A/N: If you are reading this, then you have obviously watched Disney's Descendants. The continuity errors aside, I enjoyed the movie. When this idea first struck me, moments after the movie ended, I knew I had to start writing it down. After some time away, I've come to the realization that this needs some work. I have rewritten and reorganized the story, and I hope you enjoy this 'Version2' as much as the first! Read & Review, please.
P.S., I am not meaning to bash/villainize any Disney hero or heroine. I will preface this story by saying that Belle and Beast/Adam are my favorite Disney royals and always have been. Enjoy!
P.P.S., each chapter title is in reference to a segment or a song from a segment of the Magic Kingdom's nightly firework show Happily Ever After.
No Strings to Hold Me Down
When Ben woke the next morning, he could hear Mal's voice as she spoke to whoever was on the other end of the magic mirror. She had been speaking to whoever it was for a while, seeing as how her side of the bed was cold. Looking at the clock on his bedside table, the prince noted that it was seven o'clock, an hour before classes started and later than he usually woke during weekdays. Doing something he seldom did, Ben shifted only his ears into his Beast form and listened.
"Dad, what if she hates me? What am I supposed to do then?" she asked, and the voice that responded said something the prince hadn't been expecting.
"If what you told me Ben said is true, she's not going to hate you at all, baby girl. I trust Ben's judgement on this, but on the chance that he is wrong, you move on instead of being upset that she hates you. Audrey's probably grown up with Leah telling her horror stories about you and your mother, so she's predisposed to disliking you already. You just have to see if she always blindly follows her grandmother's lead, okay?" Hades said to the half-faerie.
"Okay, Dad, and thanks." Mal responded.
"Anytime, sweetheart, you know that. Your brother says he loves you, and your Mama says she'll come see you for Family Day if you get the chance to talk to the king and queen about it." Hades said, pausing for a moment for making his parting pleasantries. "I love you, Mal."
"I love you, too, Dad, and I'll see what Belle and Adam think about having Mama visit on Family Day." Mal said as the image of Hades in the mirror faded away and Ben rolled over to face her.
"I don't care what my parents want to say about it when I tell them, I sent the invitation to Mt. Olympus last week. Seph can't wait to see you, and she told me to tell you that your time together can be in private if you're not ready for more people to know about the adoption." he said, and the purple haired young woman moved back across the room to sit down beside him on the bed.
"Thank you." she said before kissing him softly and giggling as he pulled her into his lap and deepened the kiss.
Ben brought Mal close to his chest, and she let a squeal slip past her lips as he flipped them over to where he was gazing down at her as they broke apart for air. She saw the devilish glint in his eyes and allowed her own to flash a bright emerald for a moment before his lips covered hers once more. The two were too lost in one another to hear the series of knocks on the door or the sound of it opening. The shriek of horror the person who had opened the door made, however, was enough to bring them back to themselves…mostly.
Mal, having remembered a similar incident two months after their blessing ceremony involving Jay nearly dying, knew what was going to happen a moment before it actually did and threw her hand out to create a shimmering emerald shield between Audrey and Ben before the latter's claws could swipe across the princess' face and neck. Out of instinct, the future-king had shifted into his Beast form and made to eliminate the perceived threat to his queen.
"Ben, calm down, please. It's just Audrey, and she's not here to hurt me, I promise. Go get in the shower and cool off, if not for your own sake then for mine. I'll make sure she's okay." Mal said to the murderous-looking Beast before her, and he gave a grunt of acknowledgement before moving towards the en-suite and transforming back just as he reached the door.
Mal watched him, letting out a breath once she saw him become human; her focus turned to Audrey once she heard the water turn on, and she saw that her niece was frozen in shock. This hadn't been how she'd wanted this conversation to start.
"Audrey, come sit down, will you? I know this is all a gigantic shock to you, but I swear that Ben would never hurt you on purpose." the half-faerie said as she guided the brunette princess over to the chaise lounge at the foot of the bed before moving to close the door and grab her robe.
"W-w-what was that?" Audrey asked once she'd found her voice.
"Oh, honey, there's no good way for me to tell you this, is there?" Mal replied as she sat down beside the startled brunette, and brown eyes met green.
"I know who you are, Mal, that you're my mother's half-sister…and my aunt. The fairies told me on accident when I was twelve, and I only ever told my dad. Mom would probably have a panic attack and blame herself for your childhood if she knew, and she already gets enough of those from Grammy as is. What I want to know is what just happened to my best friend?" Audrey replied, and Mal let out a relieved sigh.
"Ben…can be very protective if he thinks he senses a threat. Knowing how close the two of you are, I know that you probably knocked before you walked in, but neither of us heard anything until you screamed. The Ben that you see every day in Auradon is a good man who does good things for good people, and you might think that doing even one bad thing might legitimately kill him. The Ben that I've known for the last ten years is different. My Ben is a warrior who will put himself between those he sees as vulnerable and those he sees as threats without hesitation; my Ben does whatever it takes to make sure that whoever was stupid enough to come after his family once won't do it a second time. He is the Beast." Mal said, stressing that this had always been a part of Ben even if Audrey hadn't seen it until now.
"Your Ben?" Audrey asked, and Mal nodded with a sad smile on her face.
"Apparently, without either of us knowing, we bonded magically when we first met. His magic and soul sought mine out, and mine his; six months ago, we allowed Rose to preform a blessing ceremony to make it official, and Ben's become more protective of me since then. This is the second time this has happened, and you're lucky he didn't get his claws in you; Jay knows what happens if you're not so lucky. If it hadn't been for Rose being able to heal him while I talked Ben down, Jay would be dead." Audrey gasped quietly as Mal said this, her small, manicured hand immediately going her throat.
"But, despite knowing who I am, you saved me?" she asked, truly confused, and Mal placed a hand on her shoulder.
"Audrey, if anything, I saved you because of who you are. Not only are you Ben's best friend on this side of the barrier, but you're also my niece. I don't know what all you've heard about me, and I don't expect much of it to have been good, but the number one thing anyone should know about me is that I don't let anyone hurt one of my family members without consequences. This applies to Ben, too, and he and I will be having a very serious conversation about this later. I knew that your mother didn't know, and I thought that you didn't either, so I've never held a grudge against either of you. If you want me to be honest, I've had days where I actually envy your dad for him getting to stab my mother; she's not the most mentally stable parent on the block, and I mean that literally as well as figuratively. As for why I stopped Ben from tearing through your jugular, I would protect the three of you just as I protect Evie, Carlos, Jay, Rose, and Ben, along with a few others back on the Isle of the Lost, because you're my family, too." she told her niece, and the brunette suddenly threw her arms around Mal and pulled the faerie princess into a hug.
"Thank you." she said. "Thanks for saving my life and for keeping me from being something I didn't want to be."
"What's that?" Mal asked as they let go of one another.
"Queen of Auradon alongside Ben as its king, it's kind of been the only thing Grammy's had planned out for me since birth. I haven't had the heart to tell her that I barely want to take over for my parents in Auroria as a city, let alone an entire country. A princess isn't supposed to want for anything more than a crown, right?" Audrey said, and Mal chuckled.
"My mother-in-law would throw her crown into the harbor right now if she could get an expansion on her library in exchange, and Evie would probably join her. Rose tried to give hers up the day of hers and Jay's blessing ceremony. I could go on, but I think you know what I'm saying." she responded, and her niece nodded.
"We're living in a whole new time and place than our parents and grandparents. Our roles are not completely defined by our birth, and I can be more than just Grammy's Perfect Princess." Audrey said, but then she faltered and bit her lip nervously. "But how do I do that?"
"Well, what's something that you legitimately enjoy doing?" Mal asked, and the brunette thought on it for a moment before responding.
"I like taking care of kids, babies in particular. I volunteer at the Auradon City Orphanage as often as I can, and the ladies there say that I have a natural gift with infants. For one week every year, I tell everyone that I'm taking a spa trip with the fairies, but where I actually go is to the orphanage to help out in the nursery. I started going when I was twelve, right around the same time I found out about you, and I've helped Belinda and Marilyn with the babies ever since." she admitted, and Mal beamed.
"That's great! Why don't you consider applying to the University of Auradon and majoring in Early Childhood Development after high school? One of the major plans that Ben and I have is to restructure the way the Isle of the Lost functions as a prison. After twenty years, only about five percent of the Isle's population actually belongs there, and there are ways to keep them in without ignoring the other ninety-five percent. When we do finally find a safe way to bring the barrier down, there's an orphanage full of kids on that island who are going to need some extra hands to help them adjust to their newfound freedoms. The guy who runs the orphanage now isn't exactly bad looking either." she told the mocha-skinned princess.
"Who is he?" Audrey asked, intrigued.
"Harrison Hook, but he prefers Harry. He's Captain Hook's middle child and only son, but he's a good guy. His older sister is a piece of work, and his younger, twin sister is a real sweetheart. Most of the kids are under the age of eleven, mostly because they join the pirate crew once they're old enough. Uma's responsible for them then, and she takes care of her own. If all goes well after the coronation, we might be able to sneak you over for a visit." Mal said, and Audrey grinned at the prospect of going to see the orphanage on the Isle of the Lost.
"How many kids are there, roughly?" she asked, attempting to mentally prepare herself for the potential trip.
"I'd estimate that about fifteen kids live there permanently, but about ten or twelve more crash there when they can't bear going back to their abusive homes. Not all of the parents are bad, but there are still a lot of rotten apples on the Isle." Mal told her.
"I wanna help in any way I can." Audrey said firmly.
"Good, but you should probably go on to breakfast. If you're up for it, you can always join us for lunch." the half-faerie said as she heard the water turn off, and the brunette princess gave a short nod before jumping up and making her way to the door.
"I'll see you then!" she said before disappearing out the door and down the hall.
Mal smiled at how well the conversation had actually gone. After a moment, she felt Ben behind her. Turning, she saw him leaning against the bathroom doorway.
"That…could've gone better." he said, and she raised an eyebrow.
"Ya think? I mean, it could've gone worse, too, but it's okay. Audrey's not mad at you, and she's not scared of you either. I told her that this has always been a part of you, I mean the Beast, and that your protectiveness sometimes causes you to lash out when you think that someone's a threat. She knows that was an accident, and she knows I never would've let you hurt her. Everything is completely fine." Mal told him, and he shook his head slowly as he sat down in the spot Audrey had vacated.
"It's not fine, babe, and you know that. For six months, I haven't been able to stop myself from Beast-ing out on whoever the poor soul is that tries to sneak up on me when I'm with you. Jay nearly died, and I might've actually killed Audrey if you hadn't put the shield between us. I think I did scar Harry pretty bad, too. I can't keep living like this." he admitted, and Mal bit her lip nervously.
"I can always stay with Evie in her room. That might help it ease up a bit." she offered, but he shot her a look of alarm.
"No, I don't want you to go." he pleaded, but she sighed.
"And I don't want to go either, but something has to change if you want to stop almost killing people." Mal said, and Ben rolled his eyes at the situation more than at her.
"Or, you know, we could just install a lock on both of our bedroom doors. I think that it's mostly the fact that all three times this has happened were because someone walked in on us, when you were vulnerable, that triggered my transformation." Ben told her, and she smirked.
"You mean we should do what I suggested after Jay walked in, right?" she teased lightly, and he sighed.
"Okay, I'll admit it, you were right. Locks or a locking spell should be used from now on to keep me from trying to kill people, especially our brother-in-law and your niece." he agreed, and she smiled.
"Our niece, Ben, remember that. You married me, so you're stuck with my family just as much as I'm stuck with yours. I love Rose, but if we adopt one more stray, I don't know what I'll do." Mal said, and Ben chuckled.
"Didn't we already emotionally adopt every kid on the Isle?" he asked, and she waived him off as she stood up and began sifting through both of their wardrobes.
"Eh, semantics." she replied, and Ben kissed her as she walked back over with an outfit for him in her arms.
"You're very determined to stop me from dressing like Auradon Preppies, aren't you?" he remarked, examining the royal blue hoodie, black t-shirt, dark-wash jeans, and royal blue sneakers.
"I'm letting you get away with the yellow belt, and that's almost too not-you for me. Knowing how uncomfortable you feel dressed like an Auradon Preppie makes me uncomfortable, so this is better for the both of us. Glasses or contacts?" Mal replied, and Ben answered by grabbing his glasses case off his bedside table.
Mal went into the en-suite to shower while Ben changed clothes. When she returned, dressed and ready for the day herself, all he could do was let out a low whistle at the sight of her. She had decided to wear a deep plum top overlain with lace paired with a black miniskirt. On her feet were modestly-heeled black booties, and her jewelry remained limited to her dragon necklace, her emerald earrings that he had given her the previous Christmas, and her ring. Her hair was curled gently, framing her face, and her makeup was minimal.
"You're beautiful." he told her, and she grinned as her arms snaked around his neck in order to bring his face towards hers for a brief kiss.
"Thank you, and you look very handsome. Ready for class?" she responded, and he sighed while resting his hands on her hips.
"As much as I can be, sure." he replied, and she swatted him on the shoulder as they walked out the door, grabbing their school bags on their way.
Their last class period before lunch, Ben and Rose met up the former's office while the others went to Remedial Goodness 101 with Fairy Godmother. The class hadn't been his idea, meaning that the course was made mandatory for the four by the school board despite Ben's attempts at stopping it. This was one of the few bones of contention pertaining to the whole situation that left the crown prince agitated. He kept his feeling to himself, and Mal, however, because he knew how much the fact that he couldn't get the class waived upset his sister. He watched her as her eyes bored a hole into the chemistry book she was supposed to be studying.
"You haven't turned the page in over ten minutes, sis. What's on your mind?" he asked her, and she sighed.
"Why are men such dumbasses?" she responded, and he chuckled.
"What now?" he responded, used to his sister's attitudes like this one.
"I know that, out of political necessity, you've been forced to be friendly with more princes and noblemen that I care to count. Most aren't that bad, but Paul de Châteaupers…argh!" Rose let out, and her brother raised an eyebrow.
"What did he do?" Ben asked.
"Jay left for Goodness 101, and the second he was gone, Paul walked up and asked me to go to your coronation with him." she explained, and Ben groaned.
"His brother was never this much trouble!" he said, pausing for a moment before fixing his sister with a curious expression. "What did you tell him?"
"To satisfy your morbid curiosity, I told him to remember who I am before he opens his mouth next time. I reminded him that, as the crown prince's sister, I would be the one taking a date, not the one going as the date; he backed off after that, but it doesn't make the fact that it happened any less annoying. I mean, it's not like I haven't gone everywhere with Jay, holding his hand, since I got here!" Rose told him, and Ben gave an agreeing sound as another thought struck him.
"Are you going to tell Jay about this?" he asked, and his sister shrugged.
"I don't know, honestly. It'll probably make its way around the school by dinner tonight, and I probably should be the one to tell him, but I don't want him overreacting. Don't try telling me that he won't, Ben, because I know him better than anyone." she told him, and he didn't argue.
"I think you should tell him because, even if he does overreact, he'll still take it better coming from you than he would anyone else. Plus, you're the best person to talk him down in the event of Jay going completely berserk." Ben said to her instead, and she agreed with him after a moment.
"I'll tell him on the way to the tourney field this afternoon. How's Mal's first day going?" she asked, and he smiled.
"She did Jane's hair for her, and Lonnie's, and I've never seen those two so happy. Audrey has a few classes with us in the mornings, and those two have been talking more than I knew Mal could talk to another person outside of our family. Then again, Audrey is family." Ben said, and Rose felt a mixture of relief and jealousy. "Have you called yet?"
He noticed his sister's eyes go wide and watched as she jumped up and bolted from the room. Sighing, he followed to make sure that no one caught what she was about to do. Checking their surroundings one last time, Ben slipped into Rose and Jay's room behind his sister and moved to sit in the window seat while she used the magic mirror.
"Show me Harry Hook!" she commanded, and the image in the mirror became that of a teenage pirate to whom the princess called. "Harry!"
"Don't shout, lass, it's naptime!" he hissed quietly, and Rose apologized. "Don't worry about it."
"I was supposed to call last night, I know, but I just got carried away talking to my parents. Is everything alright there? Is he alright?" she asked, and the pirate gave a gentle smile before a cry reached their ears.
"We shall see." Harry said as he moved towards a door behind him bearing a gold nameplate reading Gabriel Nadir.
The image in the mirror followed Harry into the room, and he was joined in the mirror moments later by a small, infant boy. The baby's eyes searched until they landed on Rose, and she almost cried at the squeal of delight the boy let slip.
"I miss him so much, and I've only been gone for a day! I'll talk to Jay about sneaking back over this weekend." Rose said, and Ben smiled sadly as he watched his sister wave tearily to her son.
"Where's Jay?" Harry asked, and Ben waited to hear what his sister said.
"The schoolboard wouldn't waive the damn Remedial Goodness class, so Ben and I are in a study hall while the four of them sit through lectures on goodness from Fairy Godmother for an hour. He'll be with me when I call later tonight." she said, sounding only slightly bitter about the Goodness class.
"If it wasn't for the press, I'd tell you to bring him to the coronation." Ben said.
"Oh, hey, Princey." Harry called, and Ben laughed at the familiar nickname.
"Hey, Hook, what's up on the Isle?" he responded, moving towards the mirror so that Harry could see him as well.
"Aye, good question. I can't tell exactly what, but my sister's plotting something with that beau of hers. Not Harriett, obviously, though I wish it were. Me dad's been camped out in my room here since last night, so she wasted no time." Harry told him with a grimace.
"If anything happens, tell Uma to use the mirror at the cottage. She'll know what that means." Ben said quickly, and Harry gave a nod just as the bell sounded.
"Tell your dad that we hope he stays safe, and please, please give Gabe an extra hug from me. We've got to get going, unfortunately." Rose said once the sound had faded out again.
"Will do, lass. Talk again tonight?" Harry said, and Rose nodded before ending the call with a wave of her hand.
"Why do I suddenly feel like this was all a bad idea?" she asked her brother, and the crown prince shrugged.
The hour during which Remedial Goodness took place ended with the start of the hour in which the six moved to their elective classes. Rose and Mal walked to the art room together while Evie headed off to Business Planning with Dopey's son Doug acting as her escort, Carlos headed to his computer class, and Jay and Ben went to the music room. It wasn't that either of them needed to take an intro course in music as much as it was that Ben had continually put the class off for himself and that Jay couldn't skip to the advanced course in the middle of the semester.
Of course, Maestro Cadenza took note of his new pupil when calling role, and Jay found himself being asked if he already knew how to play any instrument. The half-genie said that he played guitar and piano, and the maestro immediately asked if he'd be willing to play a song or two to show the class his abilities. Jay agreed, knowing that the whole act was requested out of the room's curiosity as to how well an Isle kid could play.
Sitting down at the piano, he began playing the first song that he'd ever learned. The notes of "Beauty and the Beast" were more than familiar to Maestro Cadenza, and Jay couldn't help but smirk as he heard the hushed sounds of awe the man let out as the song continued. Rose had taught him how to play her parents' song when they were twelve, around the same time that Mal's wings had come in, and he was an expert at the song at this point. He'd even played it, at Mal's request, after his brother-in-law and sister-in-law's blessing ceremony.
"Belisima! I don't know whether I could have played it better myself!" the maestro said excitedly, and Jay smiled before beginning the second piece he normally paired with the first song, and this one he sang along with almost without realizing it.
"How does a moment last forever?/How can a story never die?/It is love we must hold onto/Never easy, but we try/Sometimes our happiness is captured/Somehow, our time and place stand still/Love lives on inside our hearts and always will" he sang softly as a the door creaked open and the art class from across the hall slipped into the room.
"Minutes turn to hours, days to years then gone/But when all else has been forgotten/Still our song lives on" Rose's voice joined Jay's as she crossed the room and sat beside him on the piano bench while Mal slipped into Jay's vacant seat beside Ben.
"Maybe some moments weren't so perfect/Maybe some memories not so sweet/But we have to know some bad times/Or are lives are incomplete/Then when the shadows overtake us/Just when we feel all hope is gone/We'll hear our song and know once more/Our love lives on" Jay continued singing his eyes never leaving Rose's.
"How does a moment last forever?/How does our happiness endure?/Through the darkest of our troubles/Love is beauty, love is pure/Love pays no mind to desolation/It flows like a river through the soul/Protects, perceives, and perseveres/And makes us whole" Rose sang back to him.
"Minutes turn to hours, days to years then gone/But when all else has been forgotten/Still our song lives on/How does a moment last forever/When our song lives on" Jay finished the song, and the entire room began applauding.
"I must say, Mr. Nagendra, I wondered at first how you know how to play that song in particular, but now I know that it would make much less sense if you could not play it with such skill. You can always tell which compositions mean the most to the pianist playing them." Maestro Cadenza said, and Jay turned to face him with a shy smile plastered on his face as Rose slipped under his arm.
"Thank you, sir." Jay said politely, not used to receiving praise from someone outside his family.
"Stay after class for a moment, please? I have something which I'd like to discuss with you." the maestro said, and Jay nodded.
Class did not get back on track, especially with the addition of the art students from across the hall, so Maestro Cadenza dismissed them all early. Rose, Jay, Mal, and Ben all hung back, however, and waited to see what the Maestro had to say. The man seemed surprised for a moment before brushing his concerns aside in favor of focusing on his newest student.
"Mr. Nagendra, there have been very few students who have come through my class over the years with your level of talent. If your guitar mastery is anywhere near that which you have over the piano, I would be honored to have you in my advanced class next semester. As far as this intro level class goes, I do not believe that there is much more that I can teach you, but I would be willing to allow you to act as my teaching assistant for your grade instead. Would this be something that might interest you?" the Maestro asked, and Jay had to be prodded into a response by Rose when she'd realized that he'd fallen into a shocked-silence.
"I would be very interested, Maestro, and even more than a bit honored." he finally answered, and Maestro Cadenza beamed.
"Bellisima! If you could meet with me in my office during lunchtime tomorrow, I can get you started with your first assignment." he told Jay, and the dark-haired teen nodded before he was dismissed along with the other three.
It was much later in the evening, while the two were finishing up their homework, that the enchanted mirror began flashing to alert Jay and Rose to an incoming call. Recalling what Harry had told her that afternoon, the princess was immediately on her feet and answering the call before Jay could get his history book closed. The mirror's surface shimmered to reveal four scared teens, a shaking preteen, and a crying infant.
"What happened?" Rose demanded, and Jay used his powers to lock the door.
"That red-coat bitch finally snapped, that's what happened!" Uma shouted, but Jay leveled a glare at her that made her go quiet, and Harry let out a breath before taking over the remainder of the story.
"As Uma was so eloquently explaining, my sister's gone madder than a hatter. With the enchantments you've placed on the orphanage and the spells Uma's put on the Jolly Roger, we've managed to keep most of the kiddies safe. The main problem is that I can't go back to either place since, as she's my sister, CJ can get into wherever I am under the wording of each spell." he said, but Rose shook her head in confusion.
"Why are all of you at the cottage?" she asked, and Gil answered.
"Captain Hook is staying at my dad's since CJ knows he'd sooner shoot her where she stands than let her in the house and isn't stupid enough to try anything. Uma's not staying here, and neither am I, but we needed to get Harry and those he cares the most about somewhere completely safe." the youngest of Gaston's three sons told them, and Rose gave a short nod.
"Back away from the mirror and give me just a second." she said, but Jay grabbed her by the elbow.
"You're not going back there without me, so I think you mean give us a second. I think I'm actually a little bit more responsible for them than you are." he whispered, and she let out a relenting sigh.
"Then we need to get going, and fast, so are you ready?" she asked him, and he responded by taking her hand in his and turning to face the mirror.
There was a soft, golden glow around them for a second or two as they stepped onto the vanity table in front of the mirror and moved through the rippling glass. In the blink of an eye, Rose and Jay were back in the cottage on the Isle of the Lost.
"Baba!" the infant boy cried, and Jay took him into his arms.
"There's my boy!" Jay cooed as he hugged his son close to his chest. "I've missed you so much."
"Kid's missed you, too. He started looking for you the second we made it through the front door." Uma said, and Rose smiled over at them from where she was checking on Dizzy and the Hook twins.
"Amina gave birth to him in this house, so it's really all he'd ever known until he went to stay with Harry night before last." she commented, her focus shifting solely to Harry as she spoke. "What happened?"
"She's looking for a way off the Isle, and Maleficent's been tellin' anyone who'll listen that you lot went to Auradon to get it for her. CJ, she might not know much about me, but she knows that I'm friends with you. If you had a way off the Isle, then she figured that I'd know how to use it to let her through. When I told her that I haven't got a clue as to how you'd come and go from the Isle without a royal limousine, she called me a traitor and flew into a rage. She threatened the kids, so Ari and I got to work. We called Gil and Uma, and the four of us decided that we needed to make a plan that would keep everyone safe until CJ calms down again. I know she will, if only because it's her pattern of get angry, get drunk, get over it that she normally does, but I refuse to put the kids at risk because of my sister's violent tendencies. They deserve better." he explained, and Rose had a silent conversation with Jay as she turned back towards him.
"You did the right thing, coming here, I mean. Uma should return to the ship, and Gil should stay at the orphanage. Ari and Dizzy can sleep in Evie's room, and you can take Carlos' room. The crib should fit up there, and you'll need it since you're the one who's best with kids." Jay said, looking down sadly at the baby.
"You guys aren't taking him back with you?" Gil asked, concerned.
"Believe me, I would if I could, but we can't. We haven't exactly told my parents yet, and the castle isn't exactly equipped to handle a baby at the moment." Rose lamented. "If you guys need any help, and we don't answer, call Hades. We trust him, and he has access to this place."
"Hades?" Harriet asked, unsure about the young enchantress' words.
"Look, you can't ever say anything to anyone about this, but he's one of Mal's fathers. Not only did it involve spellwork that supposedly can't be done on the Isle, but Maleficent would also lose what little chill she's still got if she ever found out what we did. Mal almost died, and the only way for Hades to restore her soul after I healed her body was for him to be her father, so we preformed a magical adoption between the two of them. He's her dad, and the six of us trust him completely. If you need help, he knows that you're all good with us. He will help you however he can." Rose said, and they all knew not to say anything to Mal about Hades.
After a round of nods, the goodbyes began. Rose hugged Dizzy tightly and promised the girl that she'd be speaking with Cinderella about bringing her over if Ben couldn't get the necessary support for a second round of VKs as they had hoped. Jay clapped Harry on the back as the two discussed defensive strategies for the cottage. It was all very melancholic, and things only got sadder as Rose took Gabriel into her arms.
"Mama's here, baby, but Baba and I have to go back to see Grand-mère and Grand-père before we can bring you with us. We both love you so much, my sweet angel baby." she said softly as she pressed a kiss to the boy's dark hair.
Jay, after exchanging a similar goodbye with Gil as he had with Harry, wrapped his arms around his wife and son. He gazed down over Rose's shoulder, and dark eyes met near-mirror images of themselves. Leaving their son behind once before had been bad enough, but to do it a second time? Both of them felt their hearts breaking.
"I promise you, habeebi, we'll bring you to Auradon as soon as it's safe." he whispered, taking a deep breath as Harry moved to take Gabriel from his mother's arms and not releasing the breath until everyone had left, leaving Rose and himself alone in front of the enchanted mirror.
In a flash of gold, they were back in their bedroom in the castle. Only, upon their return, all of the lights were on and their very worried family stared at them expectantly. The two gave one another a short nod and turned towards the relieved looking Ben.
"CJ snapped, but it'll probably blow over in a couple of weeks once she sees that Maleficent's plan was never going to work. The Hook twins, Dizzy, and the baby are at the cottage, Gil's at the orphanage, Uma's on the Jolly Roger, and the Captain is at Gaston's place." Rose said rapidly, and her brother nodded.
"Do they need anything? Supplies? Additional protection? Armed guards?" he asked, but she shook her head.
"I made sure that the kitchens were stocked before we left, and there's no way she can get past the barriers I put around the orphanage, the ship, and the cottage." she told him, and Ben nodded.
"Alright, and no one on the Isle is stupid enough to try breaking into Gaston's when it's a well-known fact that he will shoot anyone who attempts it." he agreed.
"Is the baby okay? I can't even imagine how hard that must've been for you guys to leave him there again. Are you okay?" Mal asked, walking over and pulling Rose into a gentle hug that most people didn't even realize she was capable of giving if only due to her mother's reputation.
"We're holding up as best we can. He was so excited to see us, but I think he also understood that we couldn't bring him back tonight." Jay commented, his voice rough.
"Who's this baby?" Belle asked, and Rose motioned for her parents, standing near the bed, to sit down.
"We weren't sure how to tell you guys before, but Jay and I…we have a son." she explained, only pausing for a moment to let her parents comprehend her words before continuing on with her answer. "Gabriel is adopted, so don't start lecturing us just yet. Jay's cousin, Amina, was married to Mozenrath's son, Jaber, and they were expecting a baby boy when the last wave of unrest hit the Isle of the Lost about seven months ago. Jaber died in an unprovoked street fight, and Amina died shortly after giving birth. There was no discernable reason for her death, so we asked Hades to check with his limited powers to see if he could figure it out, and he did. She died of a broken heart, leaving her son without a family, so we adopted the baby. Narisa isn't a bad mother, but she was in no shape to take her grandson in while mourning her eldest daughter, and Jade is younger than Carlos, so we were the only option."
Belle and Adam stared at one another for quite some time before turning their attention back to their daughter and son-in-law. While both of them looked teary, neither appeared angry or sad. With this small bit of relief, Jay and Rose awaited what the current king and queen had to say.
"You were right in thinking that it wasn't safe to bring him just yet, but after Ben's coronation, I would be delighted to meet my grandson. You said his name is Gabriel?" Belle finally spoke.
"Yes, Gabriel Nadir Nagendra. I have pictures if you'd like to see them." Jay said with a smile, and Belle nodded emphatically before crossing the room and accepting the cellphone being offered to her.
"Oh, he's beautiful! Adam, look at how precious he is!" she cooed, hurrying back to her husband to show him the photos.
"He's perfect. While I wish you didn't have to be such grown-ups already, I am incredibly proud of you both. I can't wait to finally meet him." Adam stated, voice soft.
Rose had hugged her father, whispering quietly to him that, despite her having gotten married and become a mother, she would always be his little girl. Adam had hugged her back tightly, apologizing in whispers for the way Rose had grown up, but she brushed him off with a peck on his cheek. After this, everyone else had left Jay and Rose's room so that the two could finish the last bit of homework they had and get some rest before the next morning's classes.
As the two got under the covers an hour or so later, they discussed when would be the best time to bring their son over from the Isle. Rose had suggested spring break, as this would give them time to settle into their likely new routine, but Jay snorted in response. He quickly followed this up with his explanation.
"Babe, you know as well as I do that Ben and Mal are going to have to go on a tour of the kingdom over spring break. If she misses even one second of possible time with her godson, you know how Mal gets." he reasoned, and she giggled.
"Mal gives the title Faerie Godmother a whole new meaning!" she agreed before proposing a new timeframe. "What if we brought him over a day or two after the coronation, when we have a long weekend, and we go from there? I know we both hate the idea of a nanny, which would be why the only people on the Isle we trust with our son are our friends and Hades, but maybe my Granny would be able to help us?"
"I think that plan sounds great, but it's also tomorrow's problem. I love you, my princess." Jay told her, and she smiled softly as she snuggled close to his chest.
"I love you, too, my king cobra." Rose said softly, and the young couple fell into a peaceful sleep.
A/N: Hey, guys, I'm still here! Everything has been so crazy since my last update. I finished college, for starters, and my final project for my senior seminar class is part of the reason this took so long. I had a good half-a-chapter typed up when my flash drive got infected by a virus on one of the school computers and the file was deleted. I couldn't restore the original version of this chapter, so I started from scratch and worked on it whenever I had free time. I have also started a new Marvel fic over on AO3, and I have mostly been bouncing back and forth between projects ever since. Now that we're all home indefinitely, I hope to have more time to work on this story, and I have loads of ideas that need to be put to page! I hope you enjoyed this, I will try to update soon, and please write a review and hit that nifty little submit button!
