"Strawberries?" Ben asked offhandedly as he handed her a large bowl full of them.
"Yes please." She took the bowl and balanced her empty plate on top of it. Ben deadpanned.
"I meant to take a few." He protested. "Not to take the full thing. You're going to get sick."
"If that happens, I'll let you know." Mal rolled her eyes. "But so far, there hasn't even been a small change in my energy levels." She elbowed Ben. "You would know."
"Hush," Ben commanded. "Just because you're obsessed doesn't mean you need to make jokes in public." He tried to take the bowl away from her, but she darted out of his grasp and walked around Rapunzel, who was biting her lip as she tried not to laugh. Lumiere walked past and put a new bowl down in place of the one Mal had stolen. Ben chuckled but smiled. He hurried after Mal as she put her empty plate back and got a glass of water. Pocahontas smiled as Mal walked past with her large bowl of strawberries to go sit next to Audrey. Belle, Adam, and Madison were also there. Ben got there in time to pull her chair out for her before she and Audrey began to chat.
There were so many people in the castle that breakfast had started being served on one large, open buffet table while dozens of smaller eating tables surrounded it. It was interesting for Mal - she'd never had to interact with so many people in such a formal setting before. She'd been a bit concerned about it all, but people were mostly friendly and easy to chat with.
"Long time, no see." Audrey smiled.
"No kidding," Mal smiled as she began to snack on her prized bowl. "Question: is it befitting for the Queen of Auradon to stuff her face with strawberries?"
"Only if she shares," Audrey leaned over and snitched one off the top. "It's better than having gutter grudge on your face. Oh, and hey, I came up with a way to organize your school system based on what I know from Auroria. It's great. You're going to be really pleased."
"When did you have time to do that? I don't even have time to remember who I'm married to," Mal complained. Ben rolled his eyes and, in retaliation, stole a strawberry from her bowl. Mal made a face and shielded the lid of the bowl with her arms as she glared at them all.
"You can spare a few," Ben rolled his eyes, poking her in the arm. "You're going to eat yourself sick."
"You can go ahead and stop me; I'd like to see you try, actually," Mal sniffed.
"He's not wrong," Audrey laughed. She noticed Chad Charming and Queen Ella approaching over Ben's shoulder. "How were the moors, by the way?" She asked, keeping half-an-eye on them.
"There's some Auradon negativity over there," Mal said with a frown. "But I think having the borders open that one night helped. Lots of people are of the opinion it was unfair of us to lock everyone away on the Isle. Everyone has a high opinion of Ben now, after his little speech." She elbowed Ben playfully.
"Good morning," Ella said. Ben and Mal both twisted to see the Cinderellasburg Queen holding her plate and looking anxious. "Can we sit with you fine folks this morning?"
Ben and Mal's eyes zeroed in on Chad. Mal pursed her lips as she noted that, technically, her restraining order had now expired. Still, neither of them said anything when Belle spoke up. "There are two more seats," Belle said with a smile. "And don't lie to me, Ella. You just want to hold Madison."
Ella flushed with a small smile. "I love kids." She agreed. Chad pulled his mother's chair out for her and sat down between Audrey and Ella. Audrey flicked her eyes over to him with a distasteful frown. Belle carefully handed Madison, now two months old, to Ella. Ella cooed to the small girl and smiled brightly. Then she looked around at everyone at the table. Her eyes settled on Mal. "It's nice to see you again." She told the young queen. "How are you, after your mom's funeral?"
Mal smiled while a small, sharp stab of pain hit her. "Well." She sighed, twirling a strawberry in her hand. "I mean, it wasn't like I talked with her a lot. I feel like I've kind of shut the door on my past a little."
"That's good." Ella nodded. "Forgiveness is always the first step in the best direction." She made a funny face at the little girl in her arms and giggled as Madison lifted her little hands up to try and grab Ella's long, free-flowing hair. Mal watched the careful way Ella balanced her.
"You're good with kids," she commented. She tilted her head in thought. "Can I ask why you only have one?" And, on that note, one as rude as Chad was. Ella herself seemed quite nice.
Ella's joyous expression turned sad. Chad glared at Mal. "It's not nice to pry." He snapped.
"Which is why I asked permission to ask," Mal replied coolly. She didn't bother sparing Chad a glance, which infuriated him even further. Ben and Audrey exchanged a cautious look.
"It's not a problem," Ella responded, waved a dainty hand. "I'm not able to. Complications when I had Chad led to me getting a Hysterectomy six months after his birth."
Mal's face dropped. "Oh. That's awful." She whispered. Ella nodded in agreement with tears in her eyes. "I'm so sorry," Mal told Ella.
"It's okay," Ella told her, though she wiped her eyes a little. "It was a long time ago. And as I understand it, you can't have children either?"
"Oh no," Audrey and Mal chorused at the same time. They chuckled at their synchronized reflex and then Audrey turned to Queen Ella.
"That's a rumor," Audrey explained. "I started it to be spiteful. I'm sorry."
"Oh," Ella said, surprised. Chad pinched his lips and glared at Mal.
"Yeah." Mal shrugged. "Just a rumor."
"So, you can then?" Ella asked. "I'm sorry if I'm prying but I must be honest, I've been curious where the kingdom will go after Ben's reign is over." Beside Mal, Ben shifted uncomfortably, and then an odd expression passed over his face.
"No idea," Mal answered honestly. "I can't say we've tried too hard, given that I'm running the moors and the Isle and Ben has Auradon and now this war." Mal made a revolving gesture with her left hand to visualize how their lives were constantly changing. "And given we've been together a year and we're still considered a special case until I turn eighteen, it hasn't been a huge thing on our minds."
Belle tilted her head to the side, examining Mal. Then, after a long hesitation, she said: "I think the most important thing right now is to keep any accidents from happening." Audrey picked up her drink and took a sip with raised eyebrows directed at Mal, who wrinkled her nose.
"Belle," Mal began in a sarcastic tone. "How could anything ever happen to me while your son is around?" Ben's head lolled on his shoulders as he turned to raise an eyebrow at her. He rolled his eyes when she pretended not to notice him, and a little smirk grew on her face. "Besides, it's not like you wouldn't benefit from any accidents."
Ben made a face and swiped her elbow out from on top of the table. "Mal!" He sighed. "That's my mother. You could just leave it at 'we're not'."
"She's my mom too," Mal replied, replacing her arm and picking up yet another strawberry.
"No, she's mine! You're just borrowing her!" Ben protested.
"For life," Mal added.
Chad grumbled as he picked at his food on the other side of the table. "Or however long it lasts." He growled under his breath.
Belle let out an angry exhale that almost had smoke billowing out of her nostrils. Ben flinched when he heard Audrey's switchblade opening, and quickly held out the hand closest to Mal to her. Mal took it and entwined her fingers with his. "Forever." He whispered.
Mal hummed and added a green stem to a steadily-growing pile. Her bowl was only half-empty. "I got pretty lucky." She thought aloud, looking over at Belle fondly as she enunciated the T's in "pretty".
"Well, they call it getting lucky for a reason." Audrey snorted.
The tips of Ben's ears turned red as Mal burst into laughter. She took her hand back from Ben to high-five Audrey as Ben grimaced painfully. He gradually recovered, rolled his eyes and put an arm around her. He didn't say anything, but he was clearly lost in thought. Mal nudged him with her foot. "You okay?" She asked through the last torrents of her laughter.
"Yeah." Ben nodded, though the pink returned to his cheeks a little. "Just thought of something I wanted to talk with you about."
"Kingdom related?" Mal asked.
"Sort of." Ben shrugged. He patted her hand. "Don't worry about it too much."
"Okay." Mal shrugged. She kicked her shoes off underneath the table. "Anything else happen while I was gone?" She asked.
Ben immediately burst into laughter. "In our meeting, Audrey pulled a knife on Chad." He pressed a hand to his forehead as he began to laugh.
"A knife?" Mal asked, staring at Audrey and glancing at Chad. "Where did you even get it?" She laughed and leaned over the table to give Audrey a second high-five.
"Bought it." Audrey shrugged. She pulled it out and showed Mal. To Ben's relief, it was properly folded up again. Chad's expression grew stormy when he saw it.
"Wow." Mal looked impressed as she ran her fingers over the fluorescent casing. "That's new for you. I approve." She turned to Ben. "Can I get one? Or would Stewart have to take it away?"
Ben held up his hands. "Honey you can do whatever you want. I am not going to call shots on that."
Mal laughed. "I don't know if I really need one though." She thought aloud, then shrugged. "Anyways, what else happened?" She asked Ben, leaning forward and setting her chin on her hands.
Ben smiled softly and pushed a lock of hair behind her ear. "We have a new spread of resources developing, and the kingdom thinks I should just sic you at the villains on the other continent." Ben chuckled, kissing the top of her head.
Mal rolled her eyes. "I'm not that powerful, guys." She protested, looking around the table at everyone.
"Yet." Ben and Audrey muttered at the same time. They met each other's gazes with smiles.
Mal rolled her eyes and peeled the greens off the top of another strawberry. Ben watched her hands move carelessly; a soft smile froze onto his face.
Mal didn't go to the Isle that day. Instead, she called Evie, Jay, and Carlos to see how they were and sat in the library to socialize with the other queens. She and Elsa spent an hour straight catching up. Late that night, as the sun was approaching the horizon, Ben found her standing beside the large window in the library, watching the view outside. The leaves on all the trees had caramelized and began to die when she'd been away. It was almost time for their anniversary. Ben couldn't believe that he'd been married for one year.
Not only had he survived, but he'd also thrived.
"Marry me?" He whispered in Mal's ear from behind. She looked over her shoulder with a strange look before she brightened up.
"Oh, hello." She smirked. "I thought you were someone else and I was really weirded out."
"Who did you think I was?" He asked.
"No one in particular. You just didn't sound like you." Mal shrugged and returned her gaze to the window. Ben put his hands on her shoulders and was pleased when she leaned back into his touch.
"Want to go for a drive?" He asked.
"Why? So you can trap me and do unspeakable things to me?" Mal elbowed him.
"I just want to talk with you," Ben replied with red tones in his cheeks. He was well aware there were other people in the library. Mal rolled her eyes.
"Well, I was hoping you'd see things my way, but okay. Lead the way." She offered him her hand. He took it with a smile and laced his fingers through hers before he led her towards the doors.
Ben stopped halfway there to kiss his mom, who was sitting on the sofa, on the cheek and give her a hug. "Be back soon." He told her.
"Be smart." She told him. "You have a kingdom to think of." She gave him a knowing look that curled his toes before returning to her conversation. Ben couldn't shake the blush out of his cheeks quick enough.
They left the library and began the walk down to the garage. Mal let her other hand trail on the wall alongside her and Ben knew she was feeling for the magic of the castle. He stayed quiet as she hummed and squeezed his hand.
Ben's old car seemed more Mal's car now that she drove it to the moors and back. He was still the safer driver, mostly because she was still rambunctious and a teen.
Ben tried his best to never let himself forget that Mal was still a teen. She was still learning, still growing, and he wanted to be careful not to stifle her. Just because she was mature didn't mean she hadn't thought ahead about what her future was like he had. It was hard for him to backtrack and remind himself to slow down, but he knew he'd have a stronger marriage with her if he did.
Ben opened the car door for Mal. She slipped inside with a smirk and turned the key in the ignition. The seat was already preset to her size and her favorite Auradon preset was playing. Ben got in the passenger seat and buckled his seat belt. Mal backed out of the garage carefully and directed them to the back exit without a problem. Stewart let them out with a bright smile and a wave.
"Where are we going, captain?" Mal asked sarcastically as they hit the pavement.
Ben snorted. "Take a left and let's go straight past that spot I showed you last autumn." He decided. Mal nodded and flickered her blinker on as the intersection came up. Ben fiddled with the volume on the radio.
"You're keeping the moors out of the war, right?" Ben asked as he leaned back and adjusted the firmness of his seat.
"That's what you wanted to talk about?" Mal asked as she guided them around a bend.
Ben sighed. "No, leading up to it. That was just an icebreaker."
Mal hummed. "Yeah, I think I will. I don't think I want to risk any 'accidents' with Auradon soldiers. If the fight comes to Auradon grounds I'll defend your country, but I won't send them to offense quite yet. Not unless something really bad happens."
"Hopefully it doesn't come to that," Ben said.
"Yup." Mal agreed.
They drove past the spot they'd shared their first kiss and began to quickly gain elevation. The scenery changed to something more mountainous, and soon they were looking down a couple of steep cliffs as they drove up. The road hugged the mountainside and the lights of civilization vanished altogether.
Finally, Ben reached for her hand in the glovebox, gave it a quick squeeze, and said: "Next pull-off."
They stopped the car in an off-road pull-over area where people could park their cars in the winter before continuing up the mountain on snow bikes and looked out over the edge. Mal didn't roll down the windows because the mountain was much colder than the castle. The young couple looked down the mountain and saw Beast's Castle gleaming against the blackened sky. Above their heads, stars glittered in the vast expanse of space. Mal moved her seat back, away from the pedals, and let out a sigh. "So." She brushed her hair back, out of her face, and took his hand. "What do you need to ask me?"
Her glittering green eyes met his square-on, and he felt frozen by her evergreen gaze. "Just a bounce-off conversation." He assured her, squeezing her palm against his. "I want to know if you've been thinking at all about what you want in the next few years."
Mal scoffed immediately. "Oh, this conversation? Geesh, Ben, I've been a little busy." She began to crack the joints in her hands one by one. "I've got no plans. What about you?" She redirected her gaze to him and he smiled.
"I've… been a bit hesitant to plan anything without your input." He admitted. "So, I have more of, like, a list."
"A list?" Mal laughed. "Wow. Where do you find the time?"
"It's not a long list!" He protested.
"Let's hear it, then." She smiled.
Ben rolled his eyes. "Well, it's a bit of a process, see? Let me lead you up to this." He spread his hands out. "At some point, down the road, we'll be dead."
"Happy thoughts." Mal interrupted with a strange, unreadable look.
"I know." Ben shrugged. "But it's inevitable. Anyway, hopefully, Auradon will continue after our deaths and that means, at some point, we'll either abdicate our thrones to another couple or have a kid together."
Mal furrowed her brow. Their hands unloosened and Mal pulled hers back. "That's what you wanted to talk about? Why?"
Ben hummed awkwardly. His throat froze up before he managed to spit out: "I want to know if or when you think we should start having kids."
Mal's face went a bit pale in the dark. "Kids? Ben, we've been married a year." She reminded him with the first traces of panic appearing in her eyes.
"Not right now!" He assured her, throwing his arms out to accentuate his point. "This is a bounce-off conversation. And I totally provided an alternative." Ben crossed his arms in defense.
"Do you want kids?" Mal asked. Her left hand began to grapple with something invisible on the steering wheel before she brought it down in a claw-like motion across her stomach. Her face was growing increasingly pale and her eyes more panicked. Ben wondered if maybe it had been a bad idea to be alone for this conversation. In the library, if they'd kept their voices down, it might not have given the impression he was cornering her.
Ben struggled with how to respond for three seconds, and that gave Mal her answer. She fell back against her chair with that same arm crossed over herself protectively, looking more than a little surprised. "Eventually." Ben gasped finally, aware the situation was spiraling out of his grasp. Mal had experienced a panic attack before and he knew this could easily drive her back there, especially so soon after meeting Madison and losing her mom. "Not right now, of course. We're kind of fighting a war and everything."
"Pause." Mal held a hand up to stop him as her eyes skimmed the dash controls, looking for something to focus on.
"No, don't pause me yet!" Ben grumbled, pushing her hand out of his field of vision. "Listen, I know you don't want to because you're underage and-"
"What? It's got nothing to do with the fact I'm not eighteen! Ariel had Melody when she was seventeen and Moana got married when she was sixteen, like me, and had a kid at eighteen. I don't care about my age, Ben." Mal spat back. She looked more than a little frantic. Not angry, just surprised. "I care about my mental health and my bad childhood and-" she burst into frantic laughter. "-my body? Look at me, I'm so ridiculously small! A baby would rip me in two."
"That's ridiculous." Ben deadpanned. "You know it is."
"I just need more time," Mal grumbled through gritted teeth. "We just barely started combating those stupid rumors and now everyone and their mothers are concerned about when you're going to knock me up and-" she burst once more into startled, frantic laughter, and Ben could sense her mounting anxiety like a storm filling the car. "I just need time! I need to not be running around in circles! I need more time - and don't you go running off with that line about how I'm younger than you Ben. You know that-"
"Your age matters to me because I understand we're different!" Ben interrupted fiercely. "I'm older and-"
"So what, you're wiser than I am?" Mal stopped him.
"No!" Ben protested. "It's just that I don't expect you to be thinking about these things!"
"So it's automatically your job to plan ahead the next fifteen years of our lives?" Mal balled her fists up. Her voice was steadily rising to a yell. "And let the record show that I, too, think about children though I'm not trying to plan anything!"
"Mal I'm trying to ask for your opinion!" Ben let his voice rise to a yell to simply be heard over her own anxiety.
Mal sat back in her seat in a motion of anger and unclicked the buckle. Ben thought for a second that she was going to jump out of the car and fly back to the palace, but she just exhaled slowly and pulled her knees up to her chest around the steering wheel. She pulled her gold-highlighted hair to cover her face and hid herself from him. Ben sighed and laid his head back against the headrest. He closed his eyes and counted backward from ten. When all was silent again in the car, he opened his mouth and finished his spiel.
"I just… want to know what you want our future to look like. I don't mean to pressure you at all. I just… genuinely need your thoughts on this so that I don't make any wrong moves on you." He finished flatly. It felt pretty anticlimactic to him. He pressed two fingers to the bridge between his eyes with a sigh.
Warm fingers brushed past his wrist and took firm hold of his hand. Mal squeezed his palm close to hers. He squeezed back, and they both uncovered their faces and turned towards each other as one unit. Ben unbuckled his seat belt and let it slide past him and into the wall of the car as Mal rubbed her thumb on his hand.
"I'm not angry." She assured him. "Just… stunned." She exhaled. "I do love you though, and I'm willing to work this out with you."
Ben couldn't stop a smile spreading across his face. He took her chin and kissed her cheek, right under her eye, softly. "I love you too." He whispered. Mal chuckled.
"You're right." She admitted with a heavy sigh. "About the kingdom and… everything. I understand… you're just thinking ahead, and we do have three kingdoms that someone will eventually inherit. And I don't really think about these things, you're right, but – it's not because I can't! It's not an age thing like you think. I'm just… busy. My attention is divided between being a good friend and wife and ruler, and I haven't stopped to consider what it'd be like to add 'mother' into that mix. To be honest, I didn't think I would have to for another two or so years." Silence intensified in the wake of her words. Ben rubbed a thumb over her knuckles.
"Then, is that my answer?" Ben asked. "Another two or so years and then we'll talk about it again?"
Mal shook her head. "No. I just – let me get my thoughts together. Tell me what you're thinking." She let go of his hand and sat back against the seat.
Ben ruffled his hair and unbuttoned the first button down on his shirt. Despite the cold outside, it was getting warmer in the car. "As far as I know, all three kingdoms have to be passed down. I don't know if you're planning on making the Isle a democracy or anything, but so far it seems like a kingdom." Ben took a deep breath when she made no interjection. "So, if we happened to have one kid, then they'd automatically inherit everything. That'd most likely unite moors, Isle, and Auradon."
"Nope." Mal shook her head and waved her hand about her head with wide eyes. "Sorry, I don't think that's in either the Isle's or the moor's best interests."
"I agree." Ben nodded. "If we had two children, we could split it up how we are now, but if we had three then each kid would get one kingdom and I think that's best in the long run. It'll also hopefully prevent the three uniting because intermarriage is frowned upon, of course." Ben resisted the urge to hold his breath as Mal considered his words.
Finally, she crossed her arms and said: "The moors will need a magical leader."
Ben shifted uncomfortably. "Statistically, there's a 50/50 percent chance of magic/no magic between us two." He informed her.
Mal snorted. "Breaking out the math, are we?"
"It's pretty simple math." Ben shrugged. "You plus me." He leaned forward, and it felt like the air was electricity around him.
Mal picked up a strand of her hair, then turned and examined her reflection in the car window. Ben wondered suddenly if she'd ask him not to touch her for the next few weeks until she'd sorted her thoughts out like their lives had been until she'd saved his life on the Isle."We have a war starting." She reminded him. "How long do you think it'll last?"
"No way to tell." Ben sighed. "At least, that's what Shang says. I have no battle experience."
Mal muttered something under her breath that sounded like: 'every married man has battle experience.'
Ben laughed. She smirked as she turned back to him. "So," she said, pulling her legs up underneath her and bringing his focus back to her eyes. "Three children-"
"If you want." Ben interrupted, studying the emotions flickered behind her pupils.
Mal ignored him. "One magical." She continued. "Is that what I'm hearing?"
"I am open to suggestions." Ben reminded her.
"When?" She asked.
"We're still young." Ben shrugged. His words made Mal ball up her fists. "Maybe in like, seven years?"
"Seven years?" Mal asked.
Ben nodded. "Yeah, you'll be twenty-five and I'll be-"
"Thirty." Mal calculated.
"No?" Ben asked.
Mal shrugged. "I dunno. Literally no clue. I don't know when I would be comfortable being a mom, if ever. Pregnancy sounds awful and I'm already busy. Kids are not top on my list right now, Ben."
Ben bit the inside of his cheek. "Okay, so, in theory, if you were to find out tomorrow that you were pregnant-"
"You sure you're not planning anything?" Mal raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not!" Ben insisted. "Just… what would your reaction be?"
Mal bit her lip as she thought. She looked up at the stars like she might be able to find the answer in the constellations. "I guess I'd be okay." She said softly. "I mean, I managed to adapt to Auradon and queendom. I guess I could adapt to that. I can do anything with your support."
Mal looked over at Ben for his confirmation. He smiled and took her chin in his palm again. Her eyes fluttered closed at the touch. He pulled her mouth up to his and began to kiss her. She didn't kiss back, just remained still as he let his tongue tease her teeth. She was almost completely unresponsive. Ben knew he'd really knocked her off-guard. After several minutes, he rested his forehead on hers. "I'm not going to leave." He told her.
"Neither am I." She whispered.
Ben curled a hand around her bicep and turned his head to whisper in her ear. Her warm breath on his lobe sent his mind running in places they really shouldn't have been going; considering the conversation they had just finished. "I need you in my life." He told her. "Don't leave. I don't want to have to find out if I can live without you."
Mal laughed. "You act like I'm going to die before I'm even eighteen." She put her arms around his neck and pulled him into a hug. "I won't leave, but you'd better stay here with me. I'd rather taste death than taste life without you." They were both thinking about that horrible prophecy they had received.
Her words made his heart pause for a scary beat. Ben wrapped his arms around her shoulders and pulled her clean out of the driver's seat and into the passenger seat with him. They leaned the chair back and lay side-by-side as Mal curled up into his side and began to lightly kiss and bite his collarbone as he tried to keep his hands out from under her shirt. 'Don't push her.' He told himself, over and over as his hands sank lower and his breath came in shorter puffs. 'Don't push her.' The stars above them seemed to lean down from the heavens.
He'd sure meant it when he'd thanked Maleficent.
They ended up curled next to each other, fully clothed, watching the lights above them and talking back and forth about everything - their lives, the things that had happened, and carefully avoiding the subject of everything that would happen.
Mal sat next to Audrey and waved to the table's inhabitants. "Good morning, everyone," She greeted as she pulled out her usual chair. Ben appeared over her shoulder as she sat down with a plate piled high with strawberries and one lonely grape. He set down a plate with a piece of toast on it and pointed at it firmly.
"You will eat that," He commanded. "Or I will command Lumiere to not put strawberries out tomorrow at all."
"I already have a grape," Mal frowned, though she pulled the plate closer. "I met the requirements."
"No, you avoided them," Ben shook his head. He turned and waved at his parents and Audrey. "Good morning," he greeted.
"Good morning." Belle and Adam smiled at them both.
"Hey Mal," Audrey smiled, turning off her cell phone and leaning towards Mal. "Want to head to the moors today?"
"Yes, actually." Mal smiled. "Oh! And I need to text Carlos and Evie for their help with something real quick."
"What are you doing?" Ben asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Anniversary Prep." Mal elbowed Ben with a smile. "I have a thing-idea."
Ben smirked. "If you're trying to get the jump on me, you've failed." He told her. "I've been planning since July."
Mal scowled but didn't say anything. Audrey snorted, and the two girls rolled their eyes in synchrony. Audrey finished her plate and stood up. "See you in, what? Thirty minutes?"
"Sure," Mal agreed. "I'll ask Stewart to meet us in the circle."
"Thanks." Audrey and Mal shared a quick fist-bump before Audrey hurried to the door.
Ben pulled out his phone and began scrolling through the castle page as he shook his head.
"What?" Mal asked, looking at the disbelieving look in his eyes.
"If someone had told me you and she would end up BFF's back when you first showed up, I would have actually laughed in their faces." Ben sighed. "Like, laughed so hard I might have spit in their eyes or something."
"You could say that about a lot of things." Mal rolled her eyes.
"You're right." Ben nodded. He held up a hand and began counting. "If someone had told me Maleficent's daughter would heal the entire Isle of the Lost, if you told me her mom would turn into a dragon, if you told me she would save me from a hostage situation, if you told me Maleficent would die, if you told me Maleficent's daughter would break the barrier and put it back up, if you told me Maleficent's daughter would be overly obsessed with snowflakes, if you told me my childhood friend would try to seduce me and then become BFF's with my wife, if you told me the moors would open for a day, I could go on!" Ben threw his hands over his head.
"You've gotta learn to roll with it." Mal shrugged.
"I'm rolling, I'm rolling." Ben sighed, revolving his hands around each other in exasperation.
"Mhm." Mal rolled her eyes. She stood up with her plate and kissed his cheek. "Kay, I'm going to go get ready and leave. See you tonight." She told him.
"Bye," Ben said halfheartedly. He watched as she took her phone from her pocket. As Mal walked away, she took a selfie of her with the bowl of strawberries in hand and the table behind her. Ben made sure to slip the camera a peace sign as Mal took the photo, and then turned back to his breakfast.
Mal left the room and began to upload the photo to the castle website. "Haha, Ben thinks I'll get sick if I eat all the strawberries by myself, but this is the fifth day and I'm still alive!"
Meanwhile, back at the table, Ben uploaded his own statement to the castle page. "Once, long ago, I teased Mal for accidentally calling herself an enchantress when the only spell she'd ever performed was to fix her hair one morning. Just lately I've realized how she goes about fixing everything she can and changing the lives of everyone around her. Even if she didn't have a lick of magic in her body, she'd still be an enchantress to me."
Mal reached her room, opened the door, and began dumping things onto the floor beside the door. Her boots, her phone, a couple of other things... She brushed her teeth and grabbed a ponytail holder before she paused by the door with a frown. "Where's my jacket?" She whispered aloud with a frown. Last she'd seen it, it had been in the moors with her... had she unpacked her things yet?
Mal ventured into the bedroom and found her suitcase propped up beside her closet door. She used her foot to swing it to the floor and then opened the zipper in one long, steady stroke. It took some digging, but she quickly found the leather article at the bottom of the bag. She held it up triumphantly, folded it over her arm, and reached to zip up the bag when she paused.
Also near the bottom of the bag was a small, unopened package of feminine supplies. An unopened package. Unopened.
Had she bled while she was in the moorlands?
She had completely forgotten. Everything had been so busy. The moorlands were a completely different world and she'd just lost her mom and... she'd forgotten.
Oh no.
She got up and pushed the opened suitcase into her closet with her foot before heading back to the door in a haze. She found her phone on the floor and quickly opened it. Mal's hands shook a little as she found Sophia's contact in her phone. "Are you busy?" She asked. "I need you."
Sophia responded quickly: "I'll come see you. Are you in your room?"
Mal replied in the affirmative and then wandered into the living room, searching anxiously for that sense of normality that had evaporated. She settled onto the couch, pressing her palms into her knees as she attempted to wipe the sweat off of her hands. The air was thick. Her knees felt like knocking together.
The door opened and Sophia appeared, black hair braided back. She shut the door and stepped forward as Mal got to her feet. "Hi," Mal whispered in a stifled tone as she and Sophia exchanged a quick hug. "I need help," She admitted, which wasn't an easy thing.
"Must be bad if you're saying it," Sophia chuckled uneasily. "Is it with the countries? Why not ask Ben?"
"It's not the countries," Mal shook her head. She withdrew and leaned back into the couch, clasping her hands together in between her thighs. "I just realized... I didn't bleed while I was in the Moorlands."
Sophia's expression fell slack. Several seconds of silence were exchanged by the two women and then the black-haired girl took a breath. "And Ben is-"
"Gone," Mal cut in. "He should be in office by now. He's usually pretty aware, but of course, I was gone. I can't have much time until I'm due for a second cycle and he'll pick up on the fact I'm not biting his head off every so often quickly."
"I thought you were-" Sophia began, but Mal cut her off again.
"I know," Mal winced. "Everyone did. We didn't exactly see the need for an announcement."
Sophia sat down on the couch with an exhale. "You're seventeen," She announced blandly. "You told Belle and Adam you weren't ready for kids like two months ago. Remember? You gave them Madison?"
"I know, I know," Mal nodded, covering her face with her hands. "Just… what do I do? Where should I go? Who should I talk to? How does Auradon do these things? Because on the Isle, the strategy was to hide the entire problem or run as far as you could."
Sophia was silent for several seconds before she appeared to begin to think again. "We could get you into a clinic to see a doctor," She began. "We'd have to act fast since all palace expenses pass over Ben's desk and make sure no one sees-"
"I don't like doctors," Mal sighed. "They poke and look at me weird and-" She sighed again.
"Well, they have tests," Sophia offered. "They're not always accurate but if I get a couple, it should be right."
Mal uncovered her face and stared blankly at the carpet. "Okay," She agreed after a long pause had drawn out between them.
"I'll get them from a drugstore and Ben won't look twice at the purchase then," Sophia promised, though Mal knew it probably wouldn't matter much. "It should take me about an hour to run to Auradon City and back. Can you wait, or do you want me to hold onto them for a little while since you have to get to the Isle?"
"I can wait," Mal nodded, sinking further into the couch. Wait and not freak out and keep her composure together. "Thank you, Sophia."
Sophia slipped an arm around her shoulders and pressed her tight into her side. "It'll be okay," She whispered. Mal nodded numbly and exhaled as Sophia stepped away and headed to the door. She leaned back and fell into the cushions with her feet swinging in the air. She stared at the ceiling, ignoring her phone as it buzzed intermediately until she remembered that Audrey would be waiting for her and pulled herself out of her stupor long enough to inform Audrey she was being held up.
The time passed slowly. Mal counted the seconds before she started counting her heartbeat before she heard the doorknob click and looked over to see her black-haired friend reappear. Slung over Sophia's shoulder was a white grocery sack. And, suddenly, upon seeing it, Mal felt worried.
"There's ten of them," Sophia murmured, pulling a box out and showing her. "Take as many as you need to feel comfortable."
Mal took the collection with shaking hands. "Maybe it's just a fluke and I'm late for some other random reason," She suggested.
"Has that happened before?" Sophia asked.
Mal shook her head. "On the Isle, yes," She admitted. "But not since I went to the Moorlands for the first time."
Sophia fixed her with a hard stare. "If you were any other girl, I might agree. But given you literally just got back from the Moorlands and that light in your skin hasn't even had a chance to die down, I doubt there's anything else wrong with you." She set a hand on Mal's shoulder. "It won't hurt to try and see," She mumbled.
That was a lie. It could hurt. It could hurt a lot. It could change everything and at a time like this…
Sophia guided her to the restroom. "There's instructions on the boxes," She whispered and then shut the door for the young queen.
Mal ended up using every one, lining them all up in a little row on her and Ben's counter, face-down. Then, Sophia was allowed back in to put an arm around her shoulders as they both stared at the row. "What are the chances these things are wrong?" Mal mumbled, hoping to get some idea of the leeway she was being offered. Not because she was expecting a certain answer but because she wanted to know if she could trust the response.
"They're pretty accurate," Sophia hummed. "Unless you took an off pill or some sort of vitamin in the last few hours, there shouldn't be any reason to doubt a positive test. As for a false-negative… we just have to see." She ran her hands through Mal's hair. Doubt laced her tone. "They usually say to wait until the day after you miss, but…"
"What if it doesn't work right for fae?" Mal asked, examining the back of each test suspiciously.
"It should," Sophia mumbled. "And either way, it'll become obvious in a month or two."
Mal made a sound of discouragement in the back of her throat and then began flipping tests over without looking at them. Sophia began flipping over tests as well, but from the guttural sound in the back of her throat, she'd glimpsed the results.
If they'd all come out as negative, life would continue on and she'd become a great deal more careful. If not…
Mal leaned back, examined the messy row, and fell expressionless. All but one indicated a positive test. Sophia picked up the one negative and displayed it to Mal needlessly. "I think it's safe to say this one is a false-negative," She whispered. Mal nodded in agreement and Sophia dropped the dud into the trash.
"So," Mal forced her voice to work, though it came out in a bit of a higher pitch. "Went to the Moorlands, missed, but I did bleed a week or so before I left Auradon so…"
"That's tight timing," Sophia exhaled.
"I'd be a month in, right?" Mal asked, looking up and examining Sophia.
"Probably closer to three weeks," Sophia agreed. "You're pretty on top of things to catch it this quickly."
Mal exhaled, turning away from the sight and leaning back against the countertop. Her head was spinning. "Okay, what now?" She asked.
"Now?" Sophia repeated.
"I don't know what I'm doing. How does Auradon usually handle this? What should I do?" Mal turned to Sophia. Her eyes, half-lidded, were full of confusion and worry. "I just… I need someone to tell me which foot to put forward."
Sophia examined the tests while shaking her head. "Did you tell Ben anything while I was in town?" She asked. Mal shook her head no, and Sophia tucked her hands into the pockets of her dress. "Sooner or later, he has to be told. Of course, if we leave these all out, he'll get the hint anyways." She picked up the waste bin and began sweeping them all into it. "I can take this out so he won't notice anything yet. Didn't you say he was pretty observant?"
"He is," Mal affirmed, snatching one test to continue examining it as she thought aloud. "It won't take him long to realize I've missed. And when he asks me about it and realizes I already know, the gig will be up." She closed her eyes and began counting. "October, November, December… that puts me right at the end of July, right? Or the middle?"
"I… think so?" Sophia nodded. "No, it'd be June. Most women start scheduling doctor's appointments but something tells me you're not interested in that social trend." Mal snorted and shook her head, covering her eyes with one hand. "And you're Queen of Auradon, so you'll have to tell the kingdom at some point. Not to mention the Isle and the Moorlands. Eventually there will be a coronation for the new child because they'll have to be named a prince or a princess." Sophia cut herself off with a stutter. "Of course, that won't be for several months. You'll have to talk with Ben. Ben will… probably have more information from his parents. Ask Ben."
Mal nodded. She slowly removed the hand covering her eyes and exhaled at the test in her other hand. She examined it and then shook her head. "I think I'll just leave this one out and then I don't have to worry about trying to find a way to break it to him. There's not much point in waiting anyways. If I leave it on our bed… he should find it before I get home from the Isle."
Sophia nodded her approval and put a hand on her shoulder. "Are you okay?" She asked.
Mal nodded. "I am. It's just a little… shocking." She pushed herself off the counter and, giving Sophia a last hug, walked out of the bathroom and went to put the test down on Ben's side of the bed, where she knew he'd go after he got out of work. Sophia watched her gather the things she'd set aside for the Isle without a word before they both stopped, facing each other without moving. Neither was quite sure how to take the first step back to normalcy until Mal opened the door, and both girls slipped outside.
She got back late, at 6:40. And, if her memory served her right, Ben had been released from his council meetings at five, so there should have been plenty of time for him to exchange pleasantries, maybe grab a snack or some dinner without her, and then make his way up to their room. Mal checked her cell phone as she walked up the steps to the palace and, yes, he'd been out of meetings for a while. There was nothing else scheduled for the entire evening. And she had no new messages.
There had been plenty of time for him to find the test. Plenty of time for him to take it in, maybe make a small plan or calm down or whatever actions would come with this realization for him, and plenty of time for him to grasp the situation.
She paused outside their door, fingers hovering on the knob. Assuming he'd made his way up here, which he likely had, and given that she had no new messages, the chances were that he was waiting behind this door somewhere for her to get home so that they could talk. Mal wondered if he was adhering to the slightly-still-in-force rule that when she was out of the palace, it was 'her time'. If so, maybe she should take advantage of the situation and let the matter sit a little bit longer.
She didn't though. She forced her stiff fingers to twist around the knob and slid the door open with her foot. Her eyes skimmed the room. Over the couches and the chairs and by the window. They hovered on the open door to the bedroom, expecting him to appear, and then Mal realized that the rooms were all darkened. No one was home.
She set her things on a chair, shut the door, and strode over to their bedroom. On the bed was the test, untouched. He hadn't come home yet. She felt in her pocket for her phone again and then sent a message to him: "Where are you?"
For almost a minute while she turned on the lights and hung her jacket in her closet, there was no response. And then Ben replied: "I'm out – was just in my office waiting for you to get home. I'll be home in a moment."
Home… their room… he hadn't come up yet.
Mal debated the text and settled onto the couch as she debated whether or not to take a walk. He could come by, find himself alone, and probably find the test while she circled around through the abandoned rooms of the palace. Before she could sell her decision to her doubtful heart, the knob twisted and Ben appeared in the doorway. He was smoothing down a blue plaid shirt that looked soft to the touch and his face lit up and softened when he saw her. Immediately, he headed to the couch to give her a hug.
"Hey," he greeted. "How was your day?"
"Busy," Mal smiled. "How was your meeting?"
Ben groaned pitifully. "Chad's making me angry," He admitted with a scowl. Ben released her and went to put his bag beside the bedroom door.
"Have they asked you to go north?" Mal asked, turning to watch as he pulled out his phone and frowned at the percentage.
"No," he replied. "No, not yet." He returned to her, kissed her cheek in a motion that left a spot of warmth on her cheek, and then turned and headed into their room. Mal listened carefully to the sound of him traversing their room. There was the sounds of his shoes scuffing against the carpet and then a ding as he plugged his phone in. He set his phone down on the nightstand with a thud and then the room went abruptly silent. Mal heard the brush of skin against the covers of their bed, but there was no sound indication that he had sat down. She closed her eyes and imagined him standing beside the bed, holding the test in his hand. She'd wondered if she'd hear an intake of breath or something, but all was silent.
After a very long and still few minutes, Mal was trying to prepare herself to get up and walk to the door. Ben probably wanted to be alone; he probably wanted a moment to take it all in. She dug her fingernails into the couch and then heard footsteps returning from the other room and forced herself to relax. She didn't look up as Ben took a seat on a different couch, at a diagonal from her where he was still within easy reach, and set the test down on the table. Seeing it made her nauseous. She shut her eyes and turned her head away from him a little. His cool touch appeared on her jaw.
"Mal," he whispered, and she allowed him to turn her face back towards him, though she didn't open her eyes. His breath materialized against her cheek before he carefully kissed her, threading his fingers up into her hair. Mal kissed back, just for the sake of it. She was waiting with baited breath for his reaction, and was sure this was more for her then it was for him.
She let her eyes open when he leaned away but couldn't look right at his face as she focused on the ground. "What are our plans?" She asked, fiddling with the strings in her pants as she avoided looking anywhere near him and anything near the test on the table.
"I guess we're going to have a baby," Ben sighed. His tone, though cautious, was light. Finally, Mal chanced a glance up at him. A hand was pressed to his forehead and his cheeks were flushed, but he looked exhilarated.
"Are you excited?" She asked, raising her eyebrows at him.
Ben covered his entire face as a smile stretched out against his mouth. "Ugh, torn," He admitted with a laugh. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. We should have been more careful – I should have had more control…"
"More control?" Mal repeated, straightening up. She wasn't sure if he was insinuating that it was all her fault or all his fault, but neither option seemed very gratifying.
"Sorry," Ben apologized. "Oh, gosh, we're going to have a baby. Holy crap." He covered his eyes with his hand and Mal leaned back into the couch, utterly confused. His smile continued burning at his mouth and at her eyes. "Oh, gosh, you're seventeen still. People are going to be furious."
"I'm an adult," Mal protested. "I mean, fine, a young adult, but still. You're only twenty-three! That's still a young age!"
"Eh, it's kind of a common age among the royals, actually." Ben shrugged. "I think Merida was the oldest when she finally had her twins. Thirty-nine or forty, I can't remember. Ariel was the youngest. She was younger than you, actually."
"Then why is there any problem?" Mal demanded, raising a hand into the air. "I'll be eighteen anyways."
"Science says it's better when you're older, so lots of royals have been making efforts not to marry and settle as young. And citizens have always typically married around twenty-seven with children at thirty, so you'll stand out no matter what among them," Ben explained. "And also… I feel awful because you're kind of going to loose lots of freedom and free time. I mean, so will I, but you're younger than I am and-" He cut himself off, shrugging. "You could have had that freedom for a little longer."
Mal watched him clasp his hands together with his elbows on his knees and then lean into his hands, still smiling. She traced the outline of his shoulders and his expression. He might have been feeling bad, but he wasn't really showing it as much as he was smiling. She swallowed. "The Moorlands and the Isle will still need me. So long as I can get there, I'm not really concerned about how much time a baby will take up."
Ben snorted, shaking his head. "You're not ever going to get over that go-wherever-you-want fascination, are you?" He asked. Mal blinked. It had been a long time since he'd mentioned that. A literal year. "We'll have to talk… see how things will work out. I don't want you to have the baby in the moorlands, and as time goes on… I don't want to be separated from you."
"Okay," Mal agreed. "But I still have to get there. Maybe if I could fly from the moorlands and back, I could be there and here more often."
"Fly?" Ben repeated, his smile finally fading a bit. "But… what if you fall?"
"There's a chance of me falling no matter what, Ben," Mal pointed out. "So long as I take care of myself, there shouldn't be any problems."
Ben, however, still looked incredibly tense. "Can we… find a solution that keeps you on the ground?" He asked.
Mal frowned. A pang echoed in her chest. "I like flying," She disagreed. "I like being high. You've always known that." Since day one, she'd been climbing the palace roof and disappearing out from under the royal's noses.
"Just for a few months?" Ben pleaded. He reached out and set a hand on her knee. "Please?"
"What's your solution?" Mal demanded. "How can I be in the Moorlands for the time I'm supposed to be here and then in Auradon for the same without you missing a month every other month?"
Ben fell a little silent. However, his lack of word didn't comfort Mal. It only enraged her. It was pretty clear, from his expression alone, what he was hoping he could get her to agree to do without a fight. "Less time in the moors?" She demanded, picking his hand up off her knee and then turning her frame away from him. "You'd rather me stay here?"
"Just for the last few months – please?" He asked, getting off the couch and crouching down beside her. "It's just so far and a different country… I want to keep you close, Mal."
"They're my responsibility," Mal grit her teeth. "Why don't you come with me to the Moors and give up on Auradon for a month?"
Ben was silent. He couldn't argue with her logic. But his hand still settled on her hip, and then dragged closer to the center of her frame until it was settled underneath her ribcage and on her stomach. "They're mine too, Mal," He whispered. "Is it so bad that I want to have you both close?"
No. No, it wasn't. But he couldn't expect her to drop everything and keep home for close to a year. And even in the last months… that was still four months that she had places to be. Things that needed doing. She turned her head farther away from him. He sighed. "Think about it?" He begged. "You can still go to the Isle… Maybe you can spend the first four months in the moors and the last four here?"
"I can't leave the Isle alone that long," Mal shook her head. She brushed his hand off of her and stood up. It was making her restless – sitting when she felt like she was fighting. "What about you?" She watched as he, too, got to his feet. "If you have to go north, you'll be gone anyways."
Ben winced. "I'll try not to go," He promised. "I swear, I'll do anything to stay. But even then, I wouldn't want you in the Moorlands when you have the baby. I want to find some doctors who can be here with us and-"
"No," Mal declined with a sigh. "No, I won't need them."
"What?" Ben asked in a disbelieving tone. "But what if something goes wrong? We have to have someone there!"
Mal crossed her arms. "You can fight me on this all you want, but I won't see a doctor."
Ben stared at her like she was crazy, but Mal held firm. Doctors with tools who would cut you open and stick things in you and who gave you things to put into your body without ever really knowing about them were not really up her alley. And sure, things were different in Auradon, but part of Mal had never left the Isle, and that part knew with a paranoia stronger than reason exactly what a doctor would bring her.
Ben visibly decided to argue with her later – he was already on a roll with asking her to stick to the ground and not go to the moors – and instead put his hands in his pockets to ask: "Who already knows?"
Mal kept her arms crossed, covering her chest as she swallowed. "Sophia," She admitted. "She went down to town to grab me the tests."
Ben raised his eyebrows. "Have you not told your friends?" He asked.
Mal frowned. "Should I have?" She asked.
Ben shrugged. "I just assumed you would have," He said. "but you don't necessarily have to." Mal considered it, staring at him, and then nodded.
"I think I will," She decided, reaching for her phone where it had fallen on the couch.
Ben raised his eyebrows. "Right now?" He asked.
"Why not?" Mal asked, pausing as she unlocked it. "Would you rather wait?"
Ben shrugged. "It's up to you," He declared. "Most people wait a few months to make sure there's no miscarriage or anything."
Mal nodded along to his words even though the Auradon customs were unfamiliar to her. On the Isle, it was immediately after realizing it or never speaking a word, and if you lost it then, chances were, you thanked God. She had a feeling that wasn't quite the reaction Auradon would have.
It was strange, she realized, to keep comparing Auradon's customs with the Isle's customs now that the Isle was a completely different place where she didn't even live anymore. What was she to know about it?
"I want to talk to them," Mal mumbled. "I guess… I love you, but they know more of what I'm thinking right now." Ben was Auradon. Ben didn't know the Isle. Ben didn't know what she was thinking.
Ben hesitated, looking like he might protest that she could explain herself, and then nodded. He made a gesture to go ahead and picked the test back off the table, presumably to go and throw it away with the rest now that it had served its purpose. Mal watched him disappear and then dialed Evie's number. The phone rang three times, and Evie answered. "Hello?" She asked.
"Hey, it's Mal. Can you hear me?" Mal sat down, staring at the television screen blankly as she heard Evie gasp. There was the distinct sound of a sewing machine being turned off.
"Oh, Mal!" Evie exclaimed. "Hey, guys! Mal is calling!"
Mal couldn't help a bright smile as Evie switched the phone to the loudspeaker and the sound of the boys' loud whoops came through on her end. "Hi, guys!" She smiled. "How are you all?"
"We're good," Evie exclaimed. Mal could hear her best friend's smile. "We have so much to tell you!"
"I have lots to tell you too, Evie," Mal replied. "What's going on?"
"Oh, so much!" Evie cheered. "I got an internship for fashion design and Carlos has a job as an IT guy. Doug has been training him. Oh! And Doug and I are going on a date next Tuesday. And Jay has his first tourney game next week!"
"It's going to be on TV!" Jay exclaimed in excitement. "On Auradon College News Network! We've had practice all week long, and I have a best friend named Herkie, the son of Hercules, who's on offense with me."
"That's awesome, Jay!" Mal exclaimed. "What time? What day?"
"Saturday, six o'clock," Jay said proudly. Mal brought her phone down from her ear and looked at the palace calendar, full of meeting notifications.
"Saturday… six… okay, I'll be there," Mal declared. "Maybe I can convince Ben to leave to palace to come with me."
"I designed a dress for you," Evie announced. "It's purple with blue. Can I give it to you on Saturday?"
"Absolutely," Mal agreed. Ben came back out of the bathroom, glanced at her, and then went into their bedroom without giving any indication he was trying to listen in on her phone call. "I've missed wearing the things you make."
"I missed making things for you," Evie replied. "Anyway, how are things at the palace? Any particular reason for calling?"
"Actually… yeah." Mal drummed her fingers on the couch and tilted her legs up. "I have something to tell you guys."
"What?" Evie asked, sounding a bit apprehensive.
"Is it about Ben?" Carlos asked.
"Do we need to kick his rear for you?" Jay asked. There was a sound like the smacking of a fist against a palm.
"No!" Mal let out a dry laugh. "I'm… pregnant." There was immediate silence on the other end. She waited a moment, trying to imagine their expressions, and then asked: "Hello?"
"Pregnant?" Jay repeated. "With, like, a baby?"
Mal rolled her eyes. "No, with a boot." She said sarcastically. "Yes, a baby! I'm probably due in July. I literally found out today." She traced a little pattern on her leg as she waited for their reactions.
"But you're still only seventeen." Carlos pointed out. "Isn't that illegal?"
"Since I turn eighteen before I have the baby, it's okay," Mal explained. "I already checked."
"Does Ben know?" Evie asked.
"Yeah, I just told him," Mal nodded even though her blue-haired friend couldn't see. "He, uh, he took it well. I think he's still processing his full reaction though."
"How far along are you?" Evie asked.
"Not far at all," Mal admitted. "I missed my cycle in the moorlands and asked Sophia to run out to get me some tests today. We did ten – all but one were positive. We're pretty sure."
"How many people have you told?" Evie asked.
"You guys," Mal sighed. "Ben, Sophia. That's it. I haven't even told Belle or Adam or my dad." She paused. How would Hades react? It wouldn't be his first grandkid, given all her siblings that she's had spread out over the last few centuries, but it would be the first grandkid by the child he'd lost due to a magical plot. Would he be angry at her? Would he be angry at Ben?
"You have the moorlands and the Isle," Evie pointed out. "What are you going to do?"
Mal closed her eyes. "We're… talking about it. I just… am feeling a little overwhelmed and I wanted to talk to you guys about it." However, now that she was thinking about it, she didn't really know how her friends were supposed to help her. They didn't know anything about the war. They didn't know anything about ruling countries.
"Are you okay?" Carlos asked. Mal paused, staring at the line of the table against the carpet as her mind slowed down to understand what he was saying.
"I think so," She nodded. "But I think I'm just having a hard time separating the old Isle of the Lost from, well, my life now."
"If you need any help, we're here," Evie promised. She let out a sudden gasp. "I have the perfect idea for clothes for you! You're going to be the most stylish lady to ever get pregnant!"
Mal let out a disbelieving laugh. "Keep it me, okay Evie?" She paused. Jay had been silent for a little bit. She cleared her throat. "Hey, Jay? She asked. "Are you okay?"
"Um, yeah," Jay said in a scratchy tone. There was a sniffle on the other end and Mal's heart dropped into her stomach.
"Oh my gosh," She gasped. "Are you crying?"
"No," Jay insisted stubbornly. "I'm okay. I've made my peace with Ben and I'm happy you're happy and I'm okay with the idea you're going to have a little Madison of your own and everything's-" Jay broke off into pure, unabashed sobs. Mal covered her mouth with her hand in shock.
"Oh, come on big guy," Carlos muttered through the phone.
"She's going to have a tiny baby too!" Jay whisper-cried. "Just imagine how small her baby will be! Mal's already short!"
"Hey!" Mal snapped playfully. She wrapped an arm around her waist as his words reverberated in her skull. She continued, softer: "It's going to be okay."
Jay took several deep breaths while Evie and Carlos comforted him. "I'm okay, I'm okay." He repeated over and over.
"Um," Evie said, picking up the phone. "We have a thing starting here pretty quick and Jay needs a quick pick-me-up so I'm going to let you go, okay?"
"Sounds good." Mal agreed. "Bye, E. Bye Carlos! Bye Jay!"
"Bye Mal!" Carlos called back. Jay cried harder.
The call ended. Mal set her phone down and slumped into the couch. She heard footsteps from the other room before Ben's hands landed on her shoulders and he began to massage into them. "You're stressed," He whispered.
"I have a right to be," Mal responded wearily. She folded her hands on top of her belly.
"Everything okay with them?" He asked. "Jay mad?"
"No, he's more… devastated." Mal shrugged. "He started crying - like full-out sobs. And he started talking about how small the baby was going to be – you know - since I'm short." She gestured to her frame half-heartedly.
Ben snorted. "Well, could have gone worse." He chuckled. "Did it help?"
Mal closed her eyes. "I don't know," She confessed. "I don't really know what help I need right now."
Ben let go of her shoulders and walked around the couch to sit next to her. He slipped his arm around her waist and pulled her next to him. Mal chuckled and moved her legs to be on top of his as she curled into him a little bit. He kissed her forehead as she looped her arm around him. "What's wrong?" He asked.
"I don't think anything is. It's probably just shock," Mal explained with her mouth against his shirt. "I mean, I'm worried, I'm excited, I'm not quite sure how I feel about having a kid, but I'm just trying to... put one foot in front of the other."
Ben smiled. He put his other arm around her and rested his hand on her side. Mal laid her head on his shoulder. "I'm excited." He admitted. "Do you think you'll be okay?"
Mal hummed. "You jinxed me." She told him. "Your whole 'if you found out tomorrow' speech did me in." Ben laughed. Mal smirked. "I'm okay. I haven't started thinking about what I'll actually be like when I have a smaller human around, but right now I'm okay. Not angry, not upset, just… content in my existence."
Ben nodded, exhaling a little. "You keep me posted, okay?" He demanded. "I know we have three countries between us, but I'm not going to stop trying to be here for you."
"I will," Mal assured him, reaching for his left hand and twisting his ring around his finger. "We're a pair, aren't we?"
She had no idea how different everything was about to become.
I know y'all are going to be incensed. Just take a moment to calm down and think about how nervous I was to release this. Remember, every plot point plays into the bigger story.