A/N: Hey guys. I know it's been a while since the last update. I've had a lot going on with school and college apps, so I haven't had as much time to write. Thank you so much for the reviews. I really appreciate them. To Anon123, I will add some Carlos and Jane stuff soon. I have a very specific idea for how that will go. I haven't forgotten about Jane, but am waiting for something (wink). Happy reading!

Disclaimer: I do not own Descendants or any of its characters. I write with only love for the franchise and the characters. Thank you.

Doug was a bundle of nerves as he walked down the hallway in the girls' dormitory. He knew he needed to tell her about what just happened. After reading practically everything on the Internet and in the school library about how to deal with this type of situation, Doug had decided that it was better not to say anything. Whether Ben would believe him or not, there were reasons that he hadn't told anyone about his friends' lives on the Isle, a lot of reasons. Most of what he knew about the Isle he'd heard from Evie in confidence. Doug knew it hurt her to talk about it, so he never pushed her. Their parents weren't the only issue that Evie and her friends had on the Isle. If he told anyone what she told him, she would probably have to talk about it again, and he would never want to put her through that, especially the parts with her mother. Evie didn't need to think any more about what her mother said than she already did. Doug would never want to betray her trust, either.

Everything else that he had guessed about the Isle was from just watching Evie and her friends and paying attention to the offhanded comments that they made. He'd once heard Carlos and Jay talk about how "awesome" it was to sleep in a bed. Then there was the food issue. There were too many foods that were new to them, or that "didn't look the same here". They'd never had ice cream, pizza, or any food that wasn't rotten or moldy. The amount of food that they ate was also an issue, particularly with Evie and Mal. They didn't always eat enough; sometimes they didn't eat at all. When they were asked about it, the girls just said that they weren't used to eating more. That was concerning. Both of them were extremely light. Even though Doug had worked in his dad's mines as a kid, he was no weight lifter. Yet, he could easily lift his girlfriend, and comfortably carry her for a short while. Doug was honestly surprised that Ben and the others hadn't noticed any of these things.

That was another reason that he hadn't said anything. There didn't seem to be a need to tell anyone, because most of it seemed obvious. Did no one else notice the food thing? Or the defense positions? In retrospect, Doug could understand. When Evie had told him that she had gone to the Isle to rescue Ben, Doug had been so preoccupied with his own insecurities that it didn't sink in until a few minutes later. He'd decided not to make a big deal out of it, since he probably looked like an idiot.

On another note, since Evie, Mal, Jay, and Carlos were in Auradon, the only thing that alerting Fairy Godmother or someone else would do is push them into counseling. All of the other reasons to tell an adult about child abuse didn't really apply to their situation. They were already removed from their parents' care and never going back. Doug had purposefully dropped some comments about the location of the school counselor's office to the four in case they wanted it, but it seemed unlikely that they would want that. If Evie broke down in tears trying to talk to him about it, there was no way that she'd willingly go talk to some stranger. All of the villains' kids were defensive around new people, and Doug was one of the least scary people ever. Now, even though Doug had tried to avoid it, Evie and her friends were probably going to be forced into a situation like that. While they were trying to put that life behind them, they were going to be forced to relive it.

As Doug knocked on Evie's door, he shifted uneasily. She opened the door with a smile.

"Ready for lunch?" Before Doug could respond, she picked up on his nervousness. "Wait, what's wrong?" He gave a weak smile. It was now or never.

"When I - uh - went to change from my uniform, Ben and Lonnie were in my room talking." Evie frowned confused, and Doug wouldn't meet her eyes. "They um, know about some of what your parents did, on the Isle, to you guys." He looked up at her, scared of her reaction. Evie stared back at him, her eyes wide and her mouth forming an O.

"How- how did they find out?" She looked away, fearful of the answer.

"Lonnie said Jay told her. She was so upset that she went and told Ben. He went to talk to Fairy Godmother, and he'll probably want to talk to you about it. He was really upset."

Evie exhaled. She really didn't want to talk about it with Ben. Sure, he was a nice guy, but he would never understand. Fairy Godmother's talk hadn't been too bad, but she did help Cinderella out all those years ago. While she had been nice, it was just easier for Evie to open up to Doug. She was really relieved that he hadn't been the one to tell Ben. She knew he didn't just go sharing their conversations with everyone. She could trust him. And there was more to it. Evie knew she loved him. That made it easier to talk. But now that Ben knew about some of it, and he would want to know about everything. Should they try to leave some of it out? What could they convince Ben was everything? Evie closed her eyes. She still had nightmares over some of the things her mom did. Mal did, too. They had all learned very early not to disobey their parents. She shivered as she recalled the day their parents learned that they were friends.

Doug watched Evie carefully as she thought over what he said. She seemed okay at first, but then she closed her eyes and started trembling.

"Evie?" he asked. He knew she might be mad, but he took a step forward and hugged her, rubbing her back. She hugged him back, and gradually stopped shaking, falling limp in Doug's embrace.

"Go with me," she whispered. Doug blinked. That was the last thing he was expecting.

"Okay," he murmured. Evie pulled out of the hug and kissed him on the cheek.

"Thank you," Doug blinked again.

"What for?"

"For always being there for me."

"Of course." Doug's hands moved from her back to her shoulders. "Do you feel okay to go get lunch?" His brow furrowed in worry that she was going to refuse food again. She didn't always eat when she was upset.

Evie nodded, and Doug relaxed. This was going to be a very long day, but at least he could make sure that she was okay - at least as okay as she could be.

In the cafeteria

Evie really didn't want to eat right now. She actually felt a little bit queasy. She was fine to tell the whole world about her latest dress designs, but talking to Ben about the Isle, especially with Mal there, was going to be… hard. At least she would have Doug there. That way, even if Mal completely flipped and scared away Jay and Carlos, she would still have someone there with her. Evie knew that her friends would never intentionally leave her to deal with… that… by herself, but when Mal was angry, anything could happen. But for now Evie had to try to be perfectly calm. She nibbled on her slice of pizza, and raised the corners of her mouth as Doug tried to distract her.

"I hear that Ruby is going to be having a birthday ball in a few weeks. She's going to hand out invitations between classes on Monday." Evie swallowed and smiled.

"Yeah, I know. She came to me this morning to ask me to make her a dress. I've already got a few ideas." She started to think of the dress she had already mentally sketched.

Doug beamed at his successful girlfriend. Of course she was already thinking of Ruby's dress. He could see the wheels turning in her head as she thought over different materials.

"Hey, Doug. I was hoping I could talk to you and Lonnie about this morning." Doug and Evie both turned to look at Ben in surprise, and Evie tensed. Doug put his hand over Evie's on the table.

"That's okay, Ben. You go talk to Lonnie."

"But-"

"It's okay. I'm always prepared, remember?" He gave Ben a warning look, and his roommate finally understood. Doug was not leaving his girlfriend any time soon.

"Oh. Okay. I'll see you later then?" He turned to Evie. "Are you free later? Mal, Jay, and Carlos, too? It's been a while since I talked to all of you… you know… together..." Ben winced at how lame his excuse sounded. Evie nodded, somehow managing to keep a straight face. She wasn't supposed to know what he was talking about, but Evie knew that Ben had wanted to talk to Doug about the Isle. He wanted to talk about her and her friends, but Doug said no. Why?

"Yeah, how about 3:00?"

"Yeah, um," Ben paused, "do you think Jay and Carlos would be okay with us… hanging out in their room." Evie raised an eyebrow, in question, but still answered.

"Yeah, sure, I'll tell them."

Ben stood there awkwardly, unsure of what to do. "Okay, thanks." He gave a short wave goodbye, and headed to talk to Lonnie. How was he going to do this?

Evie stared off into space as Ben left. The real question is what I'm going to tell them, she thought. She frowned, and Doug squeezed her hand comfortingly. She gave him a sad smile. I really hope that Mal doesn't lose it.

A/N: I know that wasn't what you are all waiting for, but we're getting there! I thought that I needed to address why Doug hadn't told an adult or Ben, since that is what you are supposed to do in a situation like this. It was really bothering me. Also, you may have realized that I have stuck with the more observant and bold Doug from the first Descendants. He actually admitted to stalking Evie, so I wanted to give some reason for the small character change in the second movie. I'll be posting some more insight onto why he is insecure in an upcoming update to "No Makeup" as soon I can find the time to finish it. As for this story, don't lose hope yet because...

All of the VK's will be in the next chapter! It will be tense.

Thank you all!