Here's the last chapter (mainly) featuring Ben and Mal's baby for a while. This one is all about Daddy Ben. Enjoy! :)


As King of Auradon, Ben wore many figurative hats. Taxes, keeping up with the needs and wants of the citizens, helping the impoverished, and working with his wife on ways to help those on The Isle of the Lost were just a few of his many jobs and responsibilities.

He was up to his neck in all the things he had to do, but by far, the most important job he had was being a father. It was also the job he loved best.

About three months (give or take) after the "royal wedding of the century" as the press liked to call it, Mal and Ben had welcomed their little son into the world. The future king was six pounds, two ounces and had only been about six hours old by the time the entire kingdom had fallen in love with him.

The baby's name was Henry. Henry was a wonderful child from the very first day. He was a good sleeper, he rarely cried, he smiled and laughed often, and he loved to be cuddled. He was also a very intelligent child, you could tell by the way he looked at things. Both of his parents adored him.

Unfortunately for Ben, it seemed as though the kingdom had been kind to him leading up to both the wedding and Henry's birth because for the last several months it seemed like there was endless paperwork and things to do for him to do and check on.

Mal was with Henry most of the day because of all the work he was doing and she loved that baby, but even the best children can wear out a mother. Henry was crawling and he liked to explore, leaving her to go after him all day while she herself had things to do. There was a ball coming up and the queen was always in charge of planning it, but chasing a nine month old around tended to occupy most of her time. She was exhausted and it showed. Ben felt terrible.

She snapped at him one night.

It was nine, a whole hour and a half after Henry's bedtime. It had been the fourth night in a row he hadn't come to kiss the baby goodnight and Henry had started to cry for him. Again. Mal had been able to get him to calm down, but it took a while.

"I've been busy, Mal, you know that!" he tried to defend himself.

"Yeah, well, he doesn't! He's not even a year old! He misses you! The stupid paperwork can wait ten minutes while you come tell your son goodnight! The kingdom won't implode!" She couldn't yell, as Henry's room was just across the hall, but by the severity of her tone, she may as well have been. "Come to think of it, your wife misses you as well. But I guess the taxes on school supplies in Agrabah are more important than her too!"

"Mal-" he put his hand on her arm.

"Save it." she growled, shaking his hand off. "I'm sick of your excuses, Benjamin."

He was pretty sure that the only reasons she didn't go sleep in the room she and Evie shared as teenagers that night was the fact that she got to bed first and she couldn't unplug the baby monitor from the outlet to take it with her without moving a dresser.

She was tried and angry and upset, but those words were long overdue and he knew it. He promised himself to be a better father and a better husband.

And so, the following day, Ben stopped working at lunch and finished early to play with his son before dinner. He was there to kiss him goodnight and he didn't even go back to his office. He stayed with Mal and watched a stupid movie with her that they both got more deeply invested in than they should have.

The kingdom didn't fall apart. Everything was the same in the morning as it had been the evening before. The only thing that changed was how much happier he was.

That had been a few weeks ago and in that short amount of time, he felt closer to Henry than ever. Mal was no longer exhausted, Ben was no longer strung too thin. They were both happy.


A quiet whimper came from the baby monitor. Ben's eyes flew open. It was dawn, judging by the light coming in from the window. Henry was an early riser.

Mal rolled over, but didn't wake. Ben leaned over and kissed her on the side of the head, making her stir and smile a little in her sleep. No reason for her to get him, he was already awake.

He got up and quietly opened their bedroom door before going across the hall to his son's pale yellow room.

He turned off the monitor and shut the door, so they wouldn't wake Mal.

Henry was standing in his crib, holding onto the side, whimpering a little.

"Morning, buddy." Ben greeted softly, turning on the lamp.

"Dada," Henry said, smiling.

Ben smiled back and lifted the little boy up. "It's an early onetoday, huh, Henry? Mommy hasn't even considered getting up yet, so I guess it's just me and you."

"Ball?" Henry asked.

"We can go play with your ball soon, alright? You need to be changed first and you need to eat too."

Henry cuddled into Ben's side.

"Or, yeah, cuddling works too." Ben grinned, holding the boy closer. Ben was a hugger, but Mal had wanted to be held all the time while she was pregnant and be wondered which one of them Henry had gotten his love of cuddles from.

Being a dad wasn't exactly easy, but it was an adventure and it was usually fun. It was totally worth it and he wouldn't change a thing.

Especially since the love of his life was his little boy's mom.


A/N: Aww, these cuties. I will say that Henry will eventually be a big brother, but that won't be for a while yet.

Next up: Evie and Doug's first baby! Their reactions and everything are going to be very different than Ben and Mal's, so look forward to that!

Let me know what you think about Ben and Henry!

I hope your 2016 started off well!

See you soon!