I Don't have Your Power

(Monday Evening, June 24th)

"Did you ever find out what she was?" Jay questions.

Mal sits on the bed, "It's not like I was going to interrogate her after what happened, but I did look up her abilities."

"So?" Carlos prompts.

She hesitates, "There was this forum of people who claimed to have her abilities, and they call themselves angels."

"Angles?" Jay doubts. "Like Bible angels?"

"Well, obviously, God doesn't exist," Mal quietly asserts, before she looks at him. "But it had to come from somewhere, right?"

"Glowing. Healing. Teleportation," Evie lists. "It makes sense."

"No wings though," Carlos points out.

"That could have easily been a metaphor," Evie solves.

There's a knock on the door, and Mal calls, "Come in."

When Ben enters he frowns, "Having a meeting?"

"Are we safe here?" Evie questions.

"I know my father isn't the most open to outsiders," Ben begins.

"No," Mal asserts, and his eyes meet hers. "Are me and Evie safe in this country?"

Ben wets his lips, "This is about yesterday."

"Her boyfriend tried to kill her," Mal's eyes widen. "Just because she was different."

"I wouldn't do that," Ben calmly comments.

Mal sadly laughs, "I know you wouldn't."

He steps forward and folds his hands, "I know my country has a bad history with dealing with different people, but no one would touch you. Not when you're with me." She looks away in annoyance. "What is it?"

She gives him a look, "I don't know, maybe something with you forgetting that Audrey's servant tried to kill me."

Ben shuts his eyes for a moment, "I didn't forget."

"Oh, really?" she doubts.

"Hey," Carlos interrupts. "What's up with the lights?"

"Yeah." Jay adds on, "Nothing works. I can't even charge my phone."

Ben smiles, "It's Eco Week. We spend the week without things that would hurt it, and we hang out with each other, spend time outside."

"Speaking of which," Ben hears his mother say, and he turns towards her.

"Impeccable timing," he mutters in French.

"Thank you," she smiles, before she hands a bag to every four of them. "And because we will be spending a lot of time outside this week, I thought you could use these."

Ben notices Jay pull red swim shorts from the black bag, "Uh. Mother. They can't swim."

"Then we'll just have to get them a teacher," she solves. "They will be experts by the end of the week."

Mal pulls out the purple bikini, before she notices Evie's aqua one, watching as she moves a hand along her ribs and pinching her stomach. Mal gapes at Ben with pleading eyes, and he mentions, "Mother. They dress conservatively. You know that."

"It's a swimsuit, Ben," she reminds him. "It's not meant to be conservative." She notices the girls' uncomfortableness, "This is the one time you can show your bodies and be proud without being ridiculed."

"It's going to make me look fat," Evie claims as she puts hers back in the pink bag.

Mal puts hers back as well, "I have too many scars."

"I see," Belle frowns. "Well. What would you like? Would a one-piece work?"

Evie whispers to Mal, "What's a one-piece?"

"Okay." Ben steps forwards, "Mother. I think I'll just take them shopping. Okay?"

She turns to him, "You don't need to do that."

"You're not spending any more of your money," he asserts, before he quiets. "I've got this. I can get them." He notices her begin to tear up, "Mother?"

"It's just," she whispers, "I wanted to be there for you." She looks at the others, "And your friends."

"You are," Ben reassures. "And you don't need to spend your money to be."

She gulps with a slight nod, "Right." before she lets out a breath. "But how? I don't see how I—" She shuts her eyes, and more tears fall.

Ben wipes the tears away, places a hand on her arm, and their eyes meet, "All you need to do is be here." He lets out a breath, realizing that has been somewhat a foreign concept to her. "You know, just help us when we do ask for something. Because, I would guess that they— that we— are the type of people who ask for things only when we really need them." She continues to cry, and he hugs her, "It's okay. So long as you're here, that's what matters." That scent. He wants it. His eyes widen, and he lets go of her, clearing his voice, "Um. So, yeah." He nods down, "I'll just take them to new stuff. Okay?" She doesn't speak, and he takes a step back.

After he leaves the room Carlos questions, "Are you supposed to follow him?"

Mal slowly answers, "I don't think so." before she uncomfortably observes Belle still falling apart. "But I'm not staying here." She walks to the door and looks back, "Jay. Coming?"

Jay walks over and follows her out into the hallway, before he notices Carlos and blocks the doorway. "I don't think so." He shuts the door, and Carlos turns back around. He watches as Evie stands and moves over to Belle.

She can feel an intense sensation coming off from her, "What's wrong?"

"There's only so little I can do," she mutters. "I want so much for him to have a good life. He deserves one— you all do— but…"

When she continues to sob Evie wraps an arm around Belle's waist and leans her head against her shoulder, "You heard him. It's okay."

"He's just saying that," she whispers, and Evie shuts her eyes as the sensation becomes heavier. She takes a deep breath, and there's a cold emptiness. She shivers and takes another breath, as the darkness envelops her. There's nothing more she could do. This place was her last hope, and if it's failed her, she will have nothing left nor anywhere to turn to.

Belle moves, and Evie lets go of her. "I should check on dinner, see when it'll be ready."

When Belle passes him, he watches her leave the room before his eyes move back to Evie. She saunters back to the bed and sits with her hands on the edges. He moves forward, "Evie?" before he notices the tears leave her eyes. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know," she whispers.

He glances between the door and her, "You did something." before he walks forward and kneels to see her face. "Hey. What did you do?"

She slightly shakes her head, "I don't know. I just could feel it, and I wanted to make her better… I don't know what happened."

There's a minute of silence, before Carlos remembers the chocolate bar in his pocket, takes it out, and breaks a square off. He hands it to her, "Here." Evie takes a moment before biting into it, and when she does she sobs. Carlos takes the square back from her, placing the rest of it into his own mouth, before he sits next to her and puts an arm over her shoulders. "I wish I knew how to make you better." She continues to cry, and Carlos tightens his hold of her. "But… I don't have your power."