Here's a new chapter for you guys. Thank you so much for being patient!

"So, if you don't mind me asking," Evie said, picking at a loose thread in her leggings. "I mean, uh, how do you think Ben is? And Doug? And the others?"

Mal slowly raised her eyes from the magazine she had been leafing through. Even before their trip to Auradon, Evie had loved to collect the old magazines from Auradon and stash them in her bedroom. That was where they were now, both girls sitting on Evie's bed.

Mal sighed. She knew why Evie had asked. The cover had Ben on it and promised all the exclusive behind-the-scenes details of the royal coronation and setup for the special day. She had just been looking through it out of boredom. The magazine was from almost three weeks ago since it had been published a week before the actual coronation.

Mal tried not to think about Ben and their friends in Auradon too much. Doing so only led her into a spiral of depression and guilt. She was the reason her friends were now trapped back on the Isle. She was the reason Jay was back in a routine of getting daily punishments. If she could have done it over again, she would have fought her mother and never would have given her the wand. But she couldn't do it over, and she just counted herself lucky that she had supportive friends who didn't blame her for booting them back to their old living conditions.

"He's probably fine," Mal said flatly and looked back down to the page she was on. "Audrey's probably happy."

Evie nodded and looked away. She was silent for several seconds, looking around her room as if searching for the words to say. "Do you miss him?"

"I miss having someone that believed we were more than just villain kids," Mal said. And that was the truth. She realized now that her feelings for Ben had simply been ones of friendship and a desperate hope for her future to be something more than criticism from her mother. She had clung to his friendship because he was the first one outside of the Isle to believe in her. Now that she was back on the Isle and had sorted through her feelings, she could see that. He was a good friend, but nothing more.

"Yeah. I think I miss Doug because of that," Evie said. "I had never felt smart before. He believed I was something more than the makeup and hair and clothes."

Mal closed the magazine and tossed it aside. She sat forward. "You totally miss him for other reasons than that, E."

"I know." Evie sighed. "I'm just trying to forget the other reasons. I don't want to have these feelings for him."

A pang of guilt twisted Mal's stomach. It was statements like that that made Mal wonder if her friends really had forgiven her for her behavior at the coronation. But, she cast the thought aside. Evie was upset and not likely trying to make Mal feel guilty on purpose.

Mal reached forward and squeezed Evie's hand gently. "I'm sorry," she said. She didn't want to tell her that it would be ok. She didn't see how anything could be ok now that they had seen what the world had to offer and were suddenly back to living their lives in a cage. But she had to be positive. They still had each other, and that had been enough before.

"Evie!" Evil Queen's singsong voice drifted up the stairs. "More company!"

Mal looked to the door. A moment later, Jay strode into the room. She hadn't seen him since the night she had tagged along to Mother Gothel's house. That had been almost a week ago. He looked no worse, but that wasn't saying much. The bruise around his eye was mostly gone. He was wearing his red sweater that Evie had made him, and Mal hated that her mind instantly went to the assumption that it was hiding even worse injuries from view.

"Hey, Evie, Mal." Jay smiled, but the darkness in his eyes didn't change. He looked stiff. "Carlos is running a little late. Cruella has him washing her car. Again. He'll hopefully be here in time for dinner though. Your mom also wanted me tell you she wants your help with dinner."

Evie nodded and wiped at her eyes before rising. She left the room.

"Is she ok?" Jay asked, moving to take Evie's vacated seat on the bed.

Mal nodded. "We were just talking about Doug."

Jay nodded knowingly. "Got it."

Silence fell between them again. Mal wanted to ask if he was ok. She wanted to know if the beatings had continued. But, she already assumed what the answer would be. And she didn't want to hear it.

"Mal..." Jay's voice was quiet, his gaze on his hands where they were folded in his lap. "I'm sorry I didn't thank you properly for going to Mother Gothel's the other night."

Mal shook her head. "That's ok. I forced you to take me along."

Jay swallowed. "But I'm glad you did. It meant a lot that you were there with me."

Mal studied him for a moment before saying, "Jay...what's wrong? Did something else happen?"

"I just...I need you to tell me it'll get better."

"Jay, I-"

"Please," Jay said sharply. He squeezed his eyes shut. "Tell me it'll get better."

Mal moved closer to him and laid a hand on his wrist, squeezing gently to try to comfort him. He flinched as if she had burnt him. She withdrew her hand, staring at him. "Jay, I'm not going to hurt you. Please. Just relax."

Jay swallowed. He was shaking now. "It's not..." He swallowed again and pushed up his sleeve. "It's not that." He turned over his wrist. It was bandaged on the underside. Blood had soaked through the thin linen.

Mal felt as if spiders were crawling over her skin as panic seized her heart. "Jay?"

"Tell me it'll get better, Mal. Tell me." Tears slipped down his face, and he hung his head, his eyes shut tight.

Mal hesitated, wanting to hug him but also afraid she would hurt him more. After a moment, she reached up and slid a hand around the back of his neck. She pulled his head down to her chest. He buried his face there, his hands gripping at her jacket as he sobbed.

"Jay..." Mal swallowed and just stroked his hair. "What made you cut yourself?"

"There's just no hope, Mal," Jay cried, his voice slightly muffled. He turned his head so his cheek was pressed against her collarbone. "I just reached this realization that this is all my life is going to be. He's gotten worse since we were gone to Auradon. Or...or maybe going to Auradon just made me notice how truly horrible he is. But I couldn't do it, Mal. I just wanted the pain to stop." He choked out a sob. "Tell me. Tell me it'll get better."

Mal didn't know what to say. She wanted to be able to tell him that it would end. That Jafar would stop. That he would be a loving father or at least leave Jay alone. But Mal couldn't get any words out. Instead, she pressed a kiss to the top of his head. "I'm sorry," she finally whispered, still trying to think of something encouraging to say to him. But his next words made her lose all train of thought.

"I should have found my mother when I had the chance," Jay said.

Mal blinked. "Your mom? You...you know who your mother is?" It was virtually unheard of for villain kids to know who both of their parents were. Mal had assumed for years that it was probably some conspiracy between all the villains to never reveal the identity of the other parent, even though they were likely on the Isle.

Jay nodded.

"Why don't you go find her? She lives here, right? I mean, you're sixteen. The villains were put here twenty years ago. Given the time frame-"

"Not all of the villains were put here twenty years ago," Jay said quietly. He slowly sat up and looked at her. "My dad never kept it a secret from me who my mother is. I guess he considers it some grand achievement that he slept with her or something. Anyways, he told me that when Beast made his proclamation to round up all the villains and lock them away, there was utter chaos. Villains scattered and went into hiding. The ones without magic were easier to find. That would be people like Cruella and Evil Queen. For the others, it took up to six years for Beast to find them all and finally get them here. Now, given that time frame...my dad could be telling the truth. And I checked his story with the records in the library in Auradon. It really did take years to get all the villains here. It allows for enough time for me to have been conceived before my dad was captured. He was found after a little over three years. That was enough for my mother to be pregnant with me. He's always said she didn't want me, so when I was born, I was sent over here with one of the garbage workers."

Mal couldn't speak. All this time, she had assumed that all the villains had been sent over to the Isle at once. She had assumed that all of the children on the Isle were the product of two villains on the Isle. But now... "You're saying your mother really lives in Auradon?"

Jay nodded. "I tried to look for her at the coronation, but I didn't see her. I should've tracked her down the moment we got to Auradon, but I...he said she didn't want me. I guess part of me believes that. Part of me is still wondering if that's not true. I just wish I had gotten the answer while I had the chance."

Mal was desperately trying to absorb all of what Jay said, but her head was reeling. She swallowed after a moment and frowned in thought. "That means a lot of us could have parents in Auradon. Doesn't it?"

"Possibly?" Jay frowned. "I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said anything. It's not worth worrying over now. I'll never get the chance to find her again."

Mal watched him for a moment, not sure what to say. Finally, not knowing how to help, she quietly asked, "Who is your mother, Jay?"

Jay looked up at her. "I would have thought it was obvious. It's Aladdin's wife. You know...Princess Jasmine."

This chapter was so much fun to write! Please, leave a review with your thoughts, and fave and follow!

Foarrin