Letters from home.

Mal took Evie to her favorite sitting and thinking spot in the garden. She quickly said the spell allowing only herself and Evie to hear their conversation, and then asked her? "did you open it?"
"I was afraid to open it alone."
"Want to now?"
"Not really, but…I guess I have too."
"You don't have too. You never have too. And just because Freddie said she read it and it was bad, doesn't mean either."
"I don't know what to think."
"so don't read it."
"I have too." She said as she pulled the floral scented paper out of the envelope. It was written in an elegant penmanship. Evie read it out loud.

"Evie, my little evillette,

I am disappointed in your failure. You never should have followed that miniature Maleficent. She was always a weird…" She stopped reading and looked at Mal. "Sorry Mal."
"It's not you saying it, I know it's her. If you don't want to read anymore it's fine."
"No, I am ok." She picked up the letter. "child. And her mother well she has lost it, and her reaction to this whole thing was over the top. I have heard no news other than you designed Mal's dress for the coronation, and saw you four fail. I never saw you at the coronation until you arrive behind Mal when she had the wand. Find a Prince? You had better have. I really didn't think Maleficent's plan was going to work, none of us did, and even if it did, we didn't think she was going to include us. So you had better be looking for a Prince, one who can use their pull to get me off this Hell hole. Oh and no one has seen Facilier since coronation day. Mother."

"Well that didn't sound so bad. Freddie was just trying to get a rise out of you. There was no way she would have given you that knowing it said her father was missing." Mal pointed out.

"True. Well the islanders know Dr. F is missing too. So that means Freddie realizes her father is here."
"I think so. The courier getting the signatures said Freddie practically followed the limo from the bridge into town, and jumped on the guy when he said her name."

"So she was hoping she was picked, or the shadows told her she was getting picked?"
"Perhaps, and if she wasn't I can imagine she would have stowed away somehow."
"I think so too."
"I…grabbed the boys letters out of the trash." Mal admitted. "I know we shouldn't…"
"M, we can't. We will just have to convince the boys they want to read them." Evie looked at hers again. "M?"
"I can ask him E."
"How did you know?"
"I would have wanted to contact her if I were you too." Mal waved her hands over the boys letters and repaired them. She then put them into her pocket. The old Mal would have had no issue reading the letters that belonged to Jay and Carlos, but….this Mal just couldn't bring herself to do it.

"Let's give the boys a chance to read these, before I ask Ben."
"Ok. They should be in their room."

The girls find the boys in their rooms, and see no one is around, close the door. "Hey." Carlos said.

"Yea, we know. I'll take the heat." Mal admitted, pulling the boys letters out of her pocket.

"I think you should read them. I read mine." Evie said taking them from Mal and handing them to the boys.

"I'll pass." Jay said pushing Evie's hand back. Carlos took his.

"Ok, I was curious anyway. But you go first Evie." So Evie read hers again to the boys. Carlos pulled his out.

CARLOS,

Really how could you betray me. I need you. I have no one here to help me. I want you back home right now. Do you understand me. My furs need to be fluffed, my hair needs to be colored. The house is a mess, and Baby needs to be cleaned. I want you back. I will go light on your punishment for being a traitor. I mean it Carlos, you come home right now.

MOTHER!

"Well that's what she thinks. Not coming home ever. Like Ben said she can't touch me here, and I am good with that." He ripped the letter up again into a million pieces. Jay, who had been sitting away from the rest of the gang, had been reading his letter to himself. Started to read his out loud

Jay,

You are a huge disappointment to me. I can not believe you didn't fill your pockets and run home as soon as you could. I would like to know why you choose to stay? Are the goods so good over there, that you are doing a better business without me? I would hope it is something other than that lie you told on TV about being good. I know you were lying. You were lying right? Jay…send me stuff if you can.

Jafar.

"Ok, so he signed it Jafar. Thing is, I don't even think he wrote it. Dad…he can't really write too well." Jay sadly admitted. "He forced me to go to school, I think that's why." Jay walked away and threw the letter in the trash next to the pieces of Carlos' letter.
"I want to write my mom back." Evie told the boys.

"Go ahead. I am over that place. I never want to go anywhere near there again." Carlos said, Jay just nodded, still lost in thought.

"I'll ask him E. I was going up there anyway." Evie smiled, and Mal left.

Mal popped into the front hall of the palace. Lumiere was used to just finding Mal places in the palace now. He was about to just point to the office, but he remembered that Aurora and Leah were in there with Ben and his mother. He motioned her over.

"What's up?" She whispered.
"Queen Leah and Princess Aurora are in there with King Ben and Queen Belle. You had better sneak out and ring the bell." He tells her quietly.
"Good idea, thanks." She said heading out through the kitchen.

Mal ran around the front and rang the bells. Lumiere opened the door. "Better?" She whispered with a smile.

"Yes, m'lady." He winked. "Welcome Lady Mal. Please go into the sitting room, His highness and Queen Belle are having a meeting."
"That's ok, Lumiere, I need something form my room anyway." Mal said bouncing up the stairs. She flopped onto the bed, and took out her sketch book she hadn't really needed it but she figured it was a good reason to be at the palace.

She was drawing and hadn't noticed Belle and Aurora were standing in the doorway. "This is Mal's room, when she and her friends stay with us. Oh, Hi Mal, I didn't know you were here."
"I left my sketch book, and well, Lumiere said you and Ben were busy. I knew I couldn't come up without saying hi, so I just came to grab it and was going to wait. I got distracted drawing. It's nice to see you again your highness."

"Mal." Was all Aurora could say.

"What are you working on Mal?"
"Oh, just drawing the new kids. I had Freddie stuck in my head."
"Freddie?" Aurora asked.

"Freddie Facilier. She is one of Ben's second set of kids from Home."
"I'm sorry, did you say more of those Isle kids are here?"
"Yes. Along with Freddie, is Captain Hook's daughter Harriet. And the Gaston's twins. Gaston Junior and Gaston the third."
"Well at least this time Ben choose people that offended your life, Belle."
"Mal, how were they?" Belle said ignoring Aurora.
"As I had predicted. Harriet is really run by Sammy Smee. And now by Freddie. I think she will like it here, best of all of them. The boys…just like Gaston. Woman hungry sexist animals. And then there is Freddie. I am worried most about her. Her skills at verbal manipulation are unbelievable. She had poor Evie worried her mother had disowned her. She brought letters for each of them from their parents."
"Bad?"
"No, not really." She was about to say EQ had told Evie about Dr. F, but that was top secret.

"Well good. Staying for dinner?"
"No, thank you. I had better get back. Evie is already talking dresses for the harvest ball and its over two months from now."
"Mal?"
"Yes?"
"When is your birthday?" Belle dared to ask, realizing Mal and her friends had been here almost a year now, and none of them had talked about their birthdays.

"We don't celebrate birthdays. Long story, will tell you about it sometime." She smiled. "Can you just tell Ben I was here, and I'll see him in Art tomorrow."
"I sure will. Have a great day in classes tomorrow, Mal." She hugged the young fairy. Mal kissed her cheek, then curtsied to Aurora and walked out the door and to the stairs.

"Really Belle you are too close to that girl. When she breaks Ben's heart, you'll be sorry you got so close."
"And that's my choice to make. I like Mal and her friends."

Mal headed down the back stairs and into the kitchen. "Hey Mrs. P." She said grabbing an apple out of a bowl.

"Mal, deary, what brings you here?"
"Forgot my sketch book, and was waiting for Ben, but he's talking to Queen Leah, and I have a feeling he will be there for a while, so I am heading back before it gets dark."
"Good thinking. Do you have?" The whole castle knew about Dr. Facilier, they besides Mal, her friends and the fairies, were the only ones. Mal held up her hand, wrist and pointed to the necklace. Out in the open at school, Mal felt wearing all three was wise.

"I am triple covered." She confessed. "I'll see you later. Thanks for the apple." She tossed it into the air, but it didn't come back down into her hand. Ben had caught it. "Not funny Benny Boo." Mal teased, then wished she hadn't, cause Aurora, Belle and Queen Leah were with him. She made an apologetic shrug.

"I was hoping to catch you."

"And you did. Had to grab a snack." She said grabbing the apple back from Ben. "But I have to head back before it's dark."

"Wait I have like two things left to do, and we can go together, after dinner."
"Ok, ok I get it, I'll stay for dinner. I'll tell Evie to go to dinner without me. Guess who's staying for dinner Mrs.P?" Mal smiled. "I'll head back upstairs to my room then."
"Actually I need your help on one thing, so come into my office please." She shrugged and followed Ben out of the kitchen.

"Honestly Belle, that child has free reign to walk about your home?" Queen Leah asked.

"As I was showing Aurora, Mal and her friends all have their own rooms here."
"I warned her mother. But I guess we'll just have to be here to pick up the pieces when they finally betray them."
"I will welcome that if it happens. Oh, and by the way Queen Leah, Ben has added four new students from the isle. Harriet Hook, Freddie Facilier and the Gaston Twins."
"So you did keep your promise."

"I did." Belle said, escorting them out of the kitchen and towards the door. "I am glad you and Ben could work out the issue you had today. Thank you for stopping by." Belle said opening the front door. "Have a wonderful evening." And she shut the door before they could say anything else.