Hey Descenders…here's a new story! Hope you enjoy & don't forget to review! Thanks!
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The Isle of the Lost was a restless place at this time of the year…December 15…a day every villain cursed from the bottom of their coal black hearts. It had been the day the villains had been racked up, imprisoned, and shipped off to the Isle, where they were fed nothing but the scraps of Auradon, forced to live forever in poverty as if they were the very scum of the Earth. Where Auradon celebrated all day, the Isle screamed and cursed them all night…it was especially this time of the year where the Isle was the most dangerous, as everyone seemed to be on edge and ready to snap at a moment's notice.
From Hell Hall, Cruella De Vil gazed out of her window at the destruction that was occurring in the streets…a smile gracing her face as she watched the petulant idiots scour about to find either a place to hide or someone to harm. No one dared to knock on Heller Hall's door, knowing full well Cruella wasn't in the best mood for tea or a chat, having your billion dollar fortune and franchise stripped away from you, would do that to you. It was rumored on that Isle that it was her rage and temper that sustained her mentality, as many wondered how she managed to keep the little sanity she had left after all these years.
It had been three months since her son Carlos had been invited to Auradon, a new program designed by Prince Ben to give the villain's children a chance at a better life. To anyone who knew Cruella, would guess that the woman probably didn't even miss the little runt who had done both his and her chores around the house, but those that knew Cruella best like her close friends Evil Queen Grimhilde and Jafar knew that the woman was going through the same withdrawals from her child as they were for theirs…despite what those fools in Auradon thought, they may not always like or respect what their children choose to do, such as abandon their parents and everyone they ever knew on an Isle to rot, but they'd always reserved a sole spot in their heart to love their child the best way they could…the way their own parents never really tried to do for them.
That's right…everyone thought the villains were the absolute worst parents on the face of the Earth, but had you met their parents….you'd think they came straight from Hell. It had been one time the gang had gotten drunk one night at Grimhilde's Castle, and practically spilled their guts to each other.
Jafar had admitted that his mother had abandoned him as a child to his father, who had once tried to drown his own son simply because he reminded him so much of his mother, and eventually his father forced his son to watch as he hung himself, blaming Jafar for his woes.
Grimhilde confessed that after her mother died from mental sickness, her abusive father had remarried to an awful woman who emotionally abused the Queen, which might explain why the Queen was awful to Snow White given the terrible example she experienced herself.
Maleficent explained how her mother had abused her, her entire life and of how her spineless father only watched from a distance as his wife tortured their daughter day in and day out, simply for her disobedience to commit to the evil lifestyle…even going so far as murdering any of Maleficent's friends in front of her to show her how "friendships & relationships" are nothing but distractions & liabilities, eventually deceiving Maleficent into killing her own father.
And then there was Cruella, who once upon a time, believe it or not came from a truly dysfunctional home as well. As a child, she watched from the corner as her wicked mother poisoned her fur-crazed father, and was forced to live through her childhood and teen years in the attic where numerous rodents lurked, with nothing but a blanket and the hardwood floor. She was fed nothing but bread, cheese, and milk. It came no surprise to Cruella when her mother's second, third, and fourth husband died, and she only discovered mother's own demise after a week with no food had gone by, forcing her to creep downstairs to discover her mother who had choked on a cherry seed.
A smile creeped along Cruella's face, who couldn't help but reminiscence on the day she gained her freedom from that horrid woman. Due to Cruella being the last of the De Vil line, all funds, wealth, and property transferred to her, thus making her a multi-millionaire which she used to her advantage as she continued the De Vil Fashion Industry, continuing her father's work of creating only the most fabulous fur the world has ever seen, turning a million dollar business into billions. Everything was going so well…until she encountered those damn Dalmatians.
Before she had the chance to get all pissed off again, her son's cat Beelzebub jumped into her lap, curling against her. "Dammit Bee!" she cursed the cat. "You almost made me spill my wine!" she shouted, earning only a hiss from the cat in response.
"As if you wouldn't go out and buy another bottle?" called out a voice that made Cruella's eyes widen in surprise, and based on how Beelzebub jumped out of her lap to scamper to the other side of the room only confirmed her suspicions. "Aw! I missed you too Bee!" said the voice again.
"My…my…you've got a lot of nerve boy coming back around these parts," said Cruella as she stood up from her chair to turn around to face her son Carlos, whose face was downcast, and surprisingly wearing sunglasses.
"What? You forgot already?" he asked. "It's Winter Break at Auradon Prep, and because Mal, Jay, Evie, and me had nowhere else to go…they had to send us home for the holidays."
"You mean to tell me King Beast had no room in the castle for you four?" questioned Cruella, wondering why in the hell would the heroes send back four villain children who are now considered traitors to their homeland, especially on the most dangerous day of year on the Isle. It was then that Cruella noticed her son flinch when Beelzebub touched his glasses.
"Well, despite us saving the day…it appears the King Adam still doesn't necessarily trust us enough to stay in his home. And King Ben doesn't want to cause any strife over the holidays over us staying in his castle, and all the hotels declined to let us stay, apparently they were to packed for the holidays," explained Carlos, wagging his fingers to show he doesn't buy their BS. "So we said we could toughen it out on the Isle for two weeks, and Ben promised that he'd send for us as soon as January gets here."
"I see…" nodded Cruella stepping forward to her son who took a step back. "Why are you wearing sunglasses in the house…do you see a sun in Hell Hall?"
"No…no ma'am," stuttered Carlos, hoping his mother wouldn't ask for him to take off the glasses. "Hey mom, is that a new fur coat, gee it looks so cool!" he complimenting attempting to change the subject.
"Boy, take those sunglasses off!" ordered Cruella, narrowing her eyes down to her son.
"Well, I guess I better go fluff your furs now…I know my chore list is a heap now, gotta go!" responded Carlos turning to rush away, but was caught by the fur trimmed hood of his jacket by his mother's firm grip who snatched him back toward her.
"Don't you walk away from me when I'm talking to you!" warned Cruella. "Take off the sunglasses!"
"What's the big deal?" began Carlos.
"Carlos Furrie De Vil, take off those damn sunglasses before I rip them off with your face!" shouted Cruella, calling her son by his full name to show that she meant business.
"Fine!" shouted back Carlos, snatching off his sunglasses to reveal two swollen black eyes, and a bruise on his left cheek. "Happy now!"
Cruella reached out to examine her son's face, wiping off what appeared to be make up that revealed even more bruises on his face, a small cut on his chin, and a broken nose. She didn't need to ask where he got the makeup…must've been Grimhilde's girl, all she could focus on was the damage on her boy's face. "Who did this?"
"I tripped and I fell…"
"Don't lie to me boy…who did this?"
"It's not even that much of a big deal!"
"Who Did This?" Cruella hissed in a low voice, trembling with rage.
"Anthony…" sighed Carlos. "Anthony Tremaine….he and the other descendants see me, Mal, Evie, and Jay as traitors because we didn't finish the job we were sent to do in Auradon, so they tried teaching us a lesson. They knew they couldn't really take on my friends so they mainly targeted the weakest link in order to hurt them…me."
"Nancy's boy?" questioned Cruella, watching as her son nodded in confirmation. "Okay…listen, I've got to run out right quick…go upstairs, put some ice on your face, and we'll talk about this when I get back."
"Mom…please don't do anything crazy…you know the rule on the Isle is snitches get stiches," pleaded Carlos.
"Carlos, it's time you learned the De Vil Family's rule…" began Cruella. "Bitches get ditches…now be the good boy you say you are, walk your ass upstairs, and put some ice on your face!" she said as she grabbed her luxury zebra stripped purse and placed her son's sunglasses on her face.
Carlos heard distant thunder as his mother marched toward the doorway, and was stunned to see that the rumors of his mother's temper and wrath summoning a storm were actually true. "What about the chores? What do you need me to do first?" he called out to her before she walked out.
"Nothing…I don't want you doing anything except what I told you to do," answered Cruella. "I'll be home soon!"
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"How do you think Carlos is doing back at home?" asked Evie as she, Mal, and Jay down the streets of the Isle, deciding to risk a chance on the streets just to see how their adoptive brother was holding up back at Hell Hall. "I mean my mom was upset at first with me…but I think she'll get over it, she's even offering to help me with my fashion. Personally I think she's madder at me dating one of the Dwarfs Son than getting her off this Isle."
"Probably…dad was giving me the silent treatment the first few hours, but I got a laugh out of him when I told him I had tackled Aladdin's kid on the Tourney Field," said Jay, smiling as he remembered the proud look in his father's eye as he said "that's my boy" for the first time with true sincerity. "What about you Mal?" he asked.
"Well…considering Mom's grown a couple inches, and she's stopped judging and scolding me every chance she's gotten…I think she's coming along. Nowhere near ready or even willing to transition to Team Good, but at least I know she's learning to love again," explained Mal. "I didn't think it was ever possible, but for the first time in my life…I think she sees me for me and she's actually okay with it now."
"How are things at Bargain Castle?" questioned Evie. "Now that you and your mom are back for the holidays?"
"The goblins are devoted to my mother no matter what form she's in…I'm willing to bet they're massaging and feeding her as we speak," responded Mal. "She's gotten back the ability to break some fire, so it would be unwise of them to rile her up," she added with a chuckle.
"How's Ben really feeling about you being back over here?" inquired Jay, wagging his eyebrows showing that he knew the King was worrying himself to death over Mal being back on the Isle of the Lost. "Has he given you the tear works yet?"
"Hell no…" answered Mal shaking her head. "He understands that it's for the best…wouldn't wanna cause any unnecessary drama over Christmas Break. Besides it's only two weeks until School is back in."
"Right…." Evie said, about to question Mal further until the three teens heard the sounds of screams coming from an alleyway they were about to pass through. "What the…" she said as they walked to peek their heads around the corner into the alleyway, and were stunned to see Cruella De Vil wielding a bat, beating the hell out of Anthony Tremaine and his friends, who were getting their own beat down from Cruella's henchmen Jasper, Jinx, and Horace. Beside Cruella holding an umbrella over her head, was her assistant Frederick, who flinched every time Cruella inflicted a boy to the nineteen year old brat.
"Now…I still respect your mother, even those dogface sisters of yours…and they value my respect, do you know why boy?" questioned Cruella, leaning closer to stare the boy eye to eye. "Because even though I'm living in this hell hole, I'm still worth a billion dollars, meaning my respect is worth a billion dollars, meaning my son is worth a billion damn dollars!" she yelled slamming the bat once again into Anthony's shoulder, possibly knocking it out of socket.
"Holy shi…" began Jay, until Evie covered his mouth, followed by Mal shushing the both of them as they watched on. Evie, not allowing this opportunity to pass up, pulled out her magic mirror to video record the entire thing.
"I'…I'm…s-so-sorry…Mi..Miss Deville!" pleaded Anthony Tremaine, barely able to speak as he nearly coughed up blood.
"Oh no…I'm not the one you should be apologizing to…that would be my son!" said Cruella. "And I have a special way you can apologize to him…I want an apology written in your blood!" said Cruella wheeling the bat forward to slam it into Anthony's side, who yelled out again in pain.
"This woman's crazier than we thought…" whispered Mal.
"Remind me to never piss off Carlos," added Evie.
"You four!" snapped Cruella to Anthony's friends who trembled on the ground before the woman, frightened of the next hit her henchmen would inflict on them. "Spread the news around the Isle…that my son is not to be touched again by any of you ruffian heathens! Because if any of you so much as touch a freckle on his face, you tell them that Cruella's never had a human skinned and made into a pair of boots before, but she does love a challenge! Now get outta here!" she ordered, watching as Anthony's friends scurried, or rather leaped out of the alley way, causing a smirking Mal, Evie, and Jay to cover their mouths as they snickered at the sight.
Anthony made a move to get up, but a blow to the head from Cruella's bat knocked him back to the ground. "Who told your ass to move boy?" questioned Cruella. "Fellas…did I give the go for him to leave?"
"No ma'am…not at all," replied Jasper, Jinx, Horace, and Frederick knowing that to be on Cruella's Sh** List meant that you were never getting off until she thinks you've suffered enough to be off.
"I didn't think so," Cruella said with a snap of her fingers, signaling for Jasper to bring her a chair to sit down on. "Phew…boys, I'm taking a break…keep him warm for me," she ordered watching as her henchmen nodded with grins while cracking their knuckles, as they jumped on a screaming Anthony whose cries were heard throughout the Isle of the Lost.
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Carlos stood in his mother's dressing room, which was technically his bedroom that consisted mainly of his mother's furs, a mattress, and thick cover. He looked into his mirror to stare at himself in the mirror…worthless, freak, disgusting, disappointment, weak…he'd heard it all from many different voices, and for once he could agree.
Tears brimmed his eyes as his mind played tricks on him, his own reflection seemed to laugh at him tossing out everything he ever thought about himself. "You're nothing…your father left because he didn't want you…your mother is crazy, absolutely nuts…nobody cares for you…nobody loves you…nobody wants you…you're nothing," his reflection spat at him, causing an anger to build up within Carlos resulting in him hurling a broken remote control toward the mirror shattering it just as the door next to it opened.
"Woah…dude!" yelled Jay as he, Mal, and Evie walked into Carlos's room, staring at their friend in confusion. "Are you okay?"
"I'm good…" lied Carlos, choosing to hold back the tears as he collapsed to the floor on his mattress. "Just having a moment."
"Are you sure?" asked Evie, as they all walked forward to sit beside their friend on his king-size mattress. "Can we help?"
"Unless you've got a way for me to actually be of some use to anyone then no you can't," responded Carlos, pulling his knees up to his chest to wrap his arms around them.
"What are you talking about Carlos?" questioned Mal. "You're of use to everyone! You're literally the smartest guy I know!"
"Besides that Mal…" groaned Carlos. "I mean…if I wasn't smart…would any of you still be my friend?"
"Of course we would…" answered Mal, grinning at the slight smile that appeared on Carlos's face. "We love you for you…you're a great guy, and trust me…the world is on a very low stock of guys like you."
"Yeah dude…we're brothers for life remember!" added Jay, noticing the look in Carlos's eye as he glanced between them. "Something's else wrong isn't it?"
"You can tell us anything Carlos…you know that right?" said Evie.
"I'm nervous you guys…being back on the Isle," he admitted. "You saw what happened today…all of you could take care of yourselves. Jay, you've got the muscle and the brawn, Mal and Evie, you've got the magic…what do I've got?"
"That's what you're worried about Carlos?" smirked Mal. "I think there's something you need to see…Evie, mirror him."
Evie pulled out her magic mirror, a grin across her and Jay's face at what was about to be shown to Carlos. "Mirror mirror in my hand, reveal the juiciest scoop on the Island," she commanded before handing the mirror to Carlos, who was stunned to see a video of his mother and her henchmen laying into Anthony Tremaine and his friends.
"It's my mom…" whispered Carlos as he listened closely to what she was saying. "She…she did this for me?" he asked glancing up to his friends who nodded their heads. "Wow…" he sighed as he listened to the warning his mother gave them, tears brimming his eyes once again as a realization came upon him. "She cares for me doesn't she?"
"No dude," Jay shook his head. "She loves you."
Before Carlos could process anything else, he and his friends could hear footsteps coming up the stairwell. "Carlos!" they heard his mother call to for him. "We need to talk!"
"Crap!" cursed Mal.
"We need to hide!" cried Evie as they frantically looked for a place to hide in their friend's bedroom.
"Umm…ummm," began Carlos as he glanced around his room, noticing the ceiling high pile of furs that rested in the corner. "The furs…quick, get in the furs and don't move a muscle!" he ordered, watching as his friends scurried to the mountain of furs, burying themselves deep in the pile just as his mother knocked on his door, which surprisingly was a first. "Come in," said Carlos after knowing his friends were safely hidden.
His door swung open to reveal his mother Cruella who closed it behind her. The two only looked at each other in silence, before Cruella walked over to sit down beside her son on his mattress. "I'm sorry Carlos," his mother whispered.
Out of all the things Carlos could have ever imagined his mother saying to him, "I'm sorry" was never one of them. "W-what?" he stuttered.
"I'm sorry," affirmed Cruella. "I've neglected and mistreated you for so many years, so much to the point to where people on this damn Isle, and I know in Auradon, think they can do the same to you. I may not have been the best mother, but trust me when I tell you…I wasn't the worst…your grandmother was a wicked woman, and I know….it's no excuse for how I raised you, but I could only do better for you from the horrible experience I had with my own mother."
"Do…do you ever regret…you know…having me?" questioned Carlos.
"No...never," answered Cruella. "Because I knew that my son would someday become somebody great…you didn't become a villain like I thought you would, but you did something better…you became your own man. I only wish that I could have helped you get there somehow."
"Technically…you did," said Carlos. "I got my brains from somewhere," he added bringing a smile from across his mother's face.
"I…" chocked Cruella. "I don't know how to love like a normal mother should…I'm not even really sure what love really is…but I know from experience that what I gave you over the years was not it, and it took you leaving me here with nothing but furs and Baby for me to realize what truly made me happy these last sixteen years…you."
"R-really mom?" asked Carlos, not wanting to get his hopes high, but something in him could tell that his mother had changed since he had last seen her,
"Really…" nodded Cruella. "I missed you so much…your face, your laughter, your smile…it all hit me that you were the one who truly kept me from losing my sanity all these years."
Carlos couldn't hold back the tears anymore as he gazed into his mother's own teary eyes….his entire life, this was all he truly wanted, what he would've traded the world for…for his mother to love him, accept him, and for her to be proud of who he was.
"I'm sorry I lied to you about dogs, simply because of my own vendetta against them, and I'm sorry if I ever made you feel as if you weren't enough, because Carlos Furrie De Vil, you will forever be enough for me," said Cruella. "And I only wish I could have given you what you needed growing up…what you deserved, because Carlos, you deserve the world. And I swear that if I ever get off this Isle, I'll try my best to deliver it into your hands."
Carlos nodded at his mom's words, too emotional to even tell her that her love was enough for him. "It may be too late for me though, I've done my sins and I'm paying for them, but it's not too late for you. When you get back to Auradon, I want you to take up the De Vil Fortune and use it as you please…long as it's not all spent on video games and chocolate though," she pointed out, getting a laugh out of her son.
"Mom…can I ask you a question?" asked Carlos.
"Sure…" nodded Cruella.
"Can you tell me about my dad?" he timidly asked.
"Carlos…you know I don't like talking about…"
"Please mom…I just have to know!"
"Fine…I met your father fifteen years ago…he was a villain like me, a con artist who was very dangerous. Well, we talked here and there, and before I knew it…you were here," Cruella paused wondering whether or not she should tell her son the rest of the story, but based on the look in his eye, she knew he would be able to handle the truth. "Your father was a bastard…I came home one day and found him tossing you into the dumpster because he never wanted kids. To make a long story short, I had the fellas beat his punk ass and I raised you by myself from that day on."
Carlos nodded at the new found information, a part of him was hurt that his suspicions about his father never wanting him were true, but another part of him was marveled at the fact his mother had stood up for him when he was just a baby, when she could have just as easily left him in that dumpster.
"And I don't want you feeling any type of way about your father…as far as I'm concerned he's dead to me…and he's dead to you," said his mother, snapping him out of his thoughts. "It's his loss at missing out on a boy like you…we didn't need him then and we don't need him now, I'm your momma and your daddy. And I want you to always remember that no matter what happens, no matter what you do…momma's got you…you hear me? I got you."
Carlos could only chuckle at that, appreciating this new outlook his mother had for him. "Okay," he managed to say.
"Alright…now pack up all your stuff out of my dressing room, you're moving upstairs into the guest bedroom," said Cruella who stood up, walking to the doorway.
"What?" called out Carlos in confusion.
"You're fourteen Carlos, it's time for my son to have a bigger room than this, and the one upstairs is much better than this. Besides, I don't want my furs smelling like teenagers," she added with a smile. "Oh and I almost forgot," she added, digging into her pocket to pull out a piece of paper which she handed to her son. "Anthony Tremaine wanted me to give you this."
Carlos nodded as he unfolded the paper, and found written in blood were the words: "I'm sorry, Anthony T.". "Mom…did you…"
"Yes I did…your Uncles Horace, Jasper, and Jinx and I took a stroll today and Anthony was more than happy to oblige. And by the way…in exchange for sparing her son, Nancy has agreed that her daughters and Anthony will be taking over your chores until I release them from it…so you won't have to clean anything but your own room from now on," explained Cruella. "I maybe a villain…but I will always protect what's mine," she added, turning to exit the room.
"Wait mom…one more question," shouted Carlos. "What happened to Baby?" he asked, realizing that he hadn't seen the stuffed dog toy since he got home.
"I tossed that old thing out because I realized I only have one baby in this world," Cruella said looking over her shoulder. "You."
"So does that mean you love me…even just a little?" called Carlos, his breath hitched wondering if he had pushed his luck or not. "She won't say it…she won't say it…stupid Carlos, stupid!"
"Believe it or not, from the very first minute," answered Cruella with a genuine smile that Carlos knew was true. "I love you pussycat….even more than all the furs and diamonds in the world….I'm just so sorry it took me so long to realize it."
"I love you too mom," replied Carlos, smiling at being called "pussycat", a nickname his mother had given him when he was but a child, but hadn't heard in several years.
Cruella blew a kiss in her son's direction, who happily caught it. "Now tell your little nosey friends to get their asses outta my furs, help you pack your stuff outta this room, and move it upstairs," she quickly added, seriousness edged in her voice.
"How did you?" began Carlos, before he just sighed and waved her off. "Eyes everywhere I guess," he laughed.
"Believe it baby!" Cruella said with a snap of her fingers as she sashayed out of her dressing room like the billion dollar diva everyone knew she was, closing the door behind her.
"Well…I'll be damned…" he heard Mal mutter as she, Evie, and Jay came stumbling out of the pile of his mother's pile of furs, gasping for air having near suffocated from his mother's collection. "Madame De Vil has a soft spot after all…" she said in a false British accent.
"Yep," Carlos agreed. "Reserved only for me, furs, and diamonds!" he boasted with a wide grin on his face.
"Told you that you were worth a lot to everyone," Evie happily teased. "And that's only just the beginning."
Carlos nodded in agreement…he was worth something. His mother loved him, his friends loved him, and his friends back in Auradon loved him. He was special in his own way, and if his mother and friends could accept him for who he is, then to hell with anyone else's opinion. For the first time in forever….Carlos felt like everything would be alright in the end.
"But what about Dude? If the School Council approves you having him, then he's going to have to come back with us during Spring Break next year," Mal suggested. "How will your mom and your cat Beelzebub feel about that?"
"We'll worry about that when we get there…" Carlos noted. "Let's just take it one day at a time," he suggested which everyone agreed to. "I guess we were wrong," he then added.
"About what?" asked Evie.
"That time when we were baking cookies and Lonnie caught us…she and Auradon thinks our parents really don't love us, and we thought it too," said Carlos. "But look at us now…Evie, your mom's willing to help you create more fashion to take back to Auradon…Jay, you and your dad spend endless time talking about Tourney, mainly you explaining the game to him…and Mal, you and your mother are actually laughing together and she's helping teach you all the magic she knows…we may not become evil like our parents originally wanted us to do, but we found a better way to make them respect us, to be even more proud of us...to love us."
"I guess you can say we did good after all..." said an excited Evie.
"Screw good…we're doing great!" exclaimed Mal.
"Alright, everyone get in here! Group Hug!" shouted Jay holding out his arms for his friends to pile into. It may have taken sixteen years, but each Descendant knew that they finally were gaining the love, respect, and adoration from their parents, who didn't even know it, but were being changed for the better by their own kid.
"Hold up…" Jay said while they were still in the midst of a group hug. "Are we seriously not going to talk about how Carlos's middle name is Furrie and his nickname from Cruella is pussycat?" he joked gaining a laugh from Evie and Mal and a slap upside the head from Carlos, who couldn't help but laugh at it himself.
"I love you guys!" said Carlos to his friends, who clung to each other even tighter, smiles on all of their faces. "We love you too Carlos," whispered Mal.
For the Descendants and even their villainous parents…everything and everyone was finally alright.
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Alright, the reason I wanted to write this story is because A. It wouldn't leave me alone and B. I think we've been going a little too hard on the villains, especially Cruella, because I know we don't even like to think of anyone hurting Cinnamon Roll Carlos. So I figured, why not switch it up a bit, and actually show that even Madame De Vil loves her son.