explaining her situation. Belle was eager to help, even if it meant facing Beast's wrath. So anyway, when my mother went into labor, Belle went to Beast and told him about me. At first, he said no to me being raised in Auradon but Belle put her foot down, telling him that I was just a child who was unfortunate enough to be the child of a villain. Wanting to please Belle, Beast agreed to allow me to stay. It was the actually the day I was born that Gaston was booted out of Auradon."

There was confusion written over the faces of the VKs.

Carlos raised his hand like he was in class. "I thought all the villains were kicked out of Auradon at the same time."

Ben shook his head, continuing on where Gia had left off. "No, the villains were ranked from evil to crazy and booted off that way. Because there were so many of them, my dad sent them to the island in order of how evil they were. Eventually, they were all sent to the Isle of the Lost."

"Meaning my mom, Jafar, Cruella and Evil Queen were all sent first." Mal elaborated.

"Not exactly," Gia said. Everybody looked at her, wanting her to continue. "Maleficent was sent first, yes, but Cruella and Jafar were sent about six months later. Evil Queen was rendered not quite as evil as Maleficent but was sent with her as one of the first on the island. Jafar was unconscious for most of the time but he would have been sent to the island with Maleficent and Evil Queen if he had been conscious."

"So where did that place your dad?" Carlos asked.

"My dad was only said to be crazy but he was also said to be totally self-absorbed and sexist and he only wanted to marry Belle for her looks." Gia paused looking over at Ben and Mal who blinked, trying to understand what she was saying.

"So you're saying," Ben licked his lips. "Gaston knows you're his child."

"Of course he does," Gia said. "Gosh, according to what my mother told Belle and Beast, he kept going on about me being one of many strong sons and blah, blah, blah." The Lady of Auradon rolled her eyes at her father's stupidity. "Clearly he couldn't tell the difference between males and females."

"I had no idea." Ben said quietly. Mal wrapped her arms around him to comfort him.

"Look at the bright side," Mal perked up. "At least you have more brains then Gaston."

Ben gave his adoptive sister a sad look.

"It's okay, Ben. You weren't to know." Gia gave him a small smile.

"So what happened to your mom?" Evie asked.

"She died when I was six months old. Her final wish was for Belle and Beast to raise me as their own and that's what happened. For the first three years, they raised me as their heir as they didn't have a child of their own at that time. About six weeks after my third birthday, Ben was born, making him their legitimate heir and Adam's eventual successor. Once Ben was born, they didn't love me any less then what they had before. I might have only been three years old at the time but I somehow remember what Beast said to me."

"What did he say?" Mal asked, her arms tightening around Ben.

Gia gave a slight chuckle as she flashed back. "He said, 'Care for our son like he were your brother. When the time is right, you will serve him as his friend and humble servant. His advisor. His older sister of sorts.'" Gia pulled out of her memory and gave Ben another smile.

Ben returned the smile while the villain kids looked down at the ground sadly.

"Sorry to hear about your mom," Evie said taking Gia's hand and gently squeezing it. "We all know how you feel."

"Yeah," Mal said. "I don't know my father. Every time I use to ask my mother she would talk about him with contempt so I gave up asking."

Evie nodded in agreement. "My mom often says that I was the product of an affair."

"So you aren't the half-sister of Snow White?" Gia asked Evie.

"No. My mom was already on the island when she was pregnant with me so I couldn't have been the half-sister of Snow White. She never mentioned my father so I never asked. I don't even know where the whole 'affair' thing came in." Evie didn't appear upset. It appeared she was use to telling the story.

"My mom won't even talk about my dad." Carlos said with a roll of his eyes.

"I don't even know who my mom is," Jay said. "I know I had one once but I was too young to remember her. Dad won't even mention her. She's alive still but she lives in Agrabah or so dad says. Heck, my cousin Jade doesn't even know her dad."

Gia looked around at her four new friends and wondered what it must have been like to be raised as the child of a villain. She wondered what it would have been like if she had of been raised by her father. Would she have been rotten to the core like these kids use to be?

She understood now why Ben had invited them to Auradon. He had wanted to show people that villainous offspring could be just as good as the offspring of heroes.

"I know it's hard for you all but I know exactly how you all feel. I never knew my mom and my father is so self-absorbed that he thinks I'm a boy. Either way, we aren't that much different. My childhood was only good because I had good guardians that loved me like their own."

Mal was the first to speak. "I think that's something you and Ben share. You might not be related by blood but you don't need to be to get along."

Gia looked at Ben's girlfriend with surprise. He had taught her so much in such a small amount of time. It was impressive. "You found the right girl, Ben. I have to say I'm impressed. I never thought a villain's child could be so compassionate."

Ben looked at Gia, a pleased smile plastered on his face. "You approve of Mal then?"

"Anyone is better then Audrey."

The villain kids flinched at the mention of Audrey.

"Evie!"

Everybody jumped and turned to see Doug standing in the doorway of the library.

Evie rose from her seat at the sight of the half-dwarf.

It took Doug half a second to realize that Ben and their friends were present. "Hi, guys." He said with a bright smile and a small wave. He walked over to Evie and hugged her. He wasn't about to kiss her in front of the others. It would be embarrassing for both of them. "Welcome back."

"Thanks man," Carlos grinned. "I hope Dude hasn't been giving you too much trouble. Why are you in the castle?"

"Don't worry," Doug chuckled. "Dude's fine. To answer your question, my mom and dad are here talking with Adam so I came with them." He looked over at Gia. "I must also welcome back our fair Lady of Auradon. Welcome home, Gia."

"Thank you Doug." Gia beamed.

"How's things with Audrey and Chad?" Mal wondered aloud.

"All over each other like you'd expect." Doug said, his disgust evident. He then turned to look at Ben. "Good thing you broke up with her."

Ben looked at Mal and smiled.

Gia rolled her eyes. "Come on, lover boy. Lighten up. There are those of us that aren't in love here."

Without warning, Ben chucked a pillow at her.

Gia yelped and threw it back at him, narrowly missing Mal. "Oops. Sorry Mal." She apologized.

"I'd better get going, class starts soon." Doug said. "Catch up later?" he said to Evie.

Evie nodded and smiled dreamily as Doug turned and headed out the door.

"Earth to Evie! Earth to Evie!" Mal called, snapping Evie out of her love fueled haze.

"What?" Evie said. She turned to see Mal and the others staring at her.

"Doug will be there when he comes out of class," Jay said, attempting to hide the smug look on his face. "It's not like he's going to hide in a diamond mine."

Evie turned and gave him the most revolted look she could muster.

Mal, seeing that this disagreement between her two friends could escalate, decided to jump in and put a stop to it. "Jay," she warned. Jay's face fell. "Better."

"Gia," Ben said rising his feet. "Do you mind taking the girls to their dorm? I'll take the guys."

"Not at all," Gia rose at the same time as everybody else. "Come on ladies. I think there will be some very happy girls that will be dying to see you both."

With one final nod from Ben, Gia lead the girls from the room but not before Mal stopped her.

"Wait a second." Mal doubled back and kissed Ben on the cheek.

Ben was surprised at Mal's sudden burst of affection. "See you later?" he murmured to her.

Mal nodded before hurrying back to join Gia and Evie at the door before they slipped out of the room.

The boys watched them go. Ben crossed his arms and sighed.

"As long as you treat our girl well," said Jay stepping up to stand beside the king. "We don't mind the affection."

Carlos nodded. He enjoyed seeing Mal happy.

Ben turned to see the seriousness on Jay's face and found himself chuckling. Trust these guys to protect Mal and Evie. They were after all, their pseudo-brothers. If guys messed with them, Jay and Carlos would be the first to know about it. Ben could see that very clearly. Gia would do the same for him when it came to girls.

"Fair enough," Ben said with an easy smile. "I think Gia will be glad to hear that." He turned to look at Jay. Carlos struggled not to laugh as Jay's face paled. "I know you like her. I can tell."

Jay gave him a dark look.

Carlos burst out laughing. "This is too good. I have never seen you cave like this before, Jay. You must have it bad for her."

"I'd watch it if I were you." Ben warned.

"Why?" Jay asked.

"My dad is rather protective of her. Mess with her you mess with him. Oh, and you also mess with me too."

Carlos looked from Ben to Jay and back. He couldn't tell if Ben was joking with them or being serious.

"You're serious, right?" Jay asked hesitantly.

Ben raised his eyebrows and motioned for the pair to follow him to their dorm room.

"Here we are!" Gia said walking into the dorm room that Mal and Evie had shared before.

The girls looked around in amazement. Everything had been left the same way they had left it.

"Everything's as we left it," Mal said in surprise. "I thought they would have thrown what we left out."

"No," Gia shook her head before explaining. "Ben made sure that none of your stuff was moved or looted."

"How did he manage to do that?" Mal asked as she sat down on her bed, her bag in her lap.

"He had Fairy Godmother cast a spell over the rooms to ensure that nothing went missing. Plus, Lonnie and Jane played security guard."

"Nice." Mal said impressed.

"I'll leave you both to it." Gia said as she backed towards the door.

"No wait!" Mal called.

Gia stopped.

"Thanks for not judging us."

Evie nodded.

Gia turned around to face them again. "I was raised by heroes so I know better then to judge. Oh! That reminds me. We're having a family dinner tonight and you ladies and Jay and Carlos are invited."

Mal and Evie exchanged looks.

"On whose decree did this come?" Mal wondered.

Gia smiled. "Beast." With that, she turned on her heel and left the room, the door closing behind her.

Mal and Evie stared at the door before hurrying to their closets.

Jay and Carlos were relieved to be back in their dorm room. It didn't at all surprise them when Dude ran to the door to greet them and Ben.

"Dude!" Carlos exclaimed as he picked up his four-legged companion. "How are ya, boy? Did you miss me?"

In response, Dude licked his face.

Ben chuckled. "I'll give you guys some time to catch up and don't be late for dinner."

"Dinner?" The former villain boys echoed in surprise.

"Yeah, my dad wants to welcome you all back so he asked me and Gia to tell you and the girls."

"Your dad? I thought your dad hated us." Carlos asked frowning.

"'Hate' is a bit of a strong word for him. He can't see the reason why people can change but he's trying to make an effort."

"That's fair." Jay said after a moment.

"So, dinner's at six and don't be late." Ben gave the boys a quick smile and left them to get ready.

Back in Mal and Evie's room, Mal threw clothing item after clothing item over her shoulder that she found unsuitable. She was being given another chance to meet Ben's parents. She had to look her best.

"No. No. Ah, no." She turned around and gave a groan of frustration. "I have nothing decent to wear. This is a nightmare!"

Evie, who had been sitting at her makeup vanity table turned to look at her. "Who are you and what have you done with Mal?"

Mal snapped out of her daze. "I'm still me. Just I'm less evil and very much in love with the new King of Auradon." She replied as she slumped down on her bed with a huff.

Evie had come to know Mal much better in the last month and a bit then she had on the island over the last sixteen years.

Being with Ben had changed Mal for the better and everyone who knew Maleficent's daughter could see that. Especially Evie, Carlos and Jay.

"M, calm down," Evie said getting up and going over to comfort her fretting friend. "We can come up with something." Evie searched the items of clothing that Mal had already pulled out and thought for a moment. She smiled as she came up with an idea.

After ten minutes, Mal was ready to go. Evie had managed to convince her to wear a little bit more makeup then normal.

"You need to stop worrying," Evie said as she applied Mal's mascara. "This is a casual dinner with Ben's family. It's not like he's going to propose."

"I know. Sorry, E, but I just want this to go off without a hitch. I don't want a repeat of what happened at Family Day."

"It's not going to," Evie reassured her. "Ben will make sure of that. Besides, there's no Chad, Audrey or Queen Leah to make it bad."

Mal nodded.

"All done." Evie announced as she replaced the lid on the mascara.

"How do I look?" Mal asked going over to the mirror.

"Like you were born to be Ben's queen." Evie giggled as she perched at Mal's shoulder.

"Don't say that," Mal said dismissively. "We've only been going out a month."

"That's true," Evie agreed. "I don't think Ben's going to dump you any time soon."

Mal knew Evie was right. A blind man could see the love Ben held for Mal. After the Family Day incident, most of those involved had apologized for siding with Audrey, Queen Leah and Chad, especially Lonnie, Jane and Doug. They had been peer pressured into siding with the others.

There was a knock on the door.

"Come in." Evie called.

Jay and Carlos poked their heads in.

"How's it going in here?" Carlos asked.

"Wow," Jay whistled. "You both look smokin'."

Evie and Mal rolled their eyes.

Jay loved to flirt; there was no denying it. He even flirted with girls that were practically his sisters.

"Sorry Jay, but we're both taken." Mal joked as she patted Jay on the shoulder as she passed by him.

Carlos stifled a laugh as he passed his best friend on the way to the door.

Evie flicked her hair over her shoulder as she passed Jay and followed Mal and Carlos to the door.

"You coming?" Mal called to Jay as she left the room.

Jay followed suit. He could only smile after the conversation he and Carlos had had with Ben earlier. If Ben hurt Mal in any way, there would be hell to pay and it wouldn't matter if Ben was the king. No one hurt Mal and got away with it. Jay's attempt to smash the living daylights out of Chad at Family Day after he had humiliated Evie was proof of that.

For the first time in a very long time, the group felt at home. They had all found a purpose to belong at Auradon Prep. Sure, high school would always be filled with trying times but everyday life after school would be fifty times more trying. There would be challenges that they would all face but now all that mattered to impress the royal family.

The royals were nothing new to Mal and Evie.

Evie had had a quick conversation with Belle on Family Day and of course, Mal was dating the current king but Carlos and Jay hadn't been so lucky.

This was their chance to make an impression on the former monarchs of Auradon. They already loved the fact that the leader of their little band of former misfits was the closest thing to a queen that Auradon had at the moment. Mal's boyfriend, after all, was the new king and their fellow Tourney teammate. They knew this new experience was going to be exciting.

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the first chapter. I know its a lot of writing but I tried to cut it down as much as I could. I forgot to mention in the above author's note that this story won't just focus on what happened after the movie. It will also focus on events set well after descendants leave Auradon Prep. There will quite a number of characters who will introduced in the first few chapters that you will be very familiar with from the CLASSIC Disney movies. Scattered throughout this story will be references to certain points mentioned in the Descendants prequel novel Isle of the Lost, its upcoming sequel novel Return to the Isle of the Lost (when it is released) and the animated shorts series Descendants: Wicked World.

To Be Continued...