There was still preparation going on for the upcoming dance. Mal was still juggling in her head about going to a new home with Maddy to start over and maybe find her missing father and let them become a family again since Ciara was clearly losing it as a mother, even developing a nasty drinking habit. Luckily, the school found out with Mr. Hyde's help as he appeared to be dating the "Lady Ignus" and was often at the house, much to Mal's disturbance. He even sometimes stayed for dinner and snuck some of her own food off of her plate and taking her to school with him in the morning, making her feel mortified while many other students were just deeply amused. Mal was even given a diary, recommended by Dr. Hopper to write down her fears and anxieties of being with her mother which was beginning to weigh down on her emotionally, but she managed to keep it together as much as she could.
"So, Mal, what'd you do in Dr. Hopper's office today?" Jay asked as he, Carlos, Evie, and Henry came by.
"Eh, the usual," Mal shrugged. "Talk about Mom and he gave me a diary to share my thoughts and feelings about her. He says that things are just going to get worse before they get better."
"They usually do," Carlos nodded. "I mean, could be worse... You could have my mom."
Mal glanced at him curiously in response to that.
"She... She makes me sleep on the floor and protect her fur coats in her closet," Carlos said before shuddering. "They're very valuable, especially since they come from a good friend of hers in Paris: Jean-Pierre Le Pelt, and there's also that artist Lars who usually does artwork based on spots."
"Spots?" Mal asked. "You mean like on a Dalmatian's fur coat?"
"Yeah... Mom's got a mad obsession with Dalmatians and their spots," Carlos replied before smirking. "I think she needs more than help from Dr. Hopper to cure that. My mom's very sick in the head."
"Hmph..." Mal smirked a little bit in small amusement.
"I usually have to fetch stuff for my dad," Jay commented. "We're in big competition against Old Man Gold and his pawnshop... In fact, sometimes I have to snatch stuff from Gold's shop without getting caught and we try to sell them at a cheaper price with friendlier company."
"Yeah... Even though your dad's parrot usually scares people off with swear words." Evie teased.
"Yeah... Iago's got a filthy mouth... Plus he hates crackers," Jay laughed a little before sighing. "Dad just wants to be on top of the world."
"Hm... Guess that explains your kleptomania sometimes." Mal commented since Jay had a bad habit of taking whatever wasn't his just because he had five sticky fingers on each hand.
"Hmph..." Jay firmly pouted before the others chuckled playfully.
"And... Well... You know mine and Henry's situation," Evie softly said to Mal. "It's going to be okay, Mal. We're sure of it. Just think about how much fun we'll have at the school dance. It'll be here before you know it and it'll be time for The Summer School Games."
"Right... The Games..." Mal said softly and wearily, not sure if she was going to be there for that because of her and Maddy's plans.
"It would be so nice if you could come with us, especially since we're going to Emerald Acres," Evie beamed hopefully. "My Aunt Zelena lives down there and she's super cool."
"You're lucky," Henry pouted. "I wish I could go see Auntie Zelena. I don't think I've seen her since I was a little kid."
The older kids chuckled a little from that since Henry was a lot younger than they all were and yet he was very mature for his age and despite his fascination with Fairy Tales.
"Mm... Well, maybe you and Mom can talk about it," Evie shrugged. "Either way, I'll tell Aunt Zelena hi for you."
"Awesome! Thanks, Evie." Henry smiled warmly.
"No problem, Henry," Evie smiled back before looking at Mal. "You should really come to the Games. It's a really proud school tradition."
"Yeah! Come on, Mal!" Jay added.
"Oh... I don't know, guys..." Mal said with a deep sigh.
"Please, Mal? Please..." Carlos added, even pouting and looking like a humanoid puppy dog with his big brown eyes.
"...I'll think about it." Mal then quickly suggested.
"Well... Okay," Jay said. "I guess that's better than a 'no'."
"You've probably heard that word all your life," Carlos teased. "You were probably taking candy from babies when you WERE a baby."
Jay growled and shook his fist as a warning to Carlos. Carlos flinched before putting his hands up bashfully.
"Boys..." Evie rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"Men." Henry shrugged innocently with a small smile.
Evie laughed a little before gently ruffling up his hair.
"Is it true you guys get to have a school dance on a cruise ship?" Henry asked. "Is that safe?"
"It's okay, Henry," Evie smiled. "Headmistress Fairgood says it'll be just fine and it won't end up like The Titanic. It's going to be the party of the century."
"I wish I could go," Henry frowned. "I don't want you to get hurt by any boys like Chad. Chad's a dingdong."
"Yes, Henry, he certainly is, but if I know your sister, she will be just fine," Mal spoke up with a small smile. "I know you'll have a lot of fun with wherever you end up going for your evening."
"Hmm... Okay..." Henry shrugged and shuffled his feet. "But if anything happens, you can call me." he then told Evie.
"You'll be the first person I call~" Evie cooed before hugging him and leaning down to give him a small kiss on the cheek.
"Aw, Evie~" Henry pouted and playfully shoved her away.
Mal cracked a small and soft smile at Evie and Henry, especially Jay and Carlos. They were all pretty good company in their own way. Her mind still lingered though to going with Maddy to get out of Auradon Heights... Or Storybrooke... Whatever this place wanted to call itself. She almost felt guilty about wanting to go away with Maddy, but another feeling seemed to be telling her that if her friends couldn't accept her decision, then they probably shouldn't see each other at all anymore. It just gave her a lot to think about with no second opinion on the outside to help her out. Not to mention it seemed like her dress that Evie worked on for her at Edna's for the dance might go to waste and Evie was a very good friend and felt like a sister in the best possible ways. Sure, no one could ever replace Lily, but Evie just felt like a good enough substitute, plus she was usually a better influence and very comforting to talk to. Mal just overwhelmed her brain, giving herself a headache from her thoughts and soon, something else came along to distract everybody.
"Say, Mal... Why don't you help us help Jane decorate for the dance?" Evie suggested.
"Huh? Oh... Yeah, sure..." Mal nodded once she returned into focus.
Evie blinked, tilting her head in slight concern.
"Sorry, Evie... I, uh... I have a lot on my mind..." Mal said bashfully. "My Mother's Day poem, Mr. Hyde practially living in my house, the school dance, The Summer School Games, the end of the school year... It's all just going on like crazy."
"Well... Come on, let's help Jane and some others decorate," Evie suggested with a small smile. "That should at least help cheer you up a little bit."
"Well... Okay, Evie," Mal nodded. "That sounds good, I guess."
"Come on then. Let's go!" Evie smiled. "You boys wanna join us?"
"Uh..." Jay and Carlos stammered before running off. "Gotta go!"
Jay then grabbed Henry's hand and ran with him suddenly to get him out of the way too.
"Hey!" Henry pouted.
"Boys..." Mal and Evie shrugged and rolled their eyes again before laughing together, then got up from where they were sitting and began to go and see Jane and the rest of the committee for the school dance.
Soon, the boys were shown to be outside.
"Man... This school dance is crazy." Jay said as he and Carlos were playing a game of 'Catch' together.
"I just don't get how you teenage boys can kill yourselves just to impress a girl and you act like you have your life figured out and then you just suddenly cower whenever a girl comes your way," Henry spoke up as he sat at a picnic table while looking at his book of Fairy Tales. "It seems a lot easier in the stories I read."
"Eh... Life is a lot different than it was in Fairy Tales, kiddo," Carlos said while he and Jay tossed their baseball around, catching in mitts together. "Times just change and you'll probably understand a little better in a few years. Especially since I think you and that Dee Dee girl might have a future together sooner than you think." he then smirked a bit hopefully.
Henry looked bashful before he just went back to look into his book.
"Still, this dance is getting to me," Carlos had to admit. "One minute, I'm King of the World, then the next, I'm thinking about dancing and girls and dancing with girls."
"You're looking at this all wrong, Carlos," Jay replied before smirking. "It's gonna be sweet! Imagine all of the kids to make fun of, all of the free snacks we can eat, plus Jane even said that she liked you even when she didn't think you were listening! This could be the best night of our lives!"
"I don't know, Jay," Carlos sighed. "There can't be anyone more nervous about me about this dance, even if I do get to take Jane out for the night. I just feel like I'm darned if I do and darned if I don't."
"Head's up, Carlos!" Jay warned as he threw the ball back, though the ball went a bit higher and faster than usual.
Carlos yelped as he soon ran and tried to get the ball, but it went right over the school fence, making him groan. "Oh, man... That one's gone..." he then said.
"Well... Go get it, Carlos." Jay shrugged innocently.
"I'm not gonna get it!" Carlos glared. "You get it!"
"Oh, no! You know the rules," Jay reminded with a smug smirk. "The misser always fetches the ball."
"Ugh... Okay... I'm going..." Carlos rolled his eyes and soon walked off. "Man... Jane Fairgood might like me, but there's no way she was serious about that. I don't need this kinda pressure... I guess I could go meet her at the dance and see what happens... I just don't know... Just getting all dressed up and going to that dance and running around like a chicken with its head cut off. Some friend... Jay's just lazy. Making me sneak over here and not get caught by Weaver and Rogers from campus security..." he then groaned as he carefully and quickly climbed over the fence to get the ball back before someone was on the other side and picking it up. "What?!"
"Hello, de Vil boy." Felix greeted as he was shown.
"What're you doing here?" Carlos glared. "Back to pick on us Auradon kids again? You gonna drown Wendy Darling down at the lake?"
"No... Um... I was wondering if you could help me with something..." Felix said bashfully and nervously.
Carlos raised an eyebrow curiously at Felix, lowering his guard a bit as he tried not to let anything get to him and at least giving the much taller boy a chance.
Meanwhile, Mal and Evie were soon helping out with Jane and everyone else on the decorating committee. A group of students pulled on the ropes to rise up pillars with the school colors all over them, banners were put up to welcome dates from possibly other schools to come into their school for the night of the school dance, other students moved around with ladders and paint, and some were even beginning to hang up lanterns. A red carpet was even rolled out from the front doors.
"Good job with hanging the student self-portraits, Rick." Mal smiled at her friend from Drama Class as she held the ladder for Harry.
Rick smiled back and nodded with a thumb's up. In Art Class, many of the students made self-portraits in their very own special and unique way.
"As soon as we finish putting up the 'Welcome to Storybrooke' banner I think we're done," Mal said as she looked up and all around the school. "This has to be the most perfect school dance ever. You know why?"
"You only told us about 300 times," Harry smirked as he began to hang up the banner. "You wanna watch out for Uma and whatever she might do with Gil and Ben. I don't understand why you can't just tell Headmistress Fairgood what's going on and maybe she can help you against Uma."
"It's complicated for us teenagers, Harry," Mal replied. "You should know that."
"Girls." Harry and Rick shrugged, both seeming to playfully roll their eyes.
"Oh, wow. I expected that from Jay and Carlos, not you two." Mal smirked at them since they were her best guy friend and boyfriend.
"Mal, I've been looking all over for you," Keela said as she soon walked by. "Do you have a minute?"
"Uh... I guess so," Mal replied as she looked over her shoulder to see the more recent new girl in school. "What's up, Keela?"
"Oh... Well... Uh... What do you think about me going to the school dance alone?" Keela asked bashfully and shuffled her foot a bit. "I mean... I know this dance is kind of an 'anybody who's anybody' is going to the dance, but... Well... I wanted to ask someone to the dance, but I don't think I'll get the chance to."
"Oh... Does he already have a date?" Mal asked softly.
"Yeah..." Keela frowned as she stared at the floor. "And you, well... You have that attitude where you don't care what other people think of you and just have your own style. I wanna be more like you if I have the chance," she then looked Mal in the eyes. "What do you think it'd be like if I came alone?"
"Well... I wouldn't mind or care if I came alone," Mal shrugged. "Don't let anybody yuck your yum."
"...Yuck my yum?" Keela blinked, confused at that term.
"Sorry, I learned that from Evie," Mal laughed with a small smirk before she stepped away from the ladder, unknowingly making it wobble with Harry on top of it as he tried to hang the gold and blue banner. "What I mean is, if people don't like you being alone at the dance, then... Well... Screw them! You don't need that kind of negativity in your life. It's not your fault if what you want is not everybody's cup of tea, that just means more tea for you!"
"Yeah..." Keela said with a small smile forming. "I guess you're right, Mal. I don't need a date to the dance just to be happy."
"No, you don't, Keela," Mal smiled back, unaware of Harry panicking in the background. "I'm sorry that your date didn't work out, but you can have a dance on the big night all to myself."
"Yaaaugh! Mal?! Right now, I don't wanna have this ladder all to myself, okay?!" Harry panicked as he wobbled on the ladder.
"Whoops! Sorry, Harry~" Mal smiled sheepishly before she grabbed the ladder and held it steady again. "You okay?"
"Yeah... I guess so..." Harry sighed in relief as he clutched his chest before looking down at his girlfriend. "Warn me next time you do that, alright?"
"Sorry, Harry~" Mal nodded. "Next time, I promise."
"Good." Harry replied as calmly as possible then.
"Don't worry about going to the dance alone anyway, girly," Rick said to Keela before smirking. "I mean, I'm gonna go alone myself."
"Oh... Okay then..." Keela said with a small smile.
"Maybe we could share a dance though?" Rick shrugged. "I mean, if you don't wanna be totally alone."
Keela hummed, looking very thoughtful before answering that question. She then glanced over and she saw what looked like in the very far off distance of Ben and Uma doing something together, possibly plotting, but she wasn't fully sure. "You know what?" she then answered Rick before nodding. "All right."
"Okay," Rick replied. "This should be an interesting experience if we ever decide to dance together while everyone else dances on their own."
"Works for me." Keela nodded calmly.
Mal smiled fondly as this looked like it might work out nicely.
MEANWHILE...
"Oh, Mr. Hyde... You make me feel so young~" Ciara giggled and cooed as she had yet another drink with the man at her house. "You're so much more interesting than my ex-husband."
"Hm... I'm sure I am..." Edward replied calmly and patiently. "So, do you have any idea where your daughter is right about now?"
"Doesn't she go to school sometime this week?" Ciara asked, clearly having lost it as being a single mother, not even really trying anyway.
"...Well, yes, students tend to go to school five days a week for about six hours," Edward replied, trying to keep it together. "But it's after 3:00. She should be home by now, shouldn't she?"
"Oh... I guess that does make sense," Ciara replied wearily before sipping her drink. "You sure you don't want to share a tequila with me? You seem like a real tequila man?"
"...That's fine," Edward said, standing his ground. "I'm more fond of Syrah on the weekends when away from students, thank you. I wish to set a good example for them and whatnot."
"Suit yourself..." Ciara said before hiccuping and giggling. "So when are we going to get married, Mr. Hyde? I've been seeing you ever since that Mother's Day poem mess with my darling little Malissa. Don't you care about me?"
"...Honestly, there's something I have to tell you, I think we should get to the car," Edward replied. "I'll... I'll drive for us."
"Ooh... Are we getting out of this wretched and small town?" Ciara giggled before snorting a bit. "I was never really fond of this Storybrooke Auradon place to be honest with you. No one will hire me if you can believe it."
"Mm... Quite..." Edward nodded as her behavior told him something very important before he stood up before offering her his arm to appear more gentleman-like. "Please, come to the car with me, Ms. Ignus. I believe we should have a very important talk. Right now."
"Ooh... A bit forceful today, aren't we, Mr. Hyde?" Ciara smirked before purring like a lust-filled cat. "I quite like a man who takes charge."
"I know... Believe me, Ms. Ignus, I know." Edward replied. "Now... Come along."
"Ooh... Alright~" Ciara giggled and smirked before sliding her arm into his. "So where are we going?"
"Don't worry about it," Edward replied as he linked arms with Ciara, leading her out to his car. "Just leave everything to me."
"All right then, Stallion~" Ciara smirked. "Let's go for a ride."
Edward nodded at her as he led her out of her home and over to the car. He soon slipped out his phone and began to send what looked like an emergency text over to a certain someone. Ciara had gone too far now as a mother and a human being, such as leaving Mal alone at many hours without telling her and seemed to be very neglectful at her job as a mother. Edward regretted that his hanging around Ciara at her home and hanging around Mal in school was rather mortifying for the teenage girl, but he had a good reason for doing it and not for what she believed in him to be doing. Once Ciara was secure in the car, Edward nodded at her with a small smirk, then began to drive away from the house to take her somewhere "rather special".
MEANWHILE, ELSEWHERE...
"So, Felix... Can I call you Felix?" Carlos asked as he was sitting with a certain boy from a different school than his own, holding the lost dog in his arms, lightly petting his fur as the two became very close as a boy and his dog.
"Um... Yes..." Felix simply stated as that should be obvious. "I've been going by that name for the past 16 years."
"Right... Heh..." Carlos smiled sheepishly with a light chuckle. "So... Anyway... You want me to help you take a girl from my school to go to a dance at my school away from your school?" he then asked, emphasizing a bit due to this being a big deal as their schools were very strongly against each other, especially with Peter Banning's behavior and saying how he never failed.
"Yes... I do," Felix nodded. "I know we don't know each other much, but you seem to be the only one from your school I can talk to so far. If you don't mind me asking, I guess."
"Well... I guess you could ask me," Carlos replied. "I don't know much about girls myself. I-I mean... I just finally worked up the courage to ask Jane Fairgood to the school dance and I sorta made it up as I went along."
"You make it sound so easy." Felix remarked then.
"Well... I actually had a bit of emotional comfort and support." Carlos admitted sheepishly as he hugged the dog in his arms.
"So... Will you help me?" Felix asked Carlos. "I'm sorry about what Peter says about your school and how much of a pain in the ass he can be, but... Please. I really need your help."
"All right, Felix. I'll do my best to help out," Carlos replied. "First things first though. Who's this girl we're trying to impress?"
Felix blushed. "If I tell you now, you have to promise not to judge me too much." he then said bashfully.
"I'm not one to judge others for what they like or dislike, dude," Carlos smiled calmly. "Go on. Tell me."
"All right..." Felix sighed sharply before taking a few deep breaths before looking Carlos in the eyes as he said the girl's name. "Wendy."
"Wendy?" Carlos repeated as Felix nodded. "Wendy... Wendy... I think the only Wendy I know in school is Wendy Darling."
Felix gulped before looking over.
"Ohh... You like her..." Carlos then realized. "And she just happens to be Jane's best friend."
"Right... So you have a link to her..." Felix replied then.
"All right, Felix... Looks like we're gonna have to get down to business," Carlos said. "Just a bit of rules first. Such as no trying to drown her or kidnap her or hold her prisoner and stuff like that."
"I may look like a hoodlum, de Vil, but I will hurt you if I have to and I will make sure to absolutely never harm Wendy." Felix narrowed his eyes slightly.
"Heh... Right..." Carlos grinned bashfully and nervously. "Forget I said that to you as a warning. I just wanna make sure you're gonna stop listening to Peter."
"Oh, I am," Felix nodded as he was definitely sure about that sentiment. "At least not for much longer... I hope so. He's my best friend after all."
"Well, I don't think Peter Banning is best friend material," Carlos said before he held out his phone. "Let me borrow your cell phone."
Felix glanced at Carlos then.
"...What?" Carlos asked.
"...I don't have a cell phone." Felix replied.
"...What do you mean? Lots of kids have cell phones." Carlos clarified.
"I guess my mother couldn't afford one before she shipped me off to boarding school," Felix shrugged. "Sorry. We don't have a lot of things back home."
"Well, all right, you can borrow mine then," Carlos said before he took out his own cell phone to lend it to Felix, going to use his Caller ID to get a hold of Wendy. "All right, the number is ready. All you have to do is click the button and you'll be on the phone with Wendy Darling."
"All right... Sounds easy enough..." Felix replied before he suddenly looked bashful and nervous.
Carlos let Felix wait out until it would be a good time to call Wendy. However, Felix ended up taking quite a long time as the boy stood up and paced around, making the puppy watch him a bit.
"Well, go on and dial the number, Felix," Carlos urged as he thought this was taking too long. "You can do it."
"Yeah! You're right." Felix said softly then before he went to click the "CALL" button only to hit the "EXIT" button at the last second.
"Felix! You hung up!" Carlos noticed.
"I can't do it, Carlos!" Felix suddenly panicked. "I mean, what if I forget how to talk and nothing comes out of my mouth except drool?"
"Nonsense! Once the young lady answers, your gentleman instincts will kick in and you'll find yourself feeling much better," Carlos advised with a small smile, being very mature despite being two years younger than his friends in school. "Go with the flow."
"Okay... Here it goes..." Felix sighed as he soon waited for Carlos to put the number in for him before sliding his phone back over to the taller boy before turning away and hanging up again suddenly.
"Again?!" Carlos complained. "I'm sorry, Felix, but you've left me no choice." he then said as he took his phone and fully dialed the number and hit the call button to get it over with.
"Carlos, no! Please don't dial and call her number!" Felix panicked, putting his hands to his head, acting like the sky was falling. "I don't want Wendy to-"
"Hello?" A new voice soon answered.
"Uh... Carlos de Vil's residence. Who's calling, please?" Felix greeted bashfully.
"Uh, Felix? Didn't you call me?" Wendy replied in confusion.
"Uh... Yeah... I guess I did..." Felix said nervously before he saw her picture on the phone as Carlos did a video call.
Wendy smiled before tilting her head and raised an eyebrow. "So... What do you want?" she then asked since he called her and whatnot.
"Uh, well, uh..." Felix began to stammer.
"Deep breath and take the plunge," Carlos whispered, giving Felix some more advice. "Like you're about to jump into a swimming pool."
"Oh... Uh..." Felix said before taking a deep breath before letting it out as best as he could. "I was just wondering, uh... You wouldn't wanna go to that dance thing at your school or anything, would you?" he then asked, trying to force it out.
"With you? That'd be really neat!" Wendy smiled and beamed suddenly. "Thanks, Felix!"
"Really? Wow. That's great, Wendy!" Felix smiled back suddenly.
"Yeah, real great," Carlos snarked to himself. "Wendy gets to go to her first school dance with a guy who hasn't been able to speak one coherent sentence to her."
Felix glared and snarled at Carlos, forcing the younger and shorter boy to cup his mouth and shut up instantly.
"Wendy! Have you finished your homework yet?!" John's voice suddenly called out.
"Ooh... Father's back home from the university," Wendy said before smiling. "Bye, Felix! I'm really looking forward to the dance." she then added before suddenly hanging up.
"You know... Wendy certainly seems nice." Carlos said with a small smile.
"de Vil, she's amazing..." Felix said with a deep sigh. "I just hope that I don't mess things up at your school dance."
"It'll be okay," Carlos replied. "If I can do this, anybody can."
Felix cracked a small smile at him. Carlos then politely smiled back to give him a bit of a more friendly vibe than Peter ever could.
BACK IN SCHOOL...
"Decorations? Check... Security? Check... Plenty of blue and gold... Check," Jane said as she began to check her clipboard. "Not bad... Not bad at all." she then smiled and nodded as she looked all around in excitement, "Also the cruise will be along in time for the big night after we all show up down the red carpet for the school newspaper."
"Oh, dear! Oh, dear! Oh, dear!" A familiar weary voice was heard.
"Sounds like Jane's mom is in trouble again." Rick commented.
"Wonder what's got her panties in a bunch this time?" Mal added dryly as the headmistress of the school rushed over, looking quite panicked.
"Malissa? Malissa? Oh! Malissa!" Headmistress Fairgood called in a trembly and nervous voice as she looked around before seeing the girl and rushed over to her. "Oh, Malissa, there you are. I've been looking all over for you. There's an emergency."
"Ugh..." Mal groaned and rolled her eyes a bit. "I gotta go home and wait for some packages or something?" she then asked.
"No, my dear, it's your mother," Headmistress Fairgood replied. "She's down at the sheriff's station."
"...What?" Mal asked with wide eyes.
"You should go right away." Headmistress Fairgood suggested.
"Oh..." Mal bit her lip. She would go, but she felt funny about going alone. She then looked around. "Evie? Evie!" she then called out.
"What is it, Mal?" Evie asked as she soon walked by, hearing the cries from her best friend.
"Can Evie come with me?" Mal asked Headmistress Fairgood nervously and hopefully as she latched onto the other girl instantly.
"Can Evie come with you where?" Evie asked, looking rather oblivious.
"...If that would be good for you." Headmistress Fairgood replied.
"If what would be good for her?" Evie then asked.
"Please," Mal nodded. "I think I could use her right about now."
"Use me for what?! What's going on here?" Evie demanded.
"All right then," Headmistress Fairgood replied before she came over to her daughter. "Jane, dear, I have to run Mal and Evie into town. You're in charge until I come back to bring you home after you guys are done decorating for the school dance."
"Oh. Okay, sure, Mom," Jane nodded. "No problem."
"Good girl," Headmistress Fairgood smiled before kissing her daughter on the cheek, then went to rush off with Mal and Evie. "Come with me to my car, girls!" she then told them, practically flying in her steps almost as if she had wings.
MEANWHILE...
"Malissa, I apologize for making you feel very uncomfortable by being in your home at a lot of the times and even walking you to class like a father figure," Edward said as he saw Mal first. "That must have been very awkward and a little embarrassing for you."
"It was a bit, yeah," Mal nodded. "So are you gonna marry my mom or something and then you'll run away and live happily ever after together in Camelotville or something?"
"Actually, no," Edward replied. "While I am flattered about your mother and the time I spent with her, I don't think I'll be going to see your mother more in the future."
"Oh...?" Mal asked.
"In fact, I wasn't that interested in your mother, to begin with... No offense, of course," Edward then said. "I was using her for an experiment. Headmistress Fairgood and Dr. Hopper were concerned about your Mother's Day poem." he then started to say.
Mal's eyes rolled to the side a bit. Not this crap again.
"And I thought I'd come meet your mother to see where this sort of behavior would come from and I was working with The Sheriff Department as an undercover agent during my job as a schoolteacher," Edward then continued to speak with Mal which surprised the girl quite a bit. "So your mother has been arrested by me and will stay down at the station for a while."
"Oh..." Mal said softly in surprise.
"We're also going to uncover more about you, your family, and your former home of Moor Isles or whatever it was called," Edward replied. "We're going to be asking your mother a few questions and soon, you will both be in the courthouse when requested."
"So... What does this mean for me?" Mal asked.
"You'll have to go home with someone else tonight, though I might suggest Mayor Mills and her son and daughter," Edward replied. "You three seem rather close with each other based on my experiences."
"Oh... Yeah... Evie and I are best friends," Mal replied calmly before nodding. "She's like a sister to me."
"Well, I'm glad to hear that, Malissa," Edward smirked a bit before looking straight faced and serious again. "Now, I don't want you to worry too much once we see your mother in a moment."
Mal swallowed thickly about seeing her mother, shaking chills down her spine a bit. Evie looked over and soon took Mal's hand and squeezed her best friend's hand. Mal smiled softly, though she still looked nervous about seeing her mother like this.
"Hi, Mal." Emma greeted the girl as she walked in with Evie.
"Oh... Hey, Emma," Mal nodded at her boyfriend's mother. "I guess the sheriff job might be in the cards for you?"
"Hm... Yes... It seems that I'm a lot better at this than anyone expected," Emma smirked a bit. "District Attorney Spencer is here though and he's going to speak with your mother. Also, you're going to watch the interview, but don't worry. You'll be behind a glass that your mother won't see or hear you and it'll just seem like a regular mirror."
"Oh... Okay," Mal said. "I guess that makes me feel a little bit safer."
"Can I listen with her?" Evie asked. "Please, Mrs. Jones, Mal really needs me right now."
"Of course you can, Evie," Emma allowed. "I know how close you two are. Like sisters."
"Yeah... Like sisters." Evie smiled warmly.
Mal smiled back as she took a deep breath.
"Also, Mr. Gold will be in there with your mother," Emma then added to Mal. "I trust you know Mr. Gold alright? He's Ben's uncle, you know."
"Yeah, I know Mr. Gold," Mal nodded. "He's... He's kinda creepy if you ask me."
"I can understand that," Emma replied before looking up and over. "Oh, and thank you for your assistance, Mr. Hyde. I just hope it hasn't interfered with your schoolwork."
"Sometimes sacrifices must be made, Mrs. Jones, but I handled it alright," Edward reassured. "It was just my pleasure to help out Miss Ignus as I could tell that she definitely needed some help concerning her mother."
"I just didn't know you were an undercover cop." Mal commented to him.
"There's a lot that you and the other students don't know about me, Malissa," Edward smirked and nodded. "I shall catch up with you later then."
"Oh, uh, by all means..." Evie grinned nervously. "G-Good to see you, Mr. Hyde. O-Outside of s-s-school no less!"
"Quite... Farewell to you, Miss Mills," Edward smirked as he walked away. "Say hello to your mother for me~"
"Heh... I-I-I'll get right on that..." Evie chuckled and nodded before shuddering as she shook chills down her spine. "That man..."
"Oh, come along, Evie," Emma smirked. "Mr. Hyde's not so bad once you get to know him."
"Believe me, I've gotten to know him plenty." Evie said through her teeth.
Emma then began to lead Evie and Mal over to where the interview was going on. Gold was shown to be sitting on one side of the table with Ciara who looked a bit grumpy about her current position.
"My name is Spencer, I'm the District Attorney and I work with Twinkle, Twinkle, Feinberg, and Star," Albert spoke to Ciara. "Shall we begin?"
"Yes." Ciara simply nodded.
And so, the interview began while Emma kept an eye on Mal and Evie as they watched the events play out before their very eyes.
"Before you moved away from your previous home, it's said that you had another daughter, Lilith Ignus was involved in an unfortunate accident after the departure of your ex-husband and the father of your children," Albert began to say to Ciara. "Is that correct?"
"Yes... She went out with a friend of hers and was killed," Ciara defended. "Malissa was asleep when it happened and their father decided to leave."
"You and your elder daughter had an argument, is that correct?" Albert then asked Ciara.
"Yes, but-" Ciara was about to say.
"That must've made you angry." Albert then said.
"Y-You don't have to answer that." Gold spoke up to Ciara as he gripped his cane's handle.
"No, it's okay," Ciara told him before she continued. "I was not angry. I was sorry for all the pain I had caused her and I decided that I needed a drink to calm down."
"Ms. Ignus... This is not a courtroom, I'm not here to judge you," Albert said as calmly as possible. "You can be honest with me."
"I AM honest with you... Can we end this soon?" Ciara complained, rolling her eyes, sounding a bit annoyed and impatient, acting like a child now.
"Watch your tone, dearie." Gold quietly and sharply warned.
"Your husband left you and you had a fight with your daughter," Albert reminded Ciara. "Surely you must've felt some anger towards her."
"Yes... I was angry..." Ciara admitted.
"And did you ever think about acting upon that anger?" Albert then asked.
"Of course not." Ciara clarified.
Albert narrowed his eyes. "I have a hard time believing that." he then responded.
Ciara narrowed her eyes in return. "And why is that?" she then demanded.
"Because I believe that you wanted your daughter gone with past reports of you leaving her alone at most hours, trusting her to look after her little sister who has committed crimes such as shoplifting and underage drinking." Albert retorted bravely.
"...What?" Mal asked shallowly with wide eyes as she never knew that about Lily.
"I never said I wanted Lily gone." Ciara glared at Albert.
"That's it," Gold decided. "My client is answering no more questions for the day."
"Your client agreed to this interview because she claimed she had nothing to hide." Albert reminded Gold.
"I don't have anything to hide!" Ciara hissed.
"Then what is your answer?" Albert demanded to Ciara. "You wanted your elder daughter gone, didn't you?"
"No." Ciara glared.
"Even though she reminds you so much of your husband who abandoned you and she started rebelling against you and trying to turn Malissa against you too?" Albert then prompted.
Ciara glared before she started confessing some things. "Yes... I wanted Lily gone. I wanted her to pay for her behavior and turning against me." she soon said.
Evie gasped and hugged Mal who looked wide-eyed and nearly looked like she was going to be sick.
"I got Lily in that accident to teach her a lesson and caused her car to crash and to teach Mal a lesson about what happens if she talks back to me or tries to betray me like Lily or their father or anyone else ever did," Ciara then continued. "Is that what you wanted to hear?"
Gold frowned and shook his head, resting his hand against his head.
"That's just what we wanted to hear, Ms. Ignus," Albert replied. "We'll see you in court with Regina Mills as soon as possible."
"What?!" Ciara gasped.
"I believe you heard me, Ms. Ignus," Albert told her firmly. "This clears up that you are an unfit mother and need to be taken care of. You'll be spending the night in this station and maybe a few more days after that."
"But... What about my daughter?" Ciara asked. "She'll be alone."
"Oh... Nice to see that you actually are caring about her well-being... Too bad that it's too late," Albert shook his head in dismissal. "I'm sure she'll find someplace to stay until the day of the trial and meeting Judge Frollo."
"I tried to help you out," Gold firmly told Ciara. "You seemed like a somewhat decent woman, but you disgust me. You're just a dragon of a mother who doesn't deserve the best gift anyone could earn: a child's love. I just wish you luck, madam, but I don't think you deserve it." he then said before they were dismissed.
"I-I can't believe it... M-Mom killed Lily..." Mal said breathlessly as her face was ghostly pale. "I just... I can't believe this..."
"Oh, my... Come here..." Emma said as she firmly grabbed Mal's arm. "Evie, take her other arm."
"Yes, ma'am." Evie nodded as she helped out by taking Mal's other arm.
Mal groaned a bit before her eyes drooped down and so did her head as she passed out. Emma and Evie stumbled slightly before helping her some more and soon put her on the couch beside the cell door. They decided to lie her down and then Emma went over to the water cooler to get Mal a drink for when she would wake up. Gold looked over at Evie and nodded his head at her and she did the same as Mal lightly groaned after her sudden fainting spell. Albert took out his phone and began to make a call.
Regina sat on the couch, crossing her arms before she heard her cell phone ring and she answered it. "Mayor Mills' office? I mean... This is Regina speaking." she then said.
"Madam Mayor, we've got her," Albert said on the phone. "Ciara Ignus has been served and we will bring her to justice. You should be having full custody of Malissa Ignus very soon and welcome her to your home."
"Oh... Thank you, Mr. Spencer," Regina smiled a bit in relief. "That sounds very good for all of us. How did Malissa react? Is she okay?"
"She's having a moment right about now, but we'll be sure to tell her momentarily," Albert replied. "We'll see you at the courthouse soon though."
"All right, Mr. Spencer," Regina nodded. "Thank you again. I'll see you at the courthouse."
"Talk to you later then. Goodbye, Madam Mayor. Congratulations again." Albert agreed before hanging up.
"Goodbye, Mr. Spencer," Regina nodded before she hung up her phone before suddenly, her phone rang again before her eyes widened and she blushed suddenly. "Oh! Uh... Robin... Hi, there."
"Hello, Regina. I hope that I'm not interrupting anything." Robin smiled bashfully.
"No, no, it's okay," Regina replied before she walked over to do add something to her to-do list. "We can talk. How are Roland and Robyn Jr?"
"They're pretty all right, thank you for asking," Robin smiled. "And I trust that Evie and Henry are all right too?"
"Indeed," Regina smiled back. "They really miss Roland and Robyn Jr."
"Oh, well, I'm a bit glad to hear that," Robin then. "That's part of the reason why I called."
"Oh?" Regina blinked.
"Yes," Robin nodded. "I was just wondering if you wouldn't mind if we stayed over a little bit?"
"You mean... In Auradon Heights?" Regina asked.
"Well, yes, but mostly, I meant about us staying at your home for a little while," Robin explained. "I think Robyn Jr misses hanging out with Evie and all of the other friends she made and even wants to go to the school dance. I guess she found a special friend who wants to take her there."
"Ohh..." Regina smiled. "Well, Malissa will be staying here for a little while, but I have plenty of room if you would like to stay. I love you-" her eyes then widened before she blushed, groaned, and face-palmed herself. "Erm... I-I mean... I'd love to have you."
"Oh, that's great! Thank you, Regina." Robin smiled back.
"I hope that this doesn't interfere with school though?" Regina then said.
"Oh, no, it's okay," Robin replied. "We'll work out a schedule and I'll call you again later once I tell the kids that they can come to see you and Evie, Henry, and everyone else again."
"Okay... Great..." Regina smiled. "I really look forward to it then..." she then smirked playfully. "As long as your Sherwood background doesn't taint my precious Auradon~"
"I wouldn't dream of it, my fair lady," Robin smirked back. "Though you should know that Sherwood is a much better place than where you come from~"
"Ooh! Shaky Sherwood devil~" Regina chuckled before blushing a little bit. "I'll be sure to tell the kids later."
"Sounds good..." Robin smiled and nodded. "Well, I'll let you get back to what you were doing."
"Okay, Robin," Regina smiled back. "Talk to you later."
"Goodbye then." Robin nodded, then hung up.
Regina smiled as she hung up and sighed a bit dreamily as she blushed, feeling like she was very much in love with Robin and tried to keep it to herself, though it was a bit hard. She just hugged herself as she just hoped that one day, they would probably end up married and maybe, just maybe, they could live together and they could all be one big happy family and live happily ever after together with their precious children.
BACK AT THE SHERIFF DEPARTMENT...
Mal laid down quietly before gasping as her eyes cracked open. She then sat up and looked around suddenly from where she was lying. "W-What? What happened?" she then asked hoarsely. "Where am I?"
"You passed out," Evie explained to Mal lightly as she checked her phone. "I'll tell you more later tonight. We're gonna have another sleepover, though something tells me we're gonna have a lot more sleepovers together in the future."
"O-Oh..." Mal said as she rubbed her head before seeing a cold cup of water left for her, so she took it and sipped it, looking like she was about to get up on her feet.
"You should probably sit down a little while longer," Evie suggested, keeping Mal from getting up any further. "You had quite a fall, but luckily, you didn't hit the floor. Mrs. Jones and I moved you to the couch."
"Oh... Thank you..." Mal then said before nodding as she held the cup of water in her hands. "So... Did that really happen? ...Did my mom actually kill my sister?"
"Oh, it's okay, Mal," Evie frowned as she wrapped her arm around the other girl. "I know there's not a lot I can say to make you feel better about that, but if anything happens, you and I can be sisters."
"Hm..." Mal paused as she sipped her water, beginning to feel like she should take up her old friend's offer on running away together.
"I'm really sorry, Mal," Evie said softly. "I'll be right here for you if you need anything. Whatever you want, you just tell me what you and I will get it for you."
"Thanks, Evie, but I don't think there's much you can do," Mal replied. "So... I guess we could go to my place and I'll get some stuff together so I can sleep over?"
"That might be best," Evie nodded before checking her phone as it suddenly pinged. "Oh... Doug has something that he wants to show me."
"Well... If you wanna go and see him, that's okay with me," Mal shrugged with a small smile. "He'll probably be better company than me right now anyway."
"Aw... Don't say that," Evie pouted and tutted, shaking her head. "Remember, Mal. What am I always telling you about our friendship?"
"I can find you in the space between." Mal memorized with a small sigh.
"That's right," Evie smiled warmly as she kept her arm around Mal for comfort and support. "And I hope that sometimes whenever I really need you, I can find you in the space between too. We'll never be alone."
"All right, Evie," Mal smiled back softly. "Look, why don't you go and see what Doug wants to show you and we can catch up later tonight? I'll ask Mrs. Jones for a ride."
"You sure?" Evie asked. "I'll stay as long as you need me to."
"Please, Evie," Mal replied. "We'll catch up later. I promise. Go and see what Doug wants to show you."
Evie smiled a little bit. "...Well, all right," she then said. "I'll see you around dinner time then?"
"Works for me," Mal smiled back as she nodded. "Thank you for helping me so far."
Evie beamed a bit, giving Mal a bear hug before she took out her phone to send a text back to Doug. Mal smiled as she sipped her water, letting Evie go off. She then checked her phone as she also got a message.
"Hey, kid," Emma said as she walked by. "Ready to go home for a while and then you can go right over to Mayor Mills'?" she then asked.
"Uh... Sure... Just a second, Emma," Mal nodded from where she sat. "I'll meet you out the door."
"All right... Just be careful and take your time," Emma replied as she walked off. "You know which car to look for."
"Right... The yellow Bug..." Mal chuckled and smirked a little. "Nice choice for a car by the way."
"You could say that that car chose me actually." Emma smirked back as she went over to her car.
Mal smiled before checking her phone to see the text.
"So are we getting out of here by next week or what? - Maddy"
Mal stared at the message before nodding as she sent a text back. "We're out of here by the end of next week," she then responded. "No turning back. Mom doesn't want me here and I don't wanna be here either. I'll see you then."
Maddy then instantly responded right back. "See you then. Hope you got enough money and goods so we can leave this dump for good."
Mal nodded, then put her phone back into her pocket and slowly stood up from the couch and was on her way to go and meet with her boyfriend's mother.
MEANWHILE...
"Doug, what's going on?" Evie giggled as she wore a blindfold, meeting the boy who wanted to show her something as he took her hands, leading her somewhere very special. "Can I take this thing off now?"
"No... Not yet..." Doug shook his head. "I want this to be a very special surprise."
"Oh... All right..." Evie sighed before smirking. "This better be worth it."
"Oh, trust me, Evie. You'll thank me later." Doug reassured with a small smile.
"Mm-hmm..." Evie giggled. "Just remember, I have dresses to deliver later from Edna's for my friends that we borrowed for The Sweetheart's Dance for Henry's class."
"I know, Evie, I know," Doug smiled before they suddenly stopped walking together. "Okay... You can open your eyes now."
Evie didn't do anything. "...Doug? I'm wearing a blindfold." she then reminded after a beat of silence.
"Oh! Right..." Doug smiled bashfully before he soon came back over and removed the blindfold. "Okay... Here it is!"
Evie smiled back before she looked over and gasped before gushing and putting her hands to her mouth. "Oh, my gosh~" she then said once she saw what Doug's big surprise was.
Doug smiled as he presented Evie with a starter design studio/fashion label entitled "Evie's 4 Hearts".
"Doug... What is this...?" Evie whispered and beamed in excitement as she walked over to take a closer look. "Is this a cottage?"
"You could call it a fashion cottage if you want," Doug replied as he stepped aside to let her check it out up close. "I hope you like the name."
"This is amazing..." Evie gushed and beamed. "Where did you find this place?"
"My Uncle Roy helped hook me up with it and then I bought it," Doug explained bashfully with his hands behind his back. "He's a realtor, ya know. I was hoping you could use this to grow your business as a future fashion designer after your internship with Edna Mode."
"You bought this? For me?" Evie gasped and beamed at him, sounding so touched and overjoyed as she put her hand to her heart.
"Um... Yeah..." Doug smiled and blushed. "Do you like it?"
"I absolutely love it!" Evie beamed as she ran over to him before suddenly hugging him, making him blush even more and turn as red as a tomato. "I was lucky enough to have been given a chance, and now I need to give someone else a chance, too.
"Y-Yeah...?" Doug asked with wide eyes. "Ya know... One of my uncles used to say that." he then remarked.
"Did he?" Evie asked.
"Yeah... But really quietly... He's the bashful one..." Doug smiled sheepishly. "I don't suppose you're gonna go to the dance with Chad, are you?"
"After last semester? Don't be dopey," Evie scoffed and shook her head before smiling back at him. "I'm going to the dance with you."
"M-M-M-Me?!" Doug gasped as his glasses nearly fogged up. "Y-You wanna go to the dance with meee?!"
"Of course... You're very sweet, friendly, and helpful to me," Evie smiled. "I'm so lucky to be friends with such a nice boy."
Doug had to admit that it stung that he was stuck in the Friend Zone with Evie, but he promised himself that he would find a way to prove himself worthy to her. Someday, somehow, he just didn't know when yet.
"Look, I have to deliver my friends' dresses to them from Edna's," Evie smiled as she clapped her hands together. "Why don't you help me out?"
"Oh... You wouldn't mind?" Doug asked.
"I don't mind if you don't mind." Evie smiled.
"Oh... Okay..." Doug smiled back. "I guess I could do that... Especially since we're going to the dance together."
"Exactly," Evie nodded. "Oh... I can't wait to tell Mal."
"I can't wait to tell some other people either." Doug chuckled bashfully.
Evie beamed before she grabbed him by his arm and pulled him over to her side before taking out her phone and taking a selfie of the both of them together in front of the cottage saying "#FashionFriends4Ever".