A/N: I'm not a huge fan of this chapter, as I find it a bit cheesy, but oh well. I hope you guys enjoy it more than I do.


Ben and Mal were at the dining room in record time, and it wasn't even noon yet. It had only been five minutes since Dr. Facilier's visit, but they were anxious to talk to Belle and Beast, both wanting to figure out a way to get rid of him as soon as possible. They wanted to be sure that he wouldn't put anyone in harms way. Mal was mostly concerned about saving Ben, but she still cared for Auradon too. However, he meant more to her. If she had to choose between him and the kingdom, she'd choose him even though she knew he wouldn't want that. He'd want to save everyone else. He is the kind of person who'd sacrifice himself for the greater good, but she just couldn't lose him. She knew how wrong it would be, but she didn't think she would have to the strength to let him go. Not wanting to have to face this dilemma at all, she and Ben burst through the dining room doors, their faces bright red from stress and their breathing heavy from running so fast.

"What is going on with you two?" Belle asked,"are you guys alright? You're burning up."

"M…m…m…m…my," Mal started to pant, but she needed a moment to catch her breath.

"Breathe, Mal, breathe. Take it easy," Belle assured her, laying a loving hand on her back. It took her a minute but she finally regained her breath.

"My dad came and visited us," she sighed.

"What?" Belle asked in disbelief. How could he be here?

"He literally just showed up in my room. He froze everything except for him and I. Even time stopped. I had no idea how he did that."

"What did he want from you?" Beast asked, a look of concern on his face.

"He said he was going to force me to watch him torture and kill Ben. He hates him more than he has ever hated anyone before. He also said he was planning on taking over Auradon. I don't know more than that because I never let him tell me any more. I didn't want to hear it. I should have let him talk, but I was just so angry with him."

"You don't need to blame yourself for anything," Belle assured her,"I'd be angry with him too if he threatened the people I love and my kingdom. There is no need for you two to be so worked up about all of this. You didn't need to race down here at the speed of sound to tell us this. We have ways of handling things like this. We have to confer with Fairy God Mother and her advisors. They should know what to do."

"I already told Fairy God Mother that there was a possibility that he was here," Ben sighed,"I haven't heard back from her."

"You never told me that," Mal noted.

"I know and I'm sorry. I should have, but I didn't want to worry you if there was a chance that he wasn't here. I'm sorry."

"I appreciate your concern, Ben, but I'm a big girl. You should have told me. Then again, I kind of figured there was a chance that he could be here too. I should have talked to you about it as well. We are both at fault here, but that isn't the point right now. We need to figure out what to do."

"No," insisted Belle," Beast, Fairy God Mother, and I will figure out what to do. We've handled stuff like this in the past. I think we can handle him."

"But he is my father," replied Mal,"I know him better than anyone."

"I don't doubt that, but you two shouldn't have to worry about him. That isn't your job. That is ours. We are the ones who put him on the Isle, so we will put him back. You two need to focus on wedding and coronation preparations."

"But..," Mal continued, but Belle cut her off.

"I hate to sound like a buzzkill, but no buts young lady. We will handle this. If we need your help, we will let you know. Now come on, lets sit and enjoy our meal. I doubt he will do anything so soon."

Truthfully, Belle was quite worried. It had been a long time since she had to deal with an Isle escapee. Actually, they never had dealt with one before, but she didn't want Ben nor Mal to worry. They deserved to be happy, and she wanted them to focus on that. They should not have anything get in the way of that. Ben and Mal had been through enough between having to deal with Maleficent and having to fend off the media from ripping them apart. Belle was going to see to it that they get a chance to be happy, together, without any interference.

Both she and Beast were also quite concerned because it took a lot of work to put guys like Dr. Facilier on the Isle, not to mention how dangerous it was to get them there. Of course the villains tried to fight back, and as a result, many good people lost their lives. Neither Belle nor Beast wanted to have a repeat of that, and Beast felt somewhat responsible for the deaths of those people. He still was trying to make peace with the fact that it wasn't his fault, but having to deal with a villain being back on the mainland made him realize that he may have to fight again. That was the last thing he wanted to do. He wanted peace, and that was what the Isle was for. Then again, he knew that the Isle only brought peace to Auradon. The Isle was still rampant with violence, so he technically didn't solve anything; he just moved the problem. Maybe this was his chance to correct that. For now though, he needed to focus on getting rid of Dr. Facilier.

Mal sighed to herself. She wanted to argue more but she knew she wasn't going to win this one. Maybe it was best that Belle and Beast deal with it after all. She was still dealing with her own problems. She didn't need the extra stress right now. Her father was just making things worse. Sure, she was the happiest she had ever been, but that didn't mean she wasn't struggling. She was still grasping for an idea of who she is and who she wants to be. Thank goodness Ben was there to help her figure that out. If she had to worry about her father, she wouldn't have time to think about herself and Ben. She deserved to be a little selfish now. She had never been the kind of person to only think of herself, even on the Isle. Yes, she was trying to survive, but that didn't mean she didn't care for others, despite what her mother was trying to teach her. However, this wasn't a time to be thinking about other people. She needed time to focus on herself, and Ben. Ben was a part of her, so making him a priority was included in focusing on herself. She realized now that It's okay to be selfish every once in a while.

"If you insist your majesty," Mal breathed,"if you think that we are safe, I'll step back and let you handle things."

"Good," replied Belle,"I'm glad you trust me. And please, call me Belle. You don't need to be formal with me anymore."

Mal didn't exactly trust her. She hardly trusted herself sometimes. The only person she knew she really could trust was Ben, but she wasn't going to tell Belle that. Trust was not something she took lightly. She had complete respect for Belle and Beast, but she didn't trust them, not yet anyway. They needed to prove to her that they could be trusted. She wasn't going to tell them that though. She didn't want them to feel like they had to prove themselves to her. They shouldn't have to anyway. They were royalty, so they didn't have to do anything, and she had no right to ask them to do so. She hoped that one day they would show her that they could be trusted, but she wasn't going to expect it. For now though, she knew she just needed to let things go.

"Now that this is all settled, lets have some lunch and discuss some other important matters," chirped Belle.

Everyone found their seats at the table and waited for lunch to be served. Mal was thankful that there was no knives out this time. They must be serving something that doesn't require a knife. Mal sighed silently in relief. She didn't want to have another PTSD episode again. One was more than enough. Luckily, she soon forgot about her worries because she felt her belly rumble a bit. She was hungry, and this time for actual food, and for once, not Ben. Although, having him sometime soon wouldn't be such a bad thing. However, she knew she would need to eat if she was to have enough energy for him again. So food was enough to settle her hunger pangs… for now.

She was pleased to see the servers coming out with a plate of food for each of them. Unfortunately, the dishes were covered, so she didn't know what she was getting. That only made her more hungry. She momentarily wondered why. Maybe it was because she had worked up an appetite after her run in with her father. Seeing him definitely knocked the wind out of her. Thankfully, her concerns were soon dispelled when her dish was placed in front of her. When the server lifted the dish, she cocked her head to the side in confusion. She had never seen this kind of food in the entire five years that she had been here. She picked up her fork and poked at it. There were many yellow crescent shaped morsels covered in what she knew was marinara sauce. It almost reminded her of spaghetti, but they were stuffed with something. She picked one up with her fork and hesitantly took a bite. She felt it open up in her mouth with some kind of cheese. It was absolutely delicious. She had to have more, but she didn't want to rush, as she wanted to savor each bit. How had she never had anything like this before?

"This is the best meal I've ever eaten!" Mal exclaimed after swallowing a mouthful,"what is this?"

"It's called Tortellini," replied Ben,"It is a type of pasta. It is similar to Ravioli."

"What is Ravioli?"

"Another kind of pasta," Ben smiled,"I'm just glad you like it. I wasn't sure if you would."

"It is absolutely amazing Ben. I could eat this for lunch every day!"

"That can be arranged, but I think you would get sick of it after a while."

"I doubt it."

"Even I get sick of some of my favorite foods. It is good to mix up so you can explore new tastes."

I'd rather be exploring you right now Mal thought to herself. She shook her head when she realized what was going through her mind. This was not the time for these kind of thoughts.

"I'm glad you're enjoying your meal," said Belle,"now then, I'd like to talk about your wedding. We need to announce your engagement within the next few days. I am arranging for a ball in about a week. You can announce it then. You'll need the ring by then. Also, have you decided on a date for your wedding?"

"Not really," Mal replied,"a lot has happened in the past few days. It has only been three days since our engagement, so we haven't really had the time to figure that out yet."

"Well I suggest you figure it out soon. Your coronation would happen immediately after the… honeymoon."

Belle and Beast didn't even want to think about the young couple's honeymoon. They didn't want to imagine what their little boy would be doing, but they knew it was already happening. However, that didn't mean they liked it. They had to take a few cleansing breaths before continuing.

"I would almost suggest it be within the next month," continued Belle,"That way, you'd be back in time for Mal's birthday. There would be another grand celebration for that."

Mal blushed. She had never celebrated her birthday before, even in the five years she had been here. She hadn't even told anyone about it. All her mother would do is congratulate her on another year of not dying.

"A birthday party for me really isn't necessary Belle. I've never celebrated it before. How did you know when it was anyway?"

"When you and Ben got engaged, I figured it would be best to get to know your history. I didn't want to ask you directly because I knew you wouldn't tell me anything. I talked to Evie and she told me what I needed to know. I think you deserve your own birthday party."

"I do too," Ben chimed in,"I'll plan that myself, and the honeymoon. I want both to be special. I am going to see to it that they are."

"That is awfully kind of you Ben," Mal admitted,"but it really isn't necessary. I don't need a honeymoon or birthday party. For my birthday, I just want to spend time with the people I love. For the honeymoon, we could just stay in for awhile."

"I know you Mal. You don't think you deserve a birthday party, but you do. You deserve to be happy. And trust me, whether you like it or not, I am going to spoil you. We have always celebrated my birthday. You've always made that day about me. I think you deserve to have a day all about you. Even though you don't admit it, you are always concerned for others. It is time to take a day for yourself. As for the honeymoon, we deserve a time just to ourselves, away from the stresses of everyday life. We need a chance to be alone and become closer to one another. That is what it is for. It is for us to celebrate our love and connect to each other. Besides, I really want this. You told me you wanted me to communicate more about what I want. This is something that I want. It would make me really happy."

"Well, I can't say no to that. If it makes you happy, and it is something that you truly want, I'll do it. I'll go on a honeymoon with you. I want to make you happy in the way that you make me happy. Truthfully, it does sound like something we both need. After hearing you talk about it, I kind of want it too. Now, in terms of my birthday, I can tell I'm not going to win this one, so fine, we'll celebrate my birthday."

"I'm glad you realized I wasn't going to give this up."

"I've noticed that, when it comes to you wanting to doing something for me, there is no use in fighting it. You are always so determined to make me smile. I don't know why, but it's sweet. I really do appreciate it. I can tell that when I fight you on stuff like this, it makes you upset, and that is the last thing I want. Just know that I am willing to do everything I can to make you smile too."

"I know you are. It isn't very difficult for you to make me smile. Just you being with me is enough."

Mal was about to respond, but he stopped her.

"And don't say that you feel the same way. I know you do. I just really enjoy going out of my way for you. I know it is cheesy and stuff, but I enjoy it."

"Ben, you are something else, but I love you," Mal replied, feeling something in her stomach coil tightly

"I love you too Mal."

Ben then leaned in and gave Mal a quick peck on the lips. They both wanted the kiss to continue, but they didn't want to risk getting carried away in front of his parents, who were admiring the young couple. Belle and Beast were so happy that Ben had found someone who he loved that also loved him as much as they did. They had never seen him so happy before. Mal really was good for him. They could see it now.

"I'm glad you two were able to figure all of that out on your own," Belle stated after a few moments of silence,"anyway, like I said, I suggest the wedding be within the next months. I think a month from today would be good."

"Is it possible to plan an entire wedding in that time frame?" Mal asked.

"I think so. I talked to Evie. She already has your wedding dress done as well as the bridesmaid dresses. She even made a tux for you Ben, and for you groomsmen."

"Already? We've only been engaged for a few days," Mal noted.

"She told me she had started on a dress for you and your bridesmaids last year. She said she knew you two would get married. She just wanted to be ready ahead of time. She said the tuxes didn't take very long."

"I don't know what I'd do without a friend like her."

"She is a great friend," Ben agreed,"she helped cross off some very major things on our wedding to do list, but we still need to go find a ring. There is a royal jeweler for just this occasion. I can summon him after lunch. However, we still need a venue, a color scheme, a guest list, a menu for food, and a cake. We also need to address some security measures."

"I think our kitchen staff can make the cake and catering menu," Belle informed him,"and as for the guest list, I think you know that you have to invite the entire kingdom, like we did for your coronation. We could have it at the same place too. I'll leave the color scheme up to you two. Now, as for security, we will have guards looking out from every roof top in every direction. We'll also have a security checkpoint for guest entry and every other entrance will be blocked and heavily guarded. With as much security as I plan on having, there is no way Dr. Facilier will be able to get in. Even magic won't help him. We have ways of keeping magic away."

"Thank you mom, I really appreciate all of that. I think Mal and I would rather have an outdoor wedding. It was pretty cramped in the room where we had my coronation. Might I suggest the place where we always have Family Day? We can set up chairs in the little maze thing there, and as you get further back, there could be screens for the people who are too far away to see. Besides, it is pretty close to where we first met, which was in front of the school dorms. I think that would make it special. We could even have the reception in the royal garden."

"That sounds like an excellent idea Ben. We can do it there. Mal, what do you think about all of this?"

"Honestly, I'm good with whatever. Don't get me wrong, it all sounds great, but I'm just happy to be able to marry Ben. I know, cheesy right?"

"Not at all," laughed Belle,"I felt the exact same way when I married Adam, but you two deserve something extravagant. After all you've been through, it is high time you two got something that would make all the struggles worthwhile. Anyway, I think that settles everything except for the color scheme."

"Good, just in time, because I am finally full," Mal said as she pushed her empty plate away from her.

"You were hungry," Ben stated.

"Yeah, probably because of having to deal with that angry father of mine."

"Well you won't have to worry about him dear," Belle reminded her,"now run along and go get that ring."

"I think we will," Ben decided,"are you ready to go Mal?"

"I am now. Let's head out."