One more filler chapter before we proceed to the main plot. I've noticed that I've focused only on the most memorable relationships in the books/movies, whether it's moments between the Rotten Four (Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos) or the four them spending time with their respective lovers (Ben, Doug, Lonnie, Jane). I want to explore other relationships, except two of the Rotten Four will be stealing the spotlight in this chapter, I hope.

Leave a review after reading, please.

I'd like to the following users for reviewing the previous chapter: DragonEmperor999, CarvieCamfia

Whenever Evie had to hang out with Doug or one of her friends, she would leave Dizzy in care of someone she can trust. Since Jane was assisting Ben with his royal duties and Lonnie was probably hanging out with Jay and Freddie isn't a suitable candidate for babysitting and Uma would obviously just refuse to aceept the responsibility, Evie recently left the granddaughter of Lady Tremaine in the care of Fairy God Mother, who was more than happy to look after the young hairdresser.

After searching for scented flowers in the gardens with Doug, Evie decided to call Dizzy and teach her how to use flowers to make perfume. She contacts her and waits for her to answer the phone.

"Hello?" It wasn't Dizzy's voice on the phone. It was Fairy God Mother's.

"Fairy God Mother, is that you?" Evie asked, confused.

"Dizzy must have left her phone behind when she left," Fairy God Mother muttered.

"You mean she's not with you right now?" asked Evie.

"We were just painting in the art classroom when I received a call from the Grand Duke. I'm needed in Cinderellasburg," said Fairy God Mother.

"And Dizzy?" asked Evie.

"I found someone else to take care of her," said Fairy God Mother.

"Who?" asked Evie.

Fairy God Mother was silent for a long period of time. If this was a video call, Evie would see that Fairy God Mother had a nervous look on her face that shows she is hesitating to give her the answer.

~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~ ROTTEN TO THE CORE ~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~-~

When Fairy God Mother finally told Evie who she left Jane with, Evie was not pleased. She immediately demanded for Dizzy's location and marched straight there with a look on her face that made her look like she was about to do something bad to someone. She arrives at the nearest park and finds Dizzy. She was currently sitting down on a bench, eating ice cream with her cousin, Chad Charming.

Evie was about to intervene, until she saw Dizzy laugh at something Chad said. She hides behind a bush close to them and eavesdrops.

"Okay, what happened next?" Dizzy asked Chad.

"Then when Aziz opened the door, the bucket fell on him and some of the ice cubes fell into his jersey. He was jiggling up and down like gelatin trying to get the ice out of his back," Chad said.

Chad and Dizzy laughed together. Evie contained her laughter by putting her hand over her mouth. Not only was she amused but she was also surprised by how well the two were getting alone.

"I didn't think anyone here in Auradon would do such a thing," said Dizzy.

"Hey, even Auradon kids can have that kind of fun, just as long as no one gets hurt, that's all," said Chad.

"Uh, didn't you, like, flip Jay and made his face hit the dirt?" Dizzy reminded him.

"First of all, I was just teaching him to remain alert," said Chad, trying to make his past action sound not as bad as it is. "Second, who told you?"

"Jay," said Dizzy.

Chad rolls his eyes in response. "Okay, so I'm not really that close with the villain kids..."

"You mean never?" Dizzy replied. "Evie's told me a lot of stuff about you."

"Let me guess. That I'm the biggest jerk in the land?" Chad asked.

"Something like that," said Dizzy. "But I don't think you're a jerk. I think you're really nice."

"And I thought this babysitting duty would be a pain in the neck, but, I have to admit, you're a good kid," Chad admitted with an honest smile.

Chad and Dizzy "clink" their ice cream cones together like drinking glasses before they continue licking. Evie, still hiding behind the bush, peers over to see them smile at each other. Evie has heard the used-to-be-self-serving Jay talk about teamwork and seen Mal turn into a dragon, but seeing Chad be truly nice to a villain kid takes the cake. Maybe Dizzy is the key to helping Chad grow up into a better man, Evie thought.

Realizing that she has no reason to intervene, Evie leaves the park and heads back to Auradon Prep.

After a morning sparring session with Lonnie, Jay begins to walk back to his dorm, only to run into someone who appeared to be heading for the amphitheater. It was Freddie, holding a sword in her hand. As she walked, she swings her sword with style.

"You have magic. You don't need a sword," said Jay.

"That's what Uma said yesterday," said Freddie.

"Did you come here to ask me for tips?" asked Jay. "Because I'd love to help."

"No, Uma and I agreed to meet in the amphitheater for another lesson in sword fighting. She's the one teaching me," said Freddie.

"Uma? Teaching you to sword-fight?" Jay was completely surprised by this. "Didn't you two try to kill each other once?"

"Yeah, but Mal said I had to be prepared in case I ever get into a sword fight and Uma thought it was best if I had a teacher," said Freddie.

"You mean she actually wants to teach you?" Jay asked.

"Believe it or not," Freddie replied.

"And how are lessons so far?" Jay asked.

"So far so good," said Freddie with a small smile. "So far, we haven't tried to kill each other."

"Sounds like you two are finally getting along," said Jay.

"It's a slow process, not that I wanted it to be a process," said Freddie. "Honestly, I still can't believe Mal wanted us to room together."

"I think she wanted to for a couple reasons," said Jay.

"To see us try to tear each other apart," Freddie guessed sarcastically.

"And to see if you two can become like sisters," said Jay. "Sorry, but it's just that you two look so much alike. I wouldn't be surprised if Ursula was your mother."

"She's just so hard to be around with," said Freddie.

"So was Carlos when I first roomed with him," said Jay. "He was all work and study while I was practicing Tourney moves in our dorm. We basically annoyed each other."

"And yet, you two treat each other like brothers," said Freddie. "How do you do it?"

"By accepting him for who he is and vice versa," said Jay. "Carlos and I may be different, but he and I learned to adapt to each other's differences."

"You make it sound easy," said Freddie.

"It kinda was," said Jay. "But it could be easy for you, too. You just have to not let Uma get under your skin."

"Easier said than done, thief."

Uma showed up, having heard Jay's previous words.

"Don't ever expect me to play nice," said Uma.

"None of us do," said Freddie. "Shall we spar?"

"Let's do this," said Uma.

Uma and Freddie enter the amphitheater. Jay decided to stick around and see how Uma teaches Freddie.

Evie was about to walk into Ben's office, until the door opened before she could grab the door knob. Ben walked out with a pile of papers in hand. He almost dropped them when he jumped at the sight of Evie standing in the way.

"Sorry I startled you," said Evie.

"That's okay. I got it," said Ben, trying to keep himself and the pile of papers steady. "Anything I can do for you?"

"Yeah, I was looking for Mal," said Evie. "She wasn't in her room so I thought she might be with you."

"I'm sorry, but I haven't seen her all day," said Ben.

"Okay, but that's not the only thing I wanted to talk to you about," said Evie.

"Well, what is it?" asked Ben.

"Mal will kill me for telling you this," said Evie, wearing a nervous smile on her face. "She knows about your plan to propose."

Ben blinks rapidly as confusion appeared on his face.

"You didn't lose the ring at the Enchanted Lake. She's been hiding it," said Evie. "And the only reason I'm telling you now is..."

"Evie, Mal already told me," Ben cut her off.

"Oh," Evie responded, surprised. "When?"

"Two days ago," Ben answered.

"Well, what did you say?" Evie asked.

"I asked her the question," said Ben. "And she said yes."

Evie started shrieking and jumping up and down. She gives Ben a big hug, causing him to drop his papers. Ben couldn't be mad when Evie was happy about his engagement to her best friend. He was beginning to regret telling her because her hug was crushing his lungs, but he decided not to say anything because seeing Evie happy was too nice of a sight to ruin.

"Why didn't you tell us earlier?" Evie asked.

"Mal didn't want to say anything until after we defeat CJ," said Ben. "I just told you to avoid a misunderstanding."

"So, no wedding plans yet?" asked Evie.

"We're fighting a war, Evie," said Ben.

"So? You and Mal are getting married!" Evie said excitedly. "Oh, there is so much to do. The venue. The dress. Your tux. The wedding cake..."

Ben grabs Evie's shoulder to stop her from talking. The big smile on her face remained, however.

"Evie, I'm glad your excited, but this is precisely why Mal opted to keep this is a secret," said Ben. "She doesn't want anyone getting distracted from what's important."

"Hey, we're not out there fighting all the time. Surely, we can use all our free time to plan for the best day of both your lives," Evie said, still excited.

"I think we should head to the dining room and order some peppermint tea," said Ben.

After picking up his papers, Ben starts walking Evie towards the dining room, hoping a cup of tea would calm her down. The blue-haired narcissist remains excited as she thinks about the design of Mal's dress and how tall the wedding cake should be.

"Have you decided who your best man will be?" Evie asked.

"It's a touch choice," said Ben.

"Can Dizzy be the flower girl?" asked Evie.

"Of course," Ben answered.

"Where do you want the wedding to take place? In the cathedral or outdoors?" Evie asked.

"Evie, I know you're excited, but the purpose of going to the kitchen to have some tea is to relax," said Ben. "Until we get there, at least try to breathe."

"Okay, I'll try," said Evie, taking a few deep breaths. "I'm just so happy for the both of you. Mal, daughter of Maleficent, soon to be wed to the King of Auradon. Queen Mal of Auradon, oh, I'm just so excited."

"Me, too," said Ben.

"You're exactly who she needs, Ben," said Evie. "As much as I hate to admit, you make her happier than anyone else in her life ever could. That's one of the many reasons I gave you my blessing."

"And once again, I have to thank you for that," Ben said. "This is a big step forward for the two of us, and I don't want to ruin it."

"You won't ruin it, Ben," said Evie. "It's CJ who might, but we're not gonna let her destroy the love you and Mal share. I swear, on both your lives, I will make sure that the wedding of the century goes on and it will be a day worth remembering forever."

"I'm sure Mal will appreciate that," said Ben. "She probably thinks she won't, but we both that in the end, she'll love for it."

"That's Mal for you," Evie replied. "She keeps threatening to remove my title as councilor and assistant to the Lady of the Court, and I know I can be a bit of an airhead, but I know she'll never let me go."

"She's fortunate to have such a great friend like you in her life," said Ben, admiring Evie's devotion.

"She's not just my friend. She's my sister," Evie said with a smile.

Carlos, meanwhile, was in his dorm, tweaking his bioelectric spheres. On his laptop were calculations and diagrams that represent new ideas for new weapons, like spheres that release flares and a toy launcher repurposed to shoot balls made of chemical elements. Dude watched him work and was a little concerned by how hard he was pushing himself.

"How long do you expect to make someone sleep with those things?" Dude asked.

"About half an hour or so," said Carlos. "Maddy woke up after, like, ten minutes. If I had done this right... maybe Mal wouldn't have..."

Carlos stopped and hanged his head, thinking about his troubled, purple-haired friend. He has seen how taking Maddy's life has affected her and he can't help but feel responsible for it. It was because Maddy had woken up too soon that CJ planned to stall Mal with monologuing. He works effortlessly to perfect his inventions so no one else has to die, friend or foe.

The door opens and Carlos was sort of surprised to see Mal. She appeared calm, but was obviously perturbed. She slowly closed the door behind her and faces the white-haired tech prodigy with a small smile on her face.

"Hey, Snowball," Mal greeted him.

"Hey," Carlos greeted.

"No nickname for me?" Mal pretended to pout.

"Well, what do you want?" Carlos asked.

"I want you to come up with one on your own," said Mal.

"So, any reason you decided to pop by?" asked Carlos. "Not that I mind. I'm always happy to see you. It's just that you look, well..."

"Ben told you about CJ's message, didn't he?" Mal guessed. She suspected that Carlos was worried because she knew he expected her to feel angry or scared or both after talking to CJ.

Carlos bites his lip before responding. "Yeah, he did."

"Yet, you guys didn't show yesterday," said Mal.

"He told us to leave it alone. Considering how you were feeling last night, we had to," said Carlos. "Although, it was tough trying to convince Evie."

"I know she's just worried about me," said Mal. "I know you all are, and while I appreciate it, it's getting on my nerves."

"So, how'd it go?" asked Carlos.

"I don't want to talk about it," said Mal. "I'd rather talk about you."

"Me?" asked Carlos, surprised.

"It's why I'm here," said Mal.

"What about me?" asked Carlos.

Mal sits down on the bed, next to Carlos. She looked down for a moment before looking up at him. Carlos was nervous and confused as to why Mal was looking at him strangely. As much as he wanted to scoot away, he knew he had to listen to her closely. It's what friends do, after all.

"When Rose... I was angry that I couldn't save her," Mal started. "When Evie found out about my spell book, I was angry that she and all of you refused to understand my reasons. When I killed Maddy, I was horrified and angry at myself for being glad I did."

"Is there a point to this?" asked Carlos, feeling even more confused and a little bit scared.

"Everyone tries to be there for me, but I push them away," Mal continued. "Except you."

Carlos' lips twitched before he gulped, feeling even more nervous about what is happening right now. He is aware that he has been the only one to calm Mal down whenever she gets furious or upset, but he has no idea why she is making it sound like a big deal. Mal scoots closer and places her hand on top of his, looking at him in his eyes with a look he couldn't understand.

"Every time I look at you, I see someone who used to be a cowardly, pathetic nerd," said Mal.

"Thank you," Carlos said sarcastically, looking away.

Mal turns Carlos' head so he can look at her again.

"Every time I look at you, I see a little boy who has grown into a brave, kind man who is no longer afraid to be there for the people he cares about," said Mal. "Out of all the people who was brave enough to come close to me whenever my inner dragon is about to come out, it's you. Every day since we chose to live here in Auradon, you amaze me."

"It's no big deal, really," said Carlos. "I just did what Evie did back on the Isle whenever I was feeling down. She would hold my hand and look me in the eye until I cheer up."

"Evie tried that on me. It didn't work," said Mal. "But with you, it's different. There's something more to what you do besides just copying Evie's methods of cheering up someone. I can feel it. I just don't know what it is exactly."

"Why is this so important to you?" asked Carlos.

"Because I'm so confused," said Mal. "Something's changed between us lately, and I want to know what and why."

"Sounds to me like you've got it bad," Dude guessed.

"Shut up, dog," Mal said, changing her tone from sweet to sour.

Dude whined with fright as he stepped back and away from the purple-haired sorceress.

"Just don't say a word until we're done," Carlos said to his canine companion.

"Okey-dokey," Dude obeyed.

Mal sighs, annoyed by the dog's constant prattling. Carlos gave her an empathetic look, understanding her pain when Dude says something that shouldn't be said.

"To be honest, Mal, I, too, have noticed something different about us," said Carlos. "I just didn't want to know because all I care about is that you don't lose sight of who you really are. Evie. Jay. Ben. All of us just want to be there for you to keep you from falling deeper into the muck."

"And you think that's your job?" Mal questioned him.

"We love you, Mal," said Carlos.

Mal's mouth opened and stayed opened without any word coming out of it. Carlos looks left and right in an awkward fashion, not knowing what to say or do next. He was hopelessly confused.

"Do it again," said Mal.

"Do what again?" Carlos asked.

"What you do every time I'm upset," Mal answered.

"Why? You're not upset right now," said Carlos.

"Just do it, please. For me," Mal pleaded.

Carlos chose not to speak any further and did as she asked. He grabs hold of both her hands and leaned closer, staring into her eyes. Mal was beginning to breathe unusually as she stared into the puppy lover's brown eyes. Mal closes her eyes as she leaned closer, her forehead pressing against his. Carlos didn't know why but he felt the need to close his own eyes as well. The two hold on to each other's hands tightly as they listened to each other's calm breathing.

"Is it hot in here or is it just the two of you?" Dude blurted out.

Mal looked like she wanted to murder the dog, but Carlos turns her face away from Dude and back at him. He didn't say word. He just smiled at her, which made her smile back.

Their moment is once again interrupted, this time, by the sound of the door opening. The two turn their heads to see Jay looking at them with eyes wide open.

"Am I interrupting something?" Jay asked.

"No," Mal and Carlos said simultaneously.

"You guys are holding hands," Jay pointed out. "Wait, is Mal upset again?"

"Uh, yeah, I am, or was," said Mal. "I came here to see Carlos because, you know, he knows how to help me."

Dude suddenly opened his mouth. "If you ask me, I think they were..."

Carlos grabs Dude's snout, closing his mouth before he could say anything that would only annoy him and infuriate Mal.

"Jay, just get out of here," said Carlos.

"Okay. You don't have to be rude, even though I appreciate it," said Jay.

After Jay walks out the door, Carlos removes his hand from his dog's snout.

"Dude, I love you, but you have got keep that truth gummy effect under control," said Carlos.

"Sorry, man. No can do," said Dude truthfully.

Instead of inflicting harm on the dog, Mal rubs Dude behind the ears with a smile on her face. It would seem that her moment with Carlos has made her calmer than she was when she entered the room. Carlos still doesn't understand why Mal's behavior has changed lately, but if he can help keep her in the light, he should be happy she knows when to come to him.

What do you think? I hope you love it, because this was one of the hardest chapters to write so far in this story.

If you want action and plot progression, don't worry. You'll get it in the next chapter. I promise.