Ben wasn't afraid, not at all. Mal was going to come back, she was going to be fine... right?
He was looking at her talking with her brother, she seemed so... ready to kill somebody
He knew she had lived on the Isle long enough to know how to defend herself but he couldn't ignore the fear he was feeling.. he was worried about her, he always had been since he first saw her in his dreams, even before they understood that the dreams weren't simple dreams, he cared for her and now.. he cared even more
To him he didn't matter the whole "True Love" stuff, he cared for her like he cared for Carlos or Jay or Evie... of course, knowing her better then the others amplified the feeling
Mal seemed to feel his staring because she turned to look at him with an understanding look
Mal: "What are you thinking about?" she was getting closer to him
Ben: "Nothing... you know the usual stuff you think about when your friends are going on a possible lethal mission to bring an ex Evil Fairy back to the Isle..."
Mal rolled her eyes and smiled a little: "You don't need to worry. Jane will be protected, Grimhilde will kill anyone who tries to hurt her. Believe me, I have seen her angry"
Ben: "It's not Jane I'm worried about"
Mal looked confused for a moment: "Who are you worried about?"
Ben: "You"
There. He had said it. It was pretty simple really
Mal didn't seem to understand though, she was surprised now
Mal: "Why are worried about me?" then she stopped "Mother won't hurt me again, at the moment she can hurt only herself"
Ben: "I'm worried because you could get hurt by someone else, your mother isn't the only villain there.." he sighed "I'm worried that you won't come back.. what if you remember why you hate Auradon so much and decide to stay there? what if someone kidnaps you?"
He was rambling now. Mal was looking at him like he was some weird thing that she couldn't understand like he was talking in a different language... but what she said next reassured him, she understood what he was saying
Mal: "Ben" her voice had never been calmer "nothing bad will happen to me and I will be back."
Ben: "How can you be so sure? Maybe once you are there.. everything can change.."
She put her hands on his arms to stop him from moving and looked him straight in the eyes
Mal: "Do you remember the promise you used to do to me when we were younger?"
Ben had to think for a minute to remember it: when they were kids Mal wasn't always so cold, there were times when Ben was Mal's safe place (he still was but she made sure nobody knew it) and every time they were in each other dream Ben promised her that he would always go back to her, it reassured her to have someone who knew everything about her
Ben: "Yes I do"
Mal: "I promise you I will always come back to you. Always"
He believed her and nodded
Ben: "Fine. I'll wait for you here"
She smiled at him, then it seemed like she wanted to do something else to say something else but she stopped herself, she patted at his arms and nodded
Carlos called her name and she left
The couple hadn't realized that their conversation had been watched by Belle and FG, Evie and Jane had also noticed how intimate Ben and Mal had been
Jay: "We are ready"
Mal and Carlos nodded, the twins looked more similar than usual
When Jane asked Evie why they looked so cold and distant, the daughter of Evil Queen smiled a little, she didn't seem very happy
Evie: "They are starting to act like when they were on the Isle" she looked at Jay "It's not like they forgot what it means to be there but they need to focus" she looked at Ben "Ben, may I speak with you?"
Ben surprised nodded and followed Evie
They were on the opposite corner of the room
Evie seemed very focus on Ben: "What were you talking about with Mal?"
Ben: "Why do you care?"
Evie: "If you answer my question I'll answer yours"
Ben: "Fine. We were talking about the Isle and how it worries me that she goes there"
Evie nodded: "I was wondering why Mal was so close to you and didn't seem uncomfortable at all" she looked at her friend "It's not so easy to make her feel comfortable... I guess the fact that you share dreams makes it easier though"
Ben didn't know what to say, he shrugged
Adam: "Well since the plan is settled, I say we go to bed and rest"
Jane stayed the night, the teenagers shared Ben's room
Jane: "This is like a sleepover"
The vks looked at her
Carlos: "A what now?"
Ben and Jane shared a look
Jane: "Nothing. It doesn't matter"
The vks were thinking about the Isle and the plan and didn't ask other questions
They all fell asleep thinking about the next day
Mal and Carlos were the first to wake up, they dressed up and went to find Maleficent that was in one of the rooms of the Castle
When the rest of the group woke up and got to the dining room the trio was there, eating in silence
Adam, Belle, and FG were awake too
Ben interrupted the creepy silence: "Goodmorning!"
Mal, Carlos, and Maleficent barely looked at him with the same expression of boredom
Ben: "Yeah.. okay. Let's eat"
He sat near Mal but he realized immediately that she wasn't in the same mood as the day before, so he simply sat there and ate his breakfast
The vks and Maleficent were eating more than usual, Belle had to ask
Belle: "Why are you eating so much?"
The vks and Maleficent looked at each other
Evie decided to answer: "We need all the strength we can get. Jane, you should eat more too. On the Isle, there isn't this food and even if we will stay there just one day.. you never know what can happen"
Belle: "What can happen?"
Evie sighed and looked at Jay
Jay: "We can promise Jane won't get hurt, we can't promise how long the mission will take" he looked at FG "The Reformed Part is the closest to the gate, this means that the Evil Part is the more distant one"
Ben looked at Mal, worry all over his face but Mal wasn't capable of reassuring him now
Ben turned to Evie: "How long could it take?"
Evie: "Days"
FG looked at Jane ready to say something but Mal
Mal: "I know you are worried about Jane, FG, but we have a solution. Evie, do you have it here?"
Jay: "Well it was Mal's idea."
Evie: "Yes I have it"
Evie was looking for something in her purse, once she found it she gave it to Mal who said a few words and turned to FG. It was a mirror.
Mal: "With this mirror, you will be able to see Jane on the Isle, whenever you want. This way you'll know when we'll want to come back" she proceeded to give the mirror to FG
FG: "You didn't answer the question, Mal"
Mal: "Jane will stay on the Isle for 3 days. If Carlos and I aren't with them by the third day... we'll find another way to come back here"
Ben: "You are saying that you will be staying on the Isle alone, no way to communicate with us"
Mal looked at him: "Yes"
Everyone in the room was waiting for some sort of fight but the couple was simply looking in each other's eyes, searching for something
When Ben sighed the silent conversation seemed over
Belle: "It doesn't feel right to leave you alone there"
Carlos: "Why? You did it for 20 years. What's different now? The fact that my sister may be your future..?"
His question was interrupted by a look from Mal
Maleficent had heard enough though and looked at her daughter and son: "What's going on?"
Mal smiled: "Nothing Mother. You know Carlos. He is a fool, he overthinks. He is certain that the future King is somehow interested in me." she said this looking directly in her mother's eyes, her voice full of venom
Maleficent laughed: "Carlos as if your sister could forget and forgive these people. She will always hate them, no matter how hard she may try, I made you both don't forget it"
She was looking more like the evil Maleficent and the sight made Carlos turned to stone
Ben was looking down while Mal was looking outside the window, her eyes unreadable
After a few minutes of complete silence, a guard interrupted the breakfast to inform the King that they were ready
Maleficent got up with the help of Mal: "Well, thanks for your kind hosting but I must go back"
Carlos had already conjured a pair of cuffs and proceeded to handcuff her
The King looked more relaxed when Mal told him that the cuffs were magical, only Carlos or her magic could open them
Once everyone was ready, they went to the limousine
Carlos: "Well.. let's go home then"