(A/N: Thanks again for all the favourites and follows and kind words. There's still plenty more to come in this story, so don't worry. It's far from over.)

The next few weeks passed slowly for Jay who spent every minute he could with Carlos. The poor boy was still in a coma but his vital signs had gradually been improving and the doctors were certain that he would make a full recovery. Jay already knew this anyway, he had told the nurses about the way Carlos had gripped his hand. They assured him it was a good sign but not to get his hopes up too much. Comatose patients sometimes experienced muscle spasms, especially after the brutal bashing Carlos had endured. Jay paid this warning no heed, Fairy Godmother's speech still ringing in his head. He had hope that Carlos would survive, and faith that they would find their happily ever after together.

Eventually Jay had returned to school after Fairy Godmother had begged him for weeks. As much as she adored Jay's loyalty, she was still the Head Mistress with a responsibility to her students. She had even allowed Jay more time than she normally would, partially because she saw the strength of their love but also because she partially felt responsible for Carlos returning to the Isle. She had been the last one to speak to him before… She could not even begin to imagine what had happened after Carlos had left her office. All she knew was that she had had a chance to stop him and she had failed him.

"Hey Jay, how's Carlos?" Jane asked as he sat next to her in class.

"Still the same, nothing much has changed. Which in some ways is good, because at least he isn't getting worse." Jay had to add the last part after seeing the worry in Jane's eyes. Sometimes he forgot that she too had a lot of love for the De Vil. They spent the rest of the class in silent reflection. Occasionally they would pay attention to what they were being taught but mostly they held hands and prayed for a miracle to save Carlos.

Jay remembered rushing to find Jordan a few days after he had felt Carlos' hand grip his own. He knew that he could really use a genie right then.

"Jay… I'm really sorry but there's nothing my father or I can do. Even if the Fairy Godmother allowed us to use our magic on Carlos it would not be much use." She put a hand on the worried boy who had grown so much in the weeks that Carlos had been incapacitated. "It's for the best. If you wake him up too soon, who knows what could happen. His body needs a chance to heal, his mind does as well. The best thing you can do for him is to wait."

Jay had not wanted to believe her but deep down he had known that it was true. He only wished that he could somehow speed up Carlos' healing but he knew as well how that could end badly. In Jay's experience, wishes didn't always turn out the way you expect them to. Plus, his family never really had the best luck with genies anyway.

"Hey, Jay!" Ben called out as Jay packed his things and prepared to go back to the infirmary. Jay swung around, hope in his heart that this was news about Carlos. "I'm sorry Jay, Carlos is still unconscious, I've just come from the infirmary myself." He had noticed Jay's eyes lit up and did not want to get his hopes up too high. "My parents wanted to know if you would like to come to dinner tonight? Evie and Mal will also be there as well as Lonnie. They wanted to thank you guys for saving me back on the Isle. We wanted to wait until the kingdom had settled down after Cotillion but then Carlos…" Ben trailed off, unsure of how to proceed. He didn't want to upset Jay but he also needed to get his point across.

"I know Ben, it's okay. You don't need to walk on dragon egg shells around me man."

"Of course, right. Sorry. Anyway, so Mum and Dad wanted to know if you were free tonight? It's just they're heading off on their Royal Tour of the kingdom in a few days and they'll be gone for months."

"Listen, Ben, I'd really love to but what if Carlos wakes up? I can't let him wake up alone. He has spent enough of his life like that already."

"Jay, you should go. You need a break." Jane said coming up behind him, her nose wrinkling. "I can stay with Carlos tonight and I'll call you immediately if anything changes."

"Promise?" Jay said, still unsure. He knew if Carlos should wake up with anyone it should be with someone who loves him and he knew that Jane loved him almost as much as Jay did. Almost. Not that it was a competition or anything.

"I promise. Now go, enjoy yourself." Jane paused before a cheeky smile spread across her face. "And for the love of all that is good, take a shower. You stink." Ben nodded in agreement and they all began to laugh. The others breathed a sigh of relief, Jay hadn't laughed for months and it was good to see their friend slowly coming back to them.

"You should probably go see Evie too, I hear she's already got the perfect outfit for you. Don't worry, it's leather." Ben joked, hoping to get another smile from Jay. "Tell Mal I'll see her there, I just need to meet with the council first."

Jay quickly rushed off to his room and took the long-awaited shower. It felt good to just stand there and let the scolding hot water rush over his body. It made him feel alive and reminded him of what was important. Jay must have spent more time in there than he realised when he finally heard Evie banging on the door.

"COME ON JAY! YOU NEED TO GET DRESSED OR WE'LL BE LATE!" Jay smiled as he listened to her worried voice. You could say many things about Evie, but late to a party would never be one of them. "It's nice to see you finally take a shower but it would be even better if you put some clothes on." Evie had long since become immune to Jay's charm, getting to know him tended to do that to you. "I've laid out your outfit on your bed, you have five minutes so hurry!"

"Haha fine Evie, be careful though, wouldn't want you turning into the Fairy Godmother. She always has been a real stickler for time." Jay teased, knowing exactly the right buttons to press to get Evie to wait outside.

Before long all five of them, Ben and Lonnie had joined Mal at their dorm, were making their way over to the Beast's castle. Evie had designed all their outfits; her Evie 4 Hearts business had been booming lately. Ever since the Royal Cotillion every prince and princess in Auradon had wanted a wardrobe designed by Evie. Even Cinderella's mice had begun asking for her advice on certain designs. Mal looked resplendent in a purple gown, similar to the one she had worn after transforming back into herself at the now-infamous dance. Although this one was definitely not smoking, much to everyone's relief. Evie had chosen one of her more conservative numbers for the dinner. Though, for Evie, conservative did not mean much as her gown flowed down around her like an ocean. Lonnie had chosen one of the more traditional dresses her mother had given her though this hadn't stopped Evie from spicing it up a bit. Jay and Ben wore suits similar to their usual formal attire but they looked handsome nevertheless. Dizzy had even donated a few of her headpieces to the girls, just to give them a little Isle Chic.

"I still can't believe you grew up in this giant castle man." Jay muttered, wondering how someone like Ben could not have been corrupted by the elegance around him.

"Yeah, it's like totally amazing. There must be hundreds of rooms here." Evie had really being getting into castle real estate lately, hoping to find one suitable for her and Doug. "What's the square-footage?"

"Uh… I'm not really sure."

"Hey E, leave Ben alone. Can't we just enjoy tonight?" Ben mouthed his thanks to Mal after she had saved him, again.

"Ugh, fine."

The table was full of Auradon's finest delicacies as the group took their seats. Belle and Beast had already arrived and both were looking as young as ever in their yellow and blue outfits.

"You really must try the grey stuff, Lumiere assures me that it's delicious." Belle laughed. "Though he never really gave me a chance to eat anything that first night."

"Forgive me, Madame, I had not seen a human face in so long. I must confess we became very excited." Lumiere defended himself as he entered the room carrying a tray of drinks.

"Oh don't fuss Lumiere, if it weren't for you I wouldn't have eaten at all."

"Lucky for me your mother doesn't rely on first impressions." Beast joked, hoping to move on from his dark past.

"And lucky for you I have impeccable timing." Cogsworth entered the room to move things along. He clearly could not stand when things didn't fit his rigid schedule. This time though Beast didn't mind as it saved him from an awkward conversation about unlawful imprisonment.

"We are so sorry about Carlos, Jay. We hear he's improving though? That has to be good." Belle looked reassuringly over at the ex-thief on the opposite side of the table.

"Yeah, thanks uh…" Jay was unsure what he should call them now that they were no longer the King and Queen.

"Just call me Belle, Jay. I'm sure Ben has told you how much I dislike all this stuffy royal nonsense."

"Thanks Belle." Jay laughed awkwardly before the conversation quickly turned around to more pleasant topics.

Down the table Evie and the Beast were animatedly discussing the up-and-coming neighborhoods in Auradon.

"I'd steer clear of Neverland and Sherwood Forest if I were you." Beast advised. "Those Lost Boys like causing mischief and you'll always be 'losing' things if you move to Sherwood."

"I know! Plus those roads are a real mess. That's why I'm avoiding Camelot as well, not everything has to be dirt. Jay would probably fit right in with the Merry Men though, wouldn't you Jay?" Evie looked down at him and winked.

"Ew, no! What smart man would wear tights in the forest? Let alone to steal? It's just highly impractical and leaves you no room to hide the things you've stolen."

"Ah, I'm afraid some old traditions are hard to shake." Beast laughed, reminiscing about his camping trip with Robin Hood and Marion. He never did find some of his personal belongings again though. "I'm sure you'd feel the same growing up on the isle."

With that the room suddenly tensed up. Any mention of that place made Evie, Mal and Jay feel queasy inside, especially after what had happened to Carlos.

"There's not much of a tradition on the Isle anyway unless you count disgusting coffee or locking First Years in lockers." Jay replied, trying to laugh off the subject and move on to something, anything, else. Beast didn't look like he was going to drop it though and Jay started feeling a little annoyed as he looked around at the sunken faces of Mal and Evie.

Lonnie had picked up on this and was trying to change the subject back to Auradon. "Traditions are overrated. My mother was never a fan of tradition. If she had, we would have lost the war. Plus, I probably wouldn't even be here."

"Good point." Beast replied after his booming laughter had subsided. Jay tried to just block it out as Ben began to notice how uncomfortable his father was making his friends. Beast didn't seem to notice though and kept going on about various aspects of the island. It was all Jay could do not to speak up, he may no longer be King but Beast was still a large presence that Jay did not want to upset.

The Beast began talking about punishments for those who broke Auradon's laws on the Isle. Jay stared across the table at the Beast who had once ruled over Auradon. He was tired of hearing the same speech about trials and civic duties.

"Can we just cut the crap?" Jay blurted out, unable to keep his silence any longer. "There is no worse punishment than that island. Harry has been living his punishment his whole life. A punishment that he never deserved in the first place." A stunned silence fell across the table as Jay continued, no longer able to stop himself. "When you created that dreadful place, you had good intentions. You wanted to keep your lovely kingdom safe from the powers of evil that threatened it. You did it for your kingdom. You exiled every single villain in the land and cut them off from the rest of the world, sealed them away from magic and everything they once held dear. You saw this a fitting punishment, and it was. Then came the children of these villains who, from the moment they were born, never stood a chance. They grew up surrounded by evil, treachery, greed and cruelty. It's all they knew. Cruelty from their parents, their friends, and from you; their almighty King. You sentenced them to a life of torture for a crime they never committed. You failed every single one of them. You failed us. Of course the kids became villains, they had no other choice. Every evil child and wicked teen on that island was your responsibility and you let their parents corrupt and destroy their lives." Jay could not believe that he was actually defending Harry but it had been bubbling inside him for a very long time and, like the volcanoes they used to make in Weird Science back on the Isle, Jay was about to erupt.

"Do you really think Harry would have turned out the way he had if he hadn't been under his father's influence his whole life? How could any of us have chosen good when our parents were watching our every move? They celebrated our wickedness and punished our good intentions. None of us ever had a chance at a good life thanks to you! You had a duty to your citizens and you failed them. Carlos grew up in the back of his mother's closet surrounded by fur traps and only a moldy mattress for comfort. He only ever gained a pillow right before coming to Auradon. It came from this very castle. Like everything else on the Isle, we suffered with nothing but your literal garbage to keep us sustained. Cruella was a monster to him, it's a wonder he didn't turn out exactly like her. Instead he became someone who never believed in himself. He was always told by those around him, and even by you, that he was less than them. He deserved to be treated as a slave rather than a son in his eyes. That's what you did." Tears were flowing down his cheeks but it was too late to stop now. He had to make Beast see. "You even placed the Isle close enough to the mainland that we grew up watching your castles and your fireworks. We saw the grandeur of your lives while we suffered in the dirt. You were cruel and heartless. You may have been a King but deep down you will always be a Beast just as we will always be the kids from the Isle. You saw Family Day that first year we were here! You even took Queen Leah's side!"

"We will always be seen as villains, no matter how many times we save your precious kingdom, because that's the way you created it. Just as we could see you, the people of Auradon could see us. They grew up on the tales of our parents and the dark forces of the island. Of course they fear and mistrust us! You made damn well sure of that! So as much as we can blame Harry for what he did to Carlos and the person he became, we also need to blame you. You created that island and you left the children to suffer in silence." Jay finally managed to stop himself, afraid that he had gone too far. He didn't regret saying it, he had meant every word. Still, he was afraid the Beast would send him back there as punishment for his insolent and treasonous words.

"I never thought…" The Beast muttered, looking at a loss for words.

"Exactly! You didn't think." Jay replied, again unable to stop himself. "Now Carlos is lying unconscious in the infirmary because you didn't think. You were too busy running your perfect little Kingdom to think about the people you had abandoned and the effect it could have. You spared no thought for the innocent and now they have all suffered." Jay got up without asking to be excused. He had had enough of this charade of a tea party. They could pretend to treat them as equals all they liked but deep down Jay could still recognise the slight apprehension of those around him. Whenever he met someone for the first time there was always that glint of fear quickly hidden behind fake smiles and kind words.

"Jay!" Ben called after him but it was too late, he was already heading outside. He really needed some fresh air or he was going to explode. When he finally made it outside to Belle's manicured gardens he was surprised to find that Mal and Evie had followed him.

"Wow Jay." Mal started, still recovering from Jay's outburst. "I never realised how strongly you felt about all that. I've gotta admit that I'm kinda proud of you right now."

"Yeah, me too." Evie smiled. "It took a lot of guts to stand up to Beast, Jay. We were all thinking it as soon as he started talking about the Isle but…"

"I know guys, I'm really sorry Mal if I messed things up between you and Ben."

"Don't worry about it Jay! Ben's a big boy, he'll be fine. He's on your side anyway, he's always thought it was cruel what his father had done to the children of the Isle." Mal reassured him.

"Really?"

"Yeah, he's been trying to convince his father for years, that's why he brought the four of us over here first. To prove to his father that the children are not a lost cause."

"I think you may have finally gotten through to him Jay. Or at least knocked the winds out of his sails." Evie laughed. Before long they all were. For a moment they had forgotten about the sadness of their lives and it felt good. The laughing was cut short though by a ringing coming from Jay's pocket.

When he took out his phone and saw it was Jane his heart immediately began to quicken.

"Just answer it Jay!" Mal urged.

"It could be good news!" Evie reassured him.

Jay put the phone up to his ear and could hear Jane's trembling voice on the other line.

"J-j-jay? It's Carlos, he's…."