Fauna paced the length of the hallway that separated the patient rooms from the staff side of things, waiting for Doc to be done with checking in on the few students that needed to stay the evening. The plan was going over the boys' physicals with Fairy Godmother and giving news of the semi-clearance for the two to practice. She felt far more anxious than she had been in a while, thoughts mostly focused around the fact that the two may not have been overly truthful in answering things.
Carlos was far too skittish for broken fingers and his mother occasionally boxing his ears to have been the only issue he faced on the Isle. Jay seemed better off than the younger teen but there was no denying the two were underweight and likely lacking the proteins that helped in keeping them strong and healthy.
"I should have done a full screening." She muttered under her breath, jumping when her thought was answered by Doc.
"Should have done what?" The doctor slung his stethoscope around his neck. "She is in my office by the way."
"A full screening," Fauna sighed. "I refrained from waving a wand and getting a full-blown medical history from the last twenty-four months."
"We need to build their trust before we can do that," Doc shook his head. "Grumpy said - The prince is… They are already looking into building up- Making a case for the Isle and the way the tr-transfer students…" He trailed off and opened the door to his office, relieved to see there were enough plush chairs for everyone to sit on.
"Good afternoon," Fauna forced a small smile and tried to seem more relaxed about what they needed to go over. Fairy Godmother offered her a smile in return.
"Good afternoon," She nodded. "Thank you for getting Jay and Carlos's physicals done in a timely fashion. Your timing couldn't be more integral."
"Why is that?" Doc raised an eyebrow at her. He had the clipboard with their paperwork in his hands, absentmindedly drumming his fingers against the sides of it.
"The King and Queen have decided on allowing them to video call their parents during tomorrow's class," She deadpanned. The idea wasn't one the headmistress was ready to follow through on - especially upon finding out they intended to have all four parents and their children in the same call.
"That doesn't sound like a good idea," Fauna admitted with a shake of her head. "We didn't get an in-depth look at things since we want to gain their trust before I go about doing a full-blown examination into their medical history."
"Believe me," Fairy Godmother grimaced, looking down at her lap for a moment before gazing back up at Fauna. "I tried to tell them that. They also decided to invite them to breakfast with their sponsors Saturday morning." She paused to wrinkle her nose and force a less stressed looking expression. "What did you find?"
"Carlos reported having broken several fingers as a recent injury. They appear to have healed properly," The fairy sighed. "Also mentioned ear pain and blood draining from it. Said he got his ear boxed and it wasn't the first time."
"Auradon has had that form of punishment outlawed since it can cause deafness," Doc shook his head. "I'm going to need to set up an appointment to make sure permanent damage hasn't been done."
"Jay made it sound like the incident was something that happened regularly - Not to mention Carlos claiming he's fine and that it's happened before. He mimed the hand motion for it almost perfectly," Fauna frowned. "I have reason to believe they are hiding something. There were no visible scars or welts when I checked their spines. Carlos's skin was flawless while Jay had a few acne marks. I expected to see a few blemishes on Carlos and think they may have found a way of shielding any major damage."
"Noted," Fairy Godmother pressed her lips together to suppress a frown. "And the mental health section?"
Doc and Fauna exchanged a glance. The two didn't look happy when Doc offered the screenings to Fairy Godmother.
"See for yourself," He whispered. "They didn't take kindly to my deciding meeting with a counselor was a prerequisite for being able to participate in the Tourney games."
Fairy Godmother paled while looking over the paperwork. The concerns about their weight were nothing new but seeing they were truly underweight left her stomach in knots. She couldn't help but wonder if the maltreatment was on just the King or a combination of him and the Queen.
"They will not reconsider the call with their parents," She pressed her thumb and index finger against the bridge of her nose. "Not until we have an overview of all four of them or one of them lets slip something that is truly concerning.
"Boxed ears isn't something of concern?" Fauna hissed out through gritted teeth. "Especially where we have reason to believe a parent is the one behind it?"
"I was told he may be being dramatic and to keep an eye for anything else out of place," Fairy Godmother shook her head. "We've been documenting everything between outbursts in class to comments offhandedly made to their classmates. The prince is set on proving things on the Isle aren't as his parents are making them seem."
"It shouldn't fall on the Prince to come to that conclusion." Fauna murmured. Her words were accompanied by Doc shaking his head and giving a sad sigh.
"He's bringing it to light," He muttered. "That's more than anyone older than him has done. N-Not to mention his successfully bringing a few of the children here. Snow is one of the ones b-backing the change of treatment of the kids"
"What other help can we give?" Fauna ran both hands through her hair, hoping that would be enough to quell the anger that was forming in the back of her mind.
"Patience and reporting anything off-kilter to me immediately. The board is ready to push for a full investigation. The more proof that we have, the better." Fairy Godmother took a steadying breath since her emotions were threatening to take over. "That will be all for this evening. Please let me know how the counseling session goes. We'll keep to the usual of not pulling files unless suicide, self-harm, or abuse pops up."
Pacing the classroom was not a mode of transportation Fairy Godmother usually opted for. Unfortunately, her stress levels were through the roof in regards to needing to surprise the transfer students with a phone call from home. She would have asked Ben to give a warning but he had the task of helping to prepare for Family Weekend.
The four arrived in the classroom with their usual quiet. There was a little bit of whispering that she paid no mind to since they were in a few minutes before the bell would go off. A quick look over the four made her feel worse. They seemed happy and she had a bad feeling that happiness would be gone the moment she announced the lesson plan for the day.
The bell went off and the four sat up straight, looking expectantly at the teacher. She noted Carlos's habit of tapping his foot against the ground and the dog that was seated under his desk.
"We have a different plan for class today." She announced then gestured at the television and laptop that were set up. She was met with four looks of confusion and continued before any of the teens spoke up.
"Auradon decided it is best to let you see your parents since Family Weekend is this weekend and your parents are unable to visit because of…" She paused to look for the right word. "Distance reasons. They appear to be pushing for you to feel as 'normal' as possible. The board also expressed an interest in having brunch with you tomorrow morning. I said I would run the idea by you and give the information, but I am not one for forcing students to do things they would rather not."
Mal and Evie exchanged an anxious glance when she finished speaking. Carlos shifted his chair so he was closer to Jay. The older teen took a deep breath then grabbed hold of Carlos' hand.
"We appreciate your giving a heads up instead of tossing them at us," Jay announced. The words caused Carlos to squeeze his fingers. "Is there a way of recording the call in case things don't go well?"
"I can find out," Carlos shook his head at the question, earning confused looks from Jay and the others. "Shouldn't be that hard to get something running." He released Jay's hand and approached the computer, opening the settings and giving a low chuckle once he found what he was looking for. "Got it."
"Perfect," Jay sighed then faced the others, slowly meeting Evie and Mal's eyes. "Are we ready for this?"
"Yes," The girls said at the same time and approached the computer. Everyone was looking at Carlos since he was the one with the most problematic parent.
"I think so." Carlos whispered and called for Dude, picking him up when he was at his feet. He positioned himself behind Evie with Jay close enough that he could grasp his hand if it came down to needing to hold onto it.
"You are certain?" Fairy Godmother asked and opened up the window for the video call.
"Yes ma'am," Carlos was pale but he still managed to keep his composure under control. "Ready as I c-can be.'
"Yes." Jay and Evie nodded. Mal grimaced then gave a nod. The call sprung to life and they could hear Maleficent on the other end. She and Jafar were bickering about how to turn the camera on.
"Pop, click the camera button." Jay chuckled.
There was a "huh? Oh!" from his father then the black screen went away and revealed their parents. Jafar and Maleficent appeared to be the biggest since they were close to the screen to get the camera to work. The two wrinkled their noses then settled back into the chairs they set up in Bargain Castle.
"Mal." Maleficent exhaled. Mal looked briefly alarmed and quickly replaced the expression with a forced smile. The other parents called their child's name and earned an awkward wave from them.
"Mother," She whispered. Goosebumps appeared along her arms and her breathing was a little rough. Seeing her mother shouldn't have been a surprise but it caused fear to pound its way into her chest. Mal couldn't allow it to win though since she was meant to be the leader. "So nice to see you."
"I m-m-miss you," Maleficent's way of tripping over her words caused Carlos to tilt his head. No one scolded her or boxed her ears in for it. His mother hadn't even flinched at it.
"I miss you too," Mal tried to maintain a calm expression. Thankfully, the attention shifted from her to Evie.
"Evie, my little one," Evil Queen crooned without giving Maleficent a chance to say anything else. Evie's head shot up. She gave the most genuine smile of her, Mal, Jay, and Carlos. "When will I get to see you again in person?"
The adults all shifted, expressions seeming curious but there was no hiding the calculated looks behind them.
"Not for another month or so?" Evie shrugged. "Family Weekend is this week. Then there's some downtime until Ben's coronation."
"Coronation?" Maleficent scoffed. Evie gave another shrug in reply then winced softly when Mal elbowed her.
"Coronation," She repeated. "The whole kingdom is invited. We are planning to see if we can get extra close to soak up the prince's goodness."
"That's my clever little girl," Evil Queen smiled at her. "Glad to see the Auradon air didn't ruin your pores."
"Me too. You wouldn't believe the skincare products they have," Evie nodded. "I should see if I can send you—"
"Enough," Maleficent snapped. "Tell me more about the wa-wa-wonderful classes you are taking."
"They'll be done in December," Mal answered. "We're hoping to be able to see you before then." The answer was good enough to keep Maleficent from further interrogating her. There was a beat of silence then Cruella stood up from her chair and approached the camera.
"Carlos?" Cruella snapped and leaned into the camera. Her eyes were wide and served as the only thing on the screen for a moment.
Her son stood still, face paling in color while he desperately tried to gain the nerve to lift his head. Jay gave his shoulder a light squeeze. Carlos slowly brought his head up, eyebrows furrowing together. She wasn't even there and still managed to make him feel small.
"Momma." Carlos dug his teeth into his lower lip, gaze dropping after looking into the camera for several seconds.
"Is that a dog?" The question came out in a yell that made Carlos shake. He clenched his jaw and quickly counted backward from ten.
"So what if it is?" He spat out once he got to one. His shaking was mostly under control since he was channeling more anger than fear.
"I want it," Cruella shrugged. "It's the perfect size for earmuffs. Doesn't have your spots but will do good enough."
Carlos's features flushed bright red and a growl escaped. The grip he had around Dude tightened slightly then he took a steadying breath.
"He's the perfect size for a pet," He scoffed, nostrils flaring when he continued. "And your dog is stuffed so I sincerely doubt you know anything about caring for one."
"The runt gained a backbone," Jafar exclaimed. The use of runt earned a groan from Jay.
"Carlos is his name." Jay glowered at the camera. Cruella spoke up at the same time.
"Just wait until you get back here, Carlos, stupid piece of shi—" The call dropped before she was able to go on a full swearing rant.
The monitor shut off after that and Jay took a step away from it, having successfully ended the call and recording without any help. He tugged Carlos close to him since he was quiet and trembling.
"We're safe," He whispered then leaned down to kiss Carlos's forehead. The action usually earned complaints from the younger teen but Carlos accepted it. He offered Jay a weak smile and put Dude down, shifting so he was glued against Jay's side.
"She can't get you here," Jay muttered then looked at Fairy Godmother. The headmistress hadn't said anything and was still looking at the computer monitor. Her face paled once she looked at the group of kids.
"I'm so sorry." Fairy Godmother frowned. She hadn't expected it to go well and was regretting not having further vouched to exclude Cruella from the call.
"No need to apologize," Jay shook his head. The other three mumbled thank you's and grabbed their bags, quietly leaving the classroom. "If anything, I should apologize for our parents' behavior. They've never been team players or been all that good at showing affection."
Jay slung his bag over his shoulder and left, quickly catching up with his friends. He looked alarmed when Carlos took hold of his hand.
"What do you think will happen if we don't get the wand and we don't go back?" He whimpered.
"I think my mom will be a little disappointed," Mal shrugged and forced a smile. "But she may be understanding if we show up emptyhanded."
"Nah," Jay sighed and rolled his eyes, tracing a small circle along the back of Carlos's hand with his thumb. "We're totally fucked unless we get the King and Queen to take pity on us."
"What now, Mal?" Carlos winced and squeezed Jay's fingers. The whole idea of getting the wand was terrifying since he wasn't sure he wanted to assist with it.
"We have three weeks before Ben's coronation," She murmured. "That's enough time to come up with a plan. Either my wooing the prince to undermine him from the inside, or our coming up with something that will get the King and Queen to realize they left us with nothing."
"I don't like the sound of either option," Evie grumbled. "But if it's necessary for not getting destroyed by our parents, I'll be here to do whatever it takes."
"Me too." Jay nodded then turned to Carlos, an eyebrow rising was his only attempt at gauging where he stood with things.
"Me too," Carlos whispered. "Now let's go make sure we look presentable for tomorrow since Jay and I are benched for tonight's game."
"Still expected to show up in uniform," Jay rolled his eyes. "But not allowed to play until Doc gives the okay. It's not right."
Ben was in Audrey's room the hour before the game, seeming overly anxious while she and Jane gushed about their plans for the weekend. The two were cuddled up on her bed whispering.
It wasn't an unusual occurrence for the two girls to be overly close together. Granted, Audrey mentioning she didn't like men had come as a bit of a shock but Ben quickly got over it, agreeing to pretend to be with her for the sake of not breaking her grandmother's heart. Pretending to be a couple had gone well until he discovered feelings for the purple-haired transfer student from the Isle of the Lost.
"Audrey?" Ben asked when there was a moment of silence between her and Jane. Audrey looked up. Noting the worried expression he wore caused her to squeeze Jane's hand and release it then cross the room to where Ben was standing.
"Darling, what's the matter?" The pet-name, along with several others, was one she had been using on him far too long to stop. "You look stressed."
"I've been thinking." He sighed. The statement earned identical looks of concern from Jane and Audrey.
"A dangerous past time." Audrey worried her lip. Having no clue what the thought was about was enough to leave her feeling a little anxious about whatever came next.
"I know," Ben groaned and ran both hands through his hair, switching to massaging his temple in an attempt at remaining calm about the thought that had been plaguing him since having the dream that first involved Mal. "I- I think I may ask Mal out after the game tonight."
Jane made a squeak then kept quiet after that. Audrey gave him a calculated gaze, searching for any signs that he was joking. Upon spotting none, she made a clicking noise with her tongue and shrugged her shoulders.
"Is Chad seeing anyone?" Audrey cocked her head to the side, eyes narrowing when Ben shook his head. "Does he know about-" Ben cut her off before she could continue the question.
"No, and I highly suggest you let him know sooner rather than later," He mumbled. "You know he'll blame me if you don't."
"Yeah, yeah," Audrey muttered then cast a glance in Jane's direction. "How dramatic can I get? I'm leaning toward announcing to everyone present that he's my boyfriend."
"Are you sure we can trust Chad?" Jane spoke up, voice shaking slightly when she spoke. Her mother wouldn't care who she was with and had stated that several times. Her real concern was Chad slipping up and outing her and Audrey to everyone else before they were ready.
"As long as Audrey is stern and sets boundaries on what he can and can't say," Ben shrugged. "I don't see why you wouldn't be able to." There was a beat of silence then he gave a nervous chuckle. "Your stern voice can be terrifying at times."
"Excellent," Audrey beamed at Ben then walked back over to where Jane sat. "Let me get through Family Weekend with nana then we can come out with things." She wrapped an arm around Jane and rested her head against her shoulder. "You know how she gets when I don't behave the way a princess should."
The two rolled their eyes then turned to Ben. He was half-dressed for the game and lacking his sneakers.
"Don't you have a Tourney game to get ready for?" Audrey poked her tongue out when Ben gave her a shocked look. He nodded then slipped his shirt off, swapping it with his jersey. "My sneakers are in my locker room locker so I'll see you on the field."
Jay and Carlos were given the option of sitting on the bench with the team or joining their friends in the bleachers for the evening. A quick talk with the assistant coach left them grateful their jerseys weren't required if they picked the bleachers. There was a man doing commentary for the whole game and neither of them wanted to be singled out for sitting on the bench and not playing.
The two were sat in between Mal and Evie with their arms crossed over their chests. It didn't really matter much to Carlos but he could tell Jay was silently seething beside him. He knew Jay just wanted to play and while that wasn't necessarily an issue, they had different ideas toward the one therapy appointment Doc wanted them to go to.
"And Auradon wins!" The commentator announced at the sound of the buzzer. The cheer team did their victory performance while he went on about the best plays of the game. Ben approached the microphone and took it from the man, tapping the top of it to get everyone's attention.
"Excuse me," He announced when the spectators continued to chat among themselves. A hush of silence fell over the stands. "I have a very important announcement to make." He set the mic down on the stand then took a step back and threw his arms up over his head to form a letter M.
"Give me an M," He shouted. The crowd did as he said. "Now an A and an L. What's that spell?" His classmates shouted Mal.
Mal cast Evie a confused look, her expression unfaltering once she looked to Jay and Carlos to make sure she wasn't hearing things.
"What in Hades…" She mumbled and looked down at her lap, feeling her cheeks go bright red from the attention that was on her.
"Mal," Ben picked the mic back up from the stand and walked toward where she sat in the stands. Audrey gave an annoying shriek and went running to where Chad stood, dramatically flinging herself into his arms once his attention was on her.
"I've been thinking about this since we first started talking," His words earned a muttered 'oh no,' from Mal and her leaning heavily against Jay. Thankfully, Jay didn't shove her away. He did glance down at her and was alarmed to see she had a nervous expression upon her features.
"Hey, you're alright. I don't know what he's doing but I've got your back. Always will." Jay whispered then narrowed his eyes at the prince. Mal relaxed slightly against him and kept quiet.
"Will you do me the honor of being my girlfriend?" Another painful shriek from Audrey followed by her kissing Chad on the cheek and announcing that she was his girlfriend. One of the fans in the stand took the mic from Ben and passed it up to where Mal sat. All eyes were on her.
Jay gave her a reassuring squeeze, gaze still focused on Ben. He could have been doing it as a joke but there was nothing in his posture that said it would turn Mal, himself, and the other villain kids into a comedy act.
Mal was handed the mic and she gulped, eyes wide once she looked into Ben's. He seemed hopeful and the spiteful side of her was ready to turn him down. Her mother wanted the wand though and this had been part of her plan, albeit not so soon and with the aid of a love potion, so the most sensible thing to do would be saying yes. She sat up straight and glanced at Evie.
The teen gave an encouraging nod then Mal took a steadying breath, forcing herself to nod twice before she found her voice. "Yes, of course."
Everyone cheered and Ben climbed up the bleachers so he was standing in front of her. He turned the mic off and offered her a small smile.
"You've just made my year." He announced then cautiously reached out for her hand. Mal steeled herself and took his hand in hers, trying not to seem overly nervous.
"You're welcome, I guess," She shrugged. "Now where's the part where you say 'just kidding' and laugh in my face?"
Ben looked her over then slowly shook his head. He squeezed her hand then released it, opting to gently grab her by the chin instead. "I don't joke about that sort of stuff."
She nodded at that then Ben was called back down to the team. Mal was unaware that she was holding her breath the whole time his fingers were beneath her chin. Her face was pale when she turned toward Jay and she mouthed 'what the fuck did I just get myself into?' at him.
The evening was uneventful minus Mal's fretting over what happened. Her musings were met by a doting Evie and a semi-annoyed looking Carlos and Jay.
"What am I supposed to do if he wants to introduce me to his parents?" Mal bemoaned. Evie's eyebrows furrowed together and Jay beat her to talking.
"Uh, we already are meeting his parents," Jay grimaced. "The breakfast tomorrow, remember?"
"Fairy Godmother said that it's optional." Evie reminded him with a shake of her head.
"Yeah, well, we probably should since it's the people that are giving us an allowance." He groaned. There was a beat of silence where the girls exchanged a glance then Mal groaned as well.
"Right, right," She winced. "How could I have forgotten? E would you say tomorrow's clothes are appropriate for breakfast and whatever the day holds?"
"No," Evie sighed. "But it's not like we have any other options. I wish Fairy Godmother had mentioned the breakfast earlier. I could have made separate outfits for tomorrow."
"D-Don't worry about it," Carlos murmured. "That's- It's - Clothes aren't the most important thing for tomorrow. W-We need to make a good impression."
"I hate to say it, but he's right," Jay grumbled. "Meeting benefactors and having to put on a good face for the King and Queen. What do you think they'll do if we end up badmouthing the Isle?"
"What?" Mal wrinkled her nose in confusion. Jay shook his head then continued his thought.
"You know. They're probably expecting us to say how grateful we are for their generosity. Blah blah," He paused to roll his eyes. "Suppose we used it as an excuse to shed a little light on how we were raised. Mention how nice it is to have fresh fruit and non-canned goods. School actually teaches useful information - the works."
"So you're saying embellish what we've been letting slip to the students?" Mal furrowed her eyebrows together in thought. "I don't appreciate our odds with this one. Sounds like it could earn more support or get us sent home."
"They can't send us home in front of the people that are supporting our being here," Jay held a hand up when Mal went to interrupt him. "It won't look good if they try to. Plus, if Ben's there it will come across as not supporting the future king."
"How much thought have you put into this?" Mal scoffed. Admittedly, she was rather impressed with him. She was far too used to being the one that came up with the action plan and her pride kept her from complimenting her.
"More than I care to admit," He shrugged then readjusted his beanie. "It's nice here — way nicer than home but I'm willing to bet the adults are gullible enough to get mad at the royals for not treating us properly."
"Not treating us properly?" Evie tilted her head at Jay's wording. They were only a few weeks in and Auradon had already exceeded her expectations.
"The food. Actually caring about their children's health." Jay shrugged.
"B-B-Ben looking shocked when M-Mal said we d-don't get a lot of food," Carlos added in a whisper. "The health screenings."
"That's fucking brilliant," Mal cast a sideways glance in Jay's direction. "Let's hope the prince joins his parents tomorrow morning."
"He probably will," Evie rolled her eyes. "We've all seen how often they reference their parents. I think it's safe to assume the parents are just as proud of their kids as the kids are of them."
"Certainly prouder than ours will ever be of us." Mal shook her head.
"Must be nice to have parents that give a shit about you." Jay gave a bitter chuckle.
"And having both of them in the picture," Evie added then gasped and rapidly shook her head. "You don't think the rumors are true, do you?"
"W-W-What rumors?" Carlos didn't bother with trying to hide his confusion. Mal and Evie laughed softly then looked at Jay.
"You innocent little thing," The blue-haired teen shook her head. "Cover your ears."
"What?" Carlos crossed his arms over his chest. "N-No way. I want to know."
"Don't say we didn't warn you." Jay poked his tongue out at him. Carlos narrowed his eyes at Jay, expression softening once he looked at Evie.
"The ones about Auradon paying well for sperm donors as a way of thinning out the evil bloodline." Evie shrugged. Carlos gave an annoyed look when she finished speaking.
"That's it?" He asked. "You kn-know mum's always called me worthless like my father." That was the only bit of information he had about the man and Cruella was set on keeping things that way.
"Yeah, and it wouldn't explain me," Jay added. Jafar didn't like questions about his mother. He had a theory it had something to do with his father having had feelings for her. "Unless they got the women in on it too."
"Let's hope they didn't," Mal shook her head. "It would be pretty messed up since Auradon's blood should have meant our having the right to grow up here."
"Yeah, well it isn't going to change how we were raised." Evie frowned.
"And it certainly won't change how pissed the parent that cares for us will be if we don't get the wand." Mal grumbled.
"We don't need to worry about some rumor that was spread by the Hook siblings." Jay reminded the others.
"Yeah," Carlos nodded. "We have enough to worry about as it is without our parents. The br-breakfast."
"Shit," Mal pinched the bridge of her nose. "Breakfast. We need to sleep tonight if we plan to make it through tomorrow with no issues."