How could I have let this happen? King Adam was pacing in his study again as yet another box of papers were brought into his office. The resounding *thump* they made on his already paper strewn desk sounded in his ears like a fist colliding into flesh. Those villains are trying to break out of the Isle. Auradon would not survive this time if they got out. And an army at Maleficent's hand? The most wicked of all of the villains had them at her fingertips, ready to follow without hesitation. I shouldn't have listened to her when we closed the final barrier. I should have buried her with the rest. King Adam kept going from pacing to scribbling notes, to pacing once again in thought. There was so much he needed to do. He needed to contact the other realms; he needed his own army here. And the villain kids...they needed to be investigated.
"Father!" Ben's voice rang in his ears as a heavy boot slammed into a vulnerable ribcage…wait, no…that was the door. The heavy wooden door to his study was thrown open as guards fought to hold the prince back. King Adam fought to get his breathing back under control as images of the Isle began fading into the shadows of his mind. How could a parent even fathom hitting their child?
Oh god, Ben. That poor boy should not be caught up in all of this, and it was precisely why he wanted him away from everything; the guards were ordered to keep him out. These were adult matters that adults should have to handle. Not this innocent kid who has never seen hardship in his life. Hardships… his girlfriend was a mother for crying out loud. It took him far too long to connect the dots as he endured Fairy Godmother's spell. The VK's kept referencing 'the girls' and had even mentioned their names a few times. He had naively thought them to be more members of the Dragon gang.
"Ember!" The dark haired girl known as Dahlia had yelled towards Mal as Maleficent had her locked in a magical battle of will on drop day. "Think of Ember, Mal!" That had been a very vague clue number one, but it piqued his interest nevertheless.
"...do you have people in hiding at the Tremaines?" The young boy that Mal and Roan had been fighting over gave him another clue. The way Mal's knees hit the floor as horror washed over her face...and then Evie snapped and made a sprint for the door. He doubted it even then, because for both of them to have children...it couldn't be. He quietly shared with Belle and Fairy Godmother that it could be younger siblings. When Jay addressed the gang later, understanding and horror that were matching both Mal and Evie's stared back at them. The gang knew who these 'girls' were, and they readied themselves to go and save them even though they could be going against Maleficent. The loyalty these kids had to their own struck a chord with King Adam. Maybe he had judged them too harshly?
And then later when Evie was tearing herself apart as they waited to go into the Tremaines. Mal was barely holding it together as well. Even their rival gang leader lent a hand to save whoever it was that these Dragons had in hiding. She even referenced 'Ember' by name; she had a history with her, he was sure of it.
Clue number three hit Adam when Maleficent had Mal alone in Lady Tremaine's house. 'Where is she,' she had threatened with venom dripping from her purple lined lips. Mal had responded with a 'safe from you,' and that told him that Maleficent had been after this Ember for a while now. Could Ember be Mal's daughter, or could she be a little sister that she had stolen from her mother in an effort to protect her? Horror struck him when Maleficent finally said it, but he also saw how her threat flew right over Ben's head as fear for Mal's safety drowned out the conversation in front of him. He was seeing Maleficent in all of her glory, up close for the first time ever and he was terrified. 'Come with me and I'll spare your little brat.'
The look Ben had on his face when they both finally realized for sure exactly who Ember was shot daggers of regret right through his bones and stole the breath from his lungs. Adam knew he had a suspicion by now, and the look he shared with him when he came to the same conclusion as Mal was being tortured by her own mother threatened to tear his heart in two. Mal was willing to threaten her mother to not touch this Ember. She was willing to die at her hand to keep her daughter safe.
The royals could all tell that Mal had met this man, Steel, before. The lust in his eyes ignited a deep growl within Adam's chest, but it was cut off when that name was mentioned again, and the confirmation of who Ember was hit him hard.
"She's never going to get Ember…"
And then they all realized how hard just keeping the name away from Maleficent had been. They knew the evil fairy was behind Mal, but there was nothing they could do to warn the young girl. Maleficent's bored face lit up at the revelation, and the royals sank just the same. "So that's her name. Ember." It seemed as if she were tasting the name on her tongue as she tried it out for the first time, enjoying the look of horror now crossing her daughter's face. "A strong name, but such a waste for such a horrible little creature."
Through the pain, Mal threatened the Mistress of Evil for even saying it. She threatened her with everything she had, threatened death even. Belle and Fairy Godmother had their hands over their hearts in despair, knowing exactly where Mal was coming from with those threats.
And then there was the tender moment of both Evie and Mal reuniting with their daughters…
"Dad!" Ben yelled towards him again. He had been so absorbed in his thoughts that he had forgotten that Ben was even here. "Dad, what's going on? You're not going to-"
"Benjamin," Adam said as he cut him off. "I'll deal with this. You need to forget about what you saw and heard, at least until I come up with a plant to-."
"What? No. Father, you might think I'm some kid, but I'm not. How am I supposed to be King in a few short months when you won't let me do the things that a King needs to do? No, I'm sticking with this whether you like it or not." It seemed as if Ben had grown several inches taller as he straightened his spine and tried leveling with his father. For a moment, Adam's pride in his son soared, but then the harsh reality of the Isle's dark matters came crashing in again.
Adam had to admit that bringing Ben in would give him the experience, but he had never been in a war such as this. The failure he felt was too much, and he wanted his son as far away from the fallout as he could be. "Ben, this is something that I created, and I will deal with it." And that was it. He simply turned his back on his son for his own sake, but Ben snapped and went off on him for the first time ever.
"And I opened the box, dad. You may have been the cause of it all, but I'm the one who is going to be cleaning up your mess long after you are gone!" he roared. "These kids are dying because of the mess you and the other royals created. If you even think about closing the Isle to bury everything that you have caused, I will fight you every step of the way. You will not fail these kids again, dad. They are innocent; forced to grow up way too quickly because of events you created. You failed them, simple as that. You failed the Isle, and you have failed Auradon for keeping these things buried. You will not seal them in there to rot if I have anything to say about it."
"Seal them in there?" King Adam repeated with minute traces of hostility. How dare he assume things. "Benjamin, you have no idea what you are talking about."
"Really dad?" he yelled back, "of course I don't, because you won't let me."
Ben had really struck a nerve. Adam didn't need this, he already had too much on his plate as the crushing weight of his actions through the years had hurt innocent kids. "Get out."
Ben was tired of holding out for some apology that his father was supposed to give. "What are you saying?"
"I'm saying, get out, Ben," he said a little harshly, but he kept out most of the anger that threatened to seep into his tone. He didn't want to upset Ben, but he also felt like the Beast was holding a match to his fuse, and it was only a matter of time before he blew up. "We both need to cool off, and then we can have a level headed conversation. Today has been too much for the both of us, and I need time to think. I'll need you when the other council members arrive in a few days' time."
Nope, I want to talk about it now, he thought. Too much time has been wasted already…wait- council members? "No, dad, you can't be serious! I thought you were finally starting to feel bad for what you've subjected those poor kids to…"
You have no idea…
"...So, what? The other royals are going to sweep them under the rug? Is King Phillip and Queen Aurora going to turn their nose up at the things Maleficent did to Mal? Is Snow White going to sing over the horrors Evie has been through? And what about Jasmine and Aladdin, are they even going to care what Jafar's son has had to endure, or Roger and Anita with Carlos? What about the other kids being tortured, dad, because thats whats going on over there. You saw it. I know Mulan and Li Shang won't stand for it, or even Ariel for that matter. Do they even know how much you have been failing Auradon? Tiana? Rapunzel? Elsa and Anna? Pan and Wendy? What about…"
"ENOUGH!" King Adam roared once more, causing over half a dozen guards to move at once around the still shaking room and begin dragging Ben from the study. The fuse had been lit and ran out of thread, igniting the bomb that had been begging to explode since first seeing those visions. "DON'T LET THAT BOY BACK IN HERE." Belle rounded the corner just as Ben was released after hearing the roar she hadn't heard since she was trapped in Beast Castle.
"Benjamin!" Belle yelled towards her son as he tried wrenching his arm out of her grasp to pummel the guards who were blocking his way back into the study. "Ben, stop!" she yelled, trying her hardest to calm him down as his face reddened in anger. He made sure to glare at each and every guard who would be under his command in a few months time, and they knew that. They shot uneasy gazes towards Belle and for her to do something before they were forced to take a more aggressive approach. "Benjamin, I swear to you that your friends are in no danger!" That got him to falter. Ben stopped resisting and wrenched his arm back from one of the blue and gold clad men, turning to his mother who faltered back a step at the rage he held in his eyes. The shock she held in her own was enough to snap him out of it.
Ben couldn't believe that his father had just thrown him out. He was going to stop at nothing until he proved that his friends deserved something better. No one was going to stand in his way, not even his father. And what was that his mother had just said? 'I swear to you that your friends are in no danger?' Sure they weren't. "He's going to hurt them, mother. He has something up his sleeve, and he's roping in the other royals along with him."
"I promise you those aren't his intentions. Ben, calm down honey. Tell me what's going on?" Belle soothed as she led Ben to a nearby chair.
He didn't believe her. "It's…it's everything. I messed up, mom. Now the VK's hate me, dad hates me, and I hate myself. I did something that hurt Evie, Jay, and Carlos, and now dad won't listen to me. I feel like I'm fighting this battle alone, mom. What should I do?" he asked as he broke and fell into her arms like he did as a child when something made him sad; like a broken toy, or a friend who was mean to him. This was something so much worse and for a reason so much more grim. Never would he have imagined this sort of hurt in the world. He could see the shadows rising all around, and he was just waiting for the fallout. The things he had seen were haunting him; its ghost burned into the fabric of his mind.
"Ben," Belle began, but she had few words of comfort for him as she battled with her own mind. It was only hours ago that they had seen the things they did. Adam hadn't exactly shut her out, but she knew that he was working on something very important in support of the VK's. He wouldn't share it fully until he was ready, but he needed the council to vote on it. And if the council had something negative to say about it, they had another thing coming for them once she got her voice in there. There was no reasoning with Adam when he was like this, but she had hoped that the things they saw on the Isle would have him including Ben on the plans. She was so sure of it… They were just too much alike.
"Tell me what to do, mother?" Ben begged again with tears in his eyes.
Belle sighed in her own sorrow. She was dead sure none of the villains ever comforted their children like this. "I'll try and get through to your father. Don't judge him just yet; he's a different man than before. For now, you need to get some sleep; school comes early in the morning."
Ben was flabbergasted; school? "I'm not going to school with everything that's going on? I need to figure this out!" Why in the world would she suggest such a thing? He had been planning on heading back to the hospital to see Mal, or roaming all of Auradon to find his missing friends. Or he was going to be making his own plans…there was too much to do, and he was only one person.
"And how are you going to figure it out when there is nothing for you to do here but wait for the council meeting? And if you were planning on looking for your friends, you know as well as I do that you will never find them if they don't want to be found. So, go to school, and see if any of your other friends have seen or heard from them. I doubt those poor children are out there alone with those babies.
Babies. He had hardly even let himself think of them. Evie was a mother. Mal, was a mother.
"Em, babygirl!" Mal whispered as she fought to keep any indication of pain out of her tone as she cradled Ember for the first time in months after Jay had brought her home. She didn't even look like his Mal anymore. The smile she gave Ember was unlike anything Ben ever had the pleasure of earning from her. Her eyes lit up with a gleam that he had never yet had the pleasure of earning from her yet. "Shhh, baby it's okay. I won't leave you ever again," she promised her as she planted soft kisses all over the child's face.
But letting himself really think of them came for the first time at this very moment, way after he had barged into the dorm room and stole Ember's mother from her, not even giving her or Evie a second thought. He was so caught up in saving Mal, and he hated himself for how he had acted. The truth Fairy Godmother had spoken at the hospital gave him a clarity that he knew he should have had all along, and it haunted him the whole way here. Now, those thoughts crept back in as he walked away from his mother and towards his own dorm.
Ben was back to the tender moment where Jay had scooped Mal up, holding her so that she could breathe better. The way Mal and Ember clung to each other reminded him of the way he would cling to his own mother each time he had a scraped knee. Again, this was so much more. No matter how painful it clearly was for Mal to be holding onto her daughter, she didn't care. She would rather be in agony than let the baby go.
Was this why his father had kicked him out of his office? Was the agony over what he had subjected Mal and the others to just overwhelming him at the moment? Was he trying to bear it all so he didn't have to?
He shook the thought from his head in regret, but the image of Mal clinging to Ember thrust itself into the now empty space, drowning him yet again in pools of despair. It was killing him that Jay was the one to hold his girlfriend instead of him. The way she relaxed into him, so effortlessly with Ember between them shot a pang of jealousy and anger through him that made him feel ashamed. The conversation that followed dissolved those feelings into nothingness as he realized that he had no right to feel that way. Mal loved Ben; this was the closest she had ever come to saying it, and he was failing her miserably.
"What would Ben say if he could see us now?" At the mention of his name, he had moved closer to see what Jay was trying to say. He wanted to run his fingers through her hair in comfort, telling her that he was right here and that it was alright…but he was just a ghost. Mal brushed Jay off with a "dont," sounds of exhaustion and sadness lacing that word that made him shudder.
Jay and Ben were clearly confused at what she was trying to say. "Don't what?" Jay had asked while that same question danced on the tip of his own tongue, right before it hit them both. "Mal do you…love him?" She didn't answer, but the tears running down her face were filled with thousands of unsaid words that caused a sob to catch in his throat. Her answer was right there, and it was deeper than words could have ever said.
"What would he say to all this, Jay?" Mal cried into him as she struggled to breathe. God, Ben just wanted her to breathe. "He has no idea what it's like over here; none of them do. People are dying every day; being tortured, abused, and kicked around. There is nothing he can do until he is king. Until then, King Adam couldn't give two shits about us." The words that she spoke told so much truth it broke his heart. Looking over to his father, he had puffed out his chest and had an unreadable mask on his face. When he caught Ben's eye, he retreated over to the window and stared out of one of the cracks. It was when discussion about stealing Fairy Godmother's wand brought him back, but Mal shot down that notion with the explanation that she could never do that and let her mother escape. In her words, she couldn't expose Auradon to those horrors. Ben believed her wholeheartedly, and he was sure Belle and Fairy Godmother did as well, but as for his father… The whole time Mal was tearing his heart out with her words, Ember was trying her hardest to seek comfort from her. Everyone knew what the toddler wanted, and when Jay told her that it was okay, those feelings of jealousy returned while Ben was there watching them.
Now though, reflecting on that same scene, he wanted to be the one holding them; protecting them. He was so thankful that it was Jay though. Even though there was nothing physical going on there, there was an intimacy that Ben wished Mal would have shared with him. He wished she would have told him about having a daughter. In this moment, wrapped in his mothers arms, he wished that he was there holding Mal and Ember, comforting them and giving Mal the relief she needed to simply breathe and relax. He was finally wrapping his mind around the fact that she had a daughter, and he was going to put his own life on the line to protect them from whatever malice Auradon, or possibly his father, would throw at them. And not only Mal and Ember, with his life, he was going to protect Jay, Carlos, Evie, Kenzi, and every single innocent life imprisoned on that Isle. He was going to protect them all. Now, all he needed to do was find them, and worm his way into his fathers good graces. He was starting to realize that his father was struggling even more than he was.
Back at Fairy Cottage, Jay and Carlos were forced to keep the surprise out of their faces when Evie came back into the living room with Audrey. Evie hardly ever showed herself to anyone new, especially when she was covered in bruises. When her eyes ignored theirs, Carlos immediately knew that she was struggling with being so vulnerable, especially when her arms crossed and she struggled with what to do with herself. She was saved when Audrey remembered the bedding that she was getting and turned back for the other room. Jay knew that they needed to ground Evie, so he kicked Carlos, who then got the message and opened his arms for her. The princess wasted no time in collapsing into them as she struggled to get her breathing back under control, but after a few moments, it did. "You good?" he asked her, knowing that she was finally grounded.
Evie nodded and then blew out a shaky breath. Her eyes landed on Ember in her favorite place, Jay's arms, and then smiled at Kenzi knocked out on the bed that someone had pulled out from the couch. "Damn, I bet they are so tired. What time is it anyway?"
"It's only 10 o'clock," Audrey answered for them as she made her way back into the room and deposited the obnoxiously large bundle of blankets and pillows onto the recliner. "Is the pizza done?"
"Only 10? It feels so much later than that. And yeah," Jay answered as he shifted Ember as he got up. "Carlos took it out about ten minutes ago. Ember ate already, and Kenzi fussed until she fell asleep. She's hungry too."
"Oh good," Audrey said as she moved closer and tickled the toddler. "I'll make it for you whenever you want!" Audrey frowned when Ember buried her head back into Jay with a pitiful whine.
"She's tired," he told her as he laid her next to Kenzi on the bed and covered her up, grinning when she didn't struggle to get back up. "On another note, she hasn't thrown up anymore. That's the first solid thing she's kept down since coming to Auradon."
When they all crowded into the kitchen to eat, Audrey's heart broke once again for the small group. "I can get some medicine tomorrow for Ember, just in case she hasn't shaken her tummy bug just yet." All eyes landed on her after she said it, and she quickly realized that she was in the dark once again. "What? Was it not a bug?"
Jay sighed; it was his turn to do the sharing since Evie had to be so mentally exhausted. "Mal was stabbed with an iron dagger."
"An old, rusty, iron dagger," Carlos added as he stuffed his face with the most delicious pizza he had ever had, a little more thankful for Audrey at the moment.
Jay rolled his eyes before they landed on Kenzi who was waking up again and beginning her hunger cry. Evie set down her pizza and glided over to grab her, bringing her back to the kitchen before taking another bite from her pizza. After she retrieved her plate and retreated back to the couch, away from the group, eyes snapped back to Jay. "As I was saying, the dagger was stuck in her, for a while because the handle snapped off. When Evie pulled it out, we think a piece of it was left behind. Mal is part fairy, taking after Maleficent, and iron is poisonous to fae. She was being poisoned."
That much, Audrey understood, but it still didn't answer her question. "What does that have to do with Ember being sick?"
"Girl," Carlos mumbled with his crust filled mouth, "do we need to draw it out for you?"
Finishing off with a nod to Evie in the living room, Audrey understood what they were saying. Evie was feeding Kenzi. "Oh," she said as her cheeks flushed. "Ember takes after Mal being fae. And here I was thinking that Evie didn't pack any bottles."
The group then burst into laughter and Jay was stuck with explaining why Ember still wanted to nurse, and how it made her sick in the process. Laughter soon danced away with further explanation that formula, bottles, and even decent food was hard to come by on the Isle. More small talk went through the room and then everyone started to settle down for the night.
Jay and Carlos had finished up with their showers, and Audrey realized that even they had been wearing makeup. She tried her best not to stare at the bruising, but she giggled along with Evie when she nodded towards Jay's purple jaw. Audrey noticed Evie flexing her broken hand with a wince, and she kicked herself for not doing something for them earlier. She excused herself for a moment and then came back with a bottle of Tylenol. "Here, I think you all need some of these. I'll get some ice too."
"Ice?" Jay snorted as he ran his fingers through Ember's hair who had climbed back into his lap on the recliner. "But it's not-" and then he realized where he was. "Nevermind."
This puzzled Audrey as she dumped ice from the freezer into plastic bags, wrapping them with a dishcloth before handing them to the group. "It's not what?"
Jay refused to answer as he held his ice pack to his face, hating the Isle even more for something Audrey was able to do in less than a minute. So, Evie answered for him, leaving Audrey to fill in the blanks as she leaned against the couch next to her. "It's an Isle thing. It's not cold enough yet for the puddles to freeze."
Puddles to freeze? And then it hit her. The VK's had no access to ice unless it was deep into the winter. No medicine, no ice? It was a wonder they had survived this long. "Oh. I'm sorry." Evie's uninjured hand found hers for a moment before it slipped back to rub Kenzi's back.
"Not your fault," she told her. "Go get some rest. We will be fine for the night. Jay is going to be slipping out in a few hours to check on Mal, so don't let that spook you."
"That's fine," Audrey told them as she tried stifling a yawn. "My keys are on the counter, feel free to take the car. Just dont wreck it, please?"
Jay gave her a wink. "No promises."
Audrey retreated to the bedroom to give them some space, and Evie took the pull out couch with Kenzi and Ember. She had to fight taking Ember from Jay in the recliner for a moment, but the little girl's tiredness had her giving in quick enough. Carlos took the other couch.
The clock on Audrey's dashboard read 3:32 in the morning as Jay navigated the unfamiliar roads in the dark. Auradon made it too easy by clearly marking their street signs, but Jay was trying to read them by moonlight. He didn't dare turn on the headlights in case someone saw him. He also didn't dare to park the car too close to the hospital, because he needed to keep Audrey's cover. She was becoming more valuable to them than he realized.
Navigating the hospital when he didn't know where Mal was proved to be difficult. He also figured that they were going to be keeping her hidden somehow; Auradon didn't need another scandal going on. So, where was she? He passed so many departments while also dodging the night nurses. Radiology, Neurology, Pathology… too many 'oligies he didn't know the meaning behind. He contemplated the Emergency Department, but the emergency had to be over by now. That left…Intensive Care. At least that was where Evie told him she might be. But, he couldn't go to the regular Intensive Care Unit, she had to be on a private floor.
It took ages before he finally took a right turn somewhere that housed the Private Intensive care rooms. The only problem was, there was a whole hall of rooms. He would have to check them one by one, and he was starting to get overwhelmed. There were so many bright lights, sterile surroundings, and smells of antiseptic and cleaners that he was not used to. He was a pro at sneaking around, but the quiet halls and smooth surfaces had him paranoid that the whole kingdom could hear his footsteps echoing off the abnormally white tiled floor. Scoping it out a little longer, he grinned in satisfaction. A nurse had just entered and exited one of the rooms about the same time he realized that this was Auradon, and how many intensive cases could Auradon really have? These royals were practically wrapped in bubble wrap and telling him where to go. He could almost imagine a big neon sign advertising 'Mal is right here' flashing above that room.
Once the coast was clear, he pulled up his hood and slunk down the too clean hallway, and slipped into the darkened room. What he saw in there though, stopped his dead in its tracks. "Mal…"
He knew it was her because of the hair, but he had to move closer just to be sure. It hardly even looked like her anymore. She looked so small, so frail in that bed with more than a dozen wires stuck all over her. Someone had taken her clothes and had her in ugly pastel colors. Her skin was still littered with some of the same marks as before, and others were covered in white bandages that made her bruising stand out even more, sticking out dramatically against her too pale skin. He had to touch her just to make sure she wasn't a ghost and that this was just some horrible trick. Pulling a chair closer, he tried to grab her hand, but it too was wrapped up. This was officially the worst he had ever seen her, and if it weren't for Auradon, Mal would be dead right now. Dead. And what did they have down her throat? Why was there a tube down her throat? He reached for it, just to figure it out, but an unexpected voice had him jumping out of his skin.
"Leave it like you found it," it sang out.
Immediately he went on the defensive. He jumped, knocking the chair aside and planted himself protectively in front of Mal. A knife he stole from Audrey's kitchen slipped from his hip and he pointed it at whoever it was in the room with them.
"Put that knife away, child, before you hurt somebody."
As the figure stepped into the light, Jay found himself relaxing. "Fairy Godmother!" Of course it was her. Leave it like you found it? Those were the same words she spoke to him the very first day they arrived in Auradon. "What are you doing here?" Still though, he couldn't bring himself to move from in front of Mal.
Fairy Godmother sighed at the sorry sight before her. It was dark, but she could see the darker marks littering this boy's skin. His face looked tired and stressed, and he was doing everything in his power to protect his friend who lay helplessly behind him. "I haven't left, Jay. I couldn't bear to leave her here alone; not after what happened."
With what happened? That could mean a lot of things, but he knew that she also knew everything that had happened. At least for the past week. They had been through so much, and she had seen it all. Her eyes were so full of sorrow, and there were no traces of anger there. There never was. Fairy Godmother had been one of the good ones, and that was why he was allowing her to move closer to him right now.
"Jay-" she started, but her voice broke. So desperately did she want to hug Jay right now, to tell him that everything was going to be okay, but was it? "I wish I could-"
"Dont," Jay sighed, relaxing his body the rest of the way and moving to put a little more space between him and the older woman. "Just tell me what's going on."
Fairy Godmother had to take a deep breath to keep herself from breaking down. The memories of what she had seen were still so raw as they replayed in her mind. "Well," she began as she cleared her throat and moved to right the chair that had been cast aside. "Mal is so lucky she got here when she did. Her heart almost stopped on the way here, and it did on the operating table." She slid the chair towards Jay, but he ignored it as he stared down at Mal. "They got it going again, but she underwent some pretty intensive surgery to remove the two bits of iron they found. Like Evie said, one was lodged in her lungs, which was why she was having so much difficulty breathing and kept coughing up blood. That tube down her throat," she pointed, "is breathing for her to give them a chance to heal."
"Evie always knows what's wrong," Jay said to her. "She heals all of us after something happens."
Of course she saw Evie saving Mal, and the whole situation was something she needed to talk to the girl about. There was something more than meager medical knowledge that got Mal breathing again. The shimmer she saw for just a split second envelop the two as Evie tried her hardest to breathe oxygen back into her friend was unmistakable. "Well, she saved Mal's life. And so did you," she said, electing not to question the boy and also not realizing that she had moved to his side and put a hand on his arm. When he flinched, she took it back. "From the looks of it and what I discussed with the doctors, Mal had too much blood loss after you guys found her in Hun territory." Again, Jay flinched. It was weird to hear those words coming from an Auradonian. "Her system would have been too saturated in iron and she would have died sooner if you hadn't given her a transfusion after the knife was pulled out. She starts something called dialysis tomorrow to remove the rest of it." She had to pause before she continued, because there was just so much this poor girl had endured.
"What else," Jay encouraged. He finally made eye contact with her.
"Two broken ribs, and two fractures, among old broken and fractured ribs. She's got a broken finger as well as a knuckle, and iron burns around her wrists. There is also a broken collarbone, but it looks like a re-break because it had been broken before. Dislocated shoulder, but you guys addressed that already, poor girl. Small cheekbone fracture, sprained wrist, and then there is the bruising and cuts, especially along her back. I don't remember how many stitches she has, but they had to go in and redo her back, shoulder wound and leg wound. And then there was the big one in her stomach. That's going to take some time to heal."
"What about her chest? Didn't you say they had to go in and remove the piece of iron?" He was so worried that she had been cut open once again.
"Oh yes," Fairy Godmother enthused, glad to tell him at least a little bit of good news. "The incision was minimal, nothing like you are probably thinking. Only about two inches in length."
Jay scoffed. "Good. It should blend in with the rest of her scars."
She didn't like that statement, but she had to squash it down for the moment. "She's going to be okay. And Jay?" she asked, knowing that she would worry herself into a fit if she didn't ask. "How is Evie? And how is…Ember, and Kenzi? Is Carlos okay?
The pause he gave her sent her mind whirling to endless possibilities, especially since she still didn't have an answer about King Adam. Ben had called to check in on Mal, but had little to say about his father.
Jay contemplated not answering her, because he still wasn't clear on what she did to get a look into their Isle time. She had snooped into their lives and gotten King Adam on their tails. Their plans were ruined, and it started with her. But, it was Fairy Godmother. As far as he knew, she had no ill intentions towards anything or anyone. Evie said that she had told her to run; she had protected her. Maybe it was time to let just one more person in; but an adult? The very thought screamed at him and pushed his fears to the forefront of his mind. But, like he thought before…it was Fairy Godmother. If anyone would be on their side, it would be her. He decided to ask her a question first; what exactly did she know? "Tell me what you did first, Fairy Godmother," he asked in all seriousness. He was glad when his glare made her take a step back. "What exactly did you see, and who all was involved?"
There was a dangerous glint in his eyes, but that wasn't the reason she told him what had happened. It was the look behind those eyes. He was hurt and utterly afraid of what she and the other royals knew. And rightly so; he had a family to protect. "It was King Adam who approached me with the Queen, wishing to get a closer look into your lives as well as check up on the happenings of the Isle. Ben only joined us last minute. Never in our lives did we ever imagine what we saw and what you all went through on the Isle of the Lost. We saw every second of it, Jay. Every second of each one of you."
Jay's heart threatened to stop beating at the news. The pity Fairy Godmother held in her gaze made him want to retch. That meant that they had seen the lives they had taken, seen where their safehouse was, saw the plans they were making… all of it. When he had heard that they had seen everything, he really didn't think that it was everything. He was speechless, and he could tell that Fairy Godmother was trying to tell him something, but the roaring in his ears prevented him from hearing her. Instead, he distanced himself and felt self conscious around the woman. He could almost see the way she was looking at him, knowing the scars hidden beneath his tattered Isle jacket, knowing who had given them to him. Fairy Godmother wasn't acting afraid of him though, or threatening. She wasn't trying to hide behind a chair for fear that he would hurt her, because let's face it, he sure as hell proved that he could on the Isle. She instead wanted to move closer to comfort him. She wanted to help him and his friends, and if she had already judged them all, it was a judgement made with all of the damning information as to who they were. "Who's side are you on, Fairy Godmother. You saw it all, what do you think of us after seeing something like that?"
There was no hesitation in her answer. "I'm on the side of freeing the Isle and getting Auradon to embrace you kids, those still stuck on the Isle as well. I'm with Mal, Jay. I know she wants to save everyone, but not if that means freeing her mother. That takes serious sacrifice for what she was able to realize."
And that was it; Jay had made up his mind about her. He may be pissed, but he felt in his bones that this woman was there to help them. He still planned on only giving her the information he deemed necessary, but it was a good start.
When Jay seemed to relax at her answer, she asked again the question weighing heavily on her heart. "You still didn't answer me, and you don't have to of course, but are you all okay?"
It took a moment, but he caved. "They're fine. We are all safe; for now," he told her. "But what else is going on Fairy Godmother? Why did Ben do what he did? What is the King going to do about what he saw?"
"Oh my dear boy," she soothed as her hand found its way to his arm once more. This time, he didn't pull away. "There isn't a lot of time and I don't have all of the facts yet. The nurse will be checking in again soon. Could I check in with you all later? Where are you staying? Please tell me it's somewhere safe. Stay with me if you need to!"
Should he tell her? No, it was too soon. He needed to think and discuss it with the others first. Now that he knew Mal was safe, he needed to get back to his crew and keep them safe. Pulling his arm back from the Fairy, he retreated back towards the door, cringing while knowing that he couldn't take Mal with him. She was hooked up to a machine that was literally breathing for her for goodness sake.
"Jay, I'm sorry if I overstepped. I know you all are dealing with so much, and it kills me to know you all are out there alone and afraid. Please; let me find out more about what the King is planning. Please let me help you guys. I know the…issues, you all have with adults, but please, trust me when I say that I am on your side."
Jay paused in his retreat and thought about it for a second. "At the end of the school day tomorrow, be in your office. We can go from there."
The whole way home, he wondered why he even gave Fairy Godmother an 'in.' Were they really thinking about roping in another royal? One was already enough in his book for the moment. He really wished that Mal was here to tell him what to do. God, Mal. She looked so…not Mal. He only took comfort in the fact that Fairy Godmother said that she would be okay. His worries followed him back into the cottage and into the cushiony recliner. It was so much more comfortable than what he was used to back on the Isle, especially for a chair. He bundled himself under a thick blanket and prepared to sleep away what was left of the early morning. He hadn't even closed his eyes when the tiny sounds of crying had him longing once more for the same person who was the subject of that sadness. "Come here baby girl," he whispered. His eyes found Ember climbing over the foot of the bed, and then he grabbed for her reaching arms. He pulled her under the comfy covers and tried wiping the tears from her eyes as she struggled to stay awake. "I saw your mommy tonight. She's going to be okay, Em'. She's going to be okay."
Morning came faster than Jay would have liked. He even woke up before Evie and Carlos, and he contemplated trying to fall back asleep after sneaking around Auradon in the early morning hours. He knew he wouldn't be able to, so he might as well get up for the day and find Ember something to eat. She was usually an early riser as well. And speaking of Ember, she wasn't in his arms anymore. Lifting his head from the bundle of covers, he didn't even see her back on the pull out couch with Evie.
He hurled himself out of the chair and elected not to wake the others yet. Maybe the toddler was just exploring. After doing a quick run of the cottage, he turned up empty handed. Where the hell was she? And where was Audrey? Just as he was about to run for the living room in a panic to grab the others, movement outside of the back window through the kitchen caught his attention.
"Here," Audrey whispered as she guided the little girl's hand out with her own. Ember's giggle from her lap served to lift her spirits as tiny fingers held out the flower towards a baby deer. The giggle startled the fawn, and Audrey gently shushed the girl with a light giggle of her own. "Just like that. A little further…there!" If the laugh before had scared the fawn, the shrill scream of delight that came after it grabbed the flower had it scrambling back to its mother. The doe did nothing more than lift her head to assess the situation before going back to grazing; she knew they were safe there. "We will have to work on that, I guess," Audrey trilled.
Upon hoisting Ember from her lap, she grabbed her little hand and led her back to the edge of the patio. The little girl collapsed back into her lap as they sat on the smoothe stone, wrapping the thick blanket back around them and continued watching the wonders of early morning.
"She did not just feed a baby deer a flower." Jay couldn't believe his eyes; never in a million years would he ever have imagined a scene as pure as the one he just witnessed, and with Audrey nonetheless.
Audrey jumped at the voice, turning to see Jay sliding out of the doorway and making his way over to them. "What? It was cute, wasn't it?"
All Jay could do was scoff and shake his head as his smile refused to leave his lips. Upon hearing his voice, Ember shot from the blanket and slammed into him, tackling him to the ground as she climbed all over him as if she were in a battle. "Em'!" he yelled in surprise before playfully fighting back. "Noooo! You got me!"
Ember's giggles turned into shrieks of laughter as she tried her hardest to pin Jay to the ground. "I won!"
"Yes, you little dragon, you won…again." Jay genuinely laughed as he grabbed her and turned her upside down, the shrieks of laughter threatening to wake the whole forest. "How do you always win?"
When she was upright, she leaned into him to catch her breath with a wild grin. "Mommy teached me. I'm the bestest."
Again, sadness ripped through Audrey. This wasn't how it was supposed to be. Teaching babies how to fight? But she understood; the Isle was dangerous and they needed to know how to defend themselves. She knew that Ember was play fighting and couldn't actually hurt anyone, but she saw techniques there that with time as she grew up, could turn deadly. Jay startled her from her thoughts in the same moment the sun decided to peek out from behind the clouds.
"What are you doing out here anyways," he had asked, but she didn't respond. Instead, she was looking at Ember as she pulled away from Jay and walked with her hands facing towards the sky. What was she doing? A quiet sniffle had Jay turning back to Audrey, and he saw just in time as she wiped a tear away.
"She's trying to catch the sun rays," she voiced, trying her hardest not to look at Jay because she realized that he had noticed the same thing, and she didn't want to start crying.
"Yeah," Jay said as he looked after Ember with the same sadness Audrey was outwardly showing. "Now that I think about it, she's never seen sun rays before." After a pause, he shared that he had actually never seen them either before coming to Auradon. The sun and its brightness, sure, but the rays themselves couldn't get through the barrier.
After some time of just sitting there and watching Ember discover new things, Audrey broke the gentle silence. "We were only out here for about twenty minutes before you joined us. I came to check on you all and she was awake. I hope it was alright."
Jay smiled when Ember ran back over and handed Audrey a flower before running back into the grass. The deer had long since moved on from the loud girl, but other curious animals had drawn closer. "Yeah," he told her, "it's cool." Ember was now attempting to chase the squirrels, but they didn't seem to mind. In fact, it seemed as if they were making a game of it.
"How was Mal? Did you go see her this morning…is she…"
"She's going to be okay," Jay breathed. He said it mostly to himself, but Audrey took comfort in it just the same. "I need to talk to Evie and Carlos before you leave for class. We may have another royal on our side."
When they went back inside and gave the others time to wake up, Ember took it upon herself to hurry along the process by jumping from the pull out bed and onto the couch Carlos was on. And then as a team, the four of them made breakfast together as Jay filled them in on Mal's condition. He also shared with them the things Fairy Godmother said, that she wanted to help them.
Audrey was the first one to agree, but Jay already knew that. It was Carlos and Evie who he needed to roll off ideas with. He had thought that Evie would have jumped in with support for the Fairy, but she remained quiet.
"What are you thinking, Eve's?" Jay asked her. He knew she was unseasy and he had already made up his mind, but he still wanted to know what she thought.
"I don't know, Jay," she sighed. Her hand was picking at a stray string on her shirt as she tried her best to figure out what she wanted to say. "I mean, she did help me yesterday, but she has a direct link with the King and Queen."
"But," Carlos interjected, "she's a direct link to the King and Queen."
Evie rolled her eyes, "That's what I just said-"
"No, what he's saying is, she can be our Raven." That was exactly what Jay was thinking. She could figure out what was happening and feed them information as she got it. That was, if they could really rely on her to help them.
Raven? Now Audrey was confused. She was happy that Jay had called her over to join their meeting, but some of the things they talked to her about used Isle terms she wasn't familiar with. Luckily, Evie picked up on it each time and explained it for her. Now, she was learning what being a Raven meant, and like the other terms, she was fascinated and wondered where they came from. She wondered if she herself was considered a Raven as well; at least the thought was exciting.
"What if we still stay in hiding," Carlos brought up. "If we bring her in, one of us meets with her. I'm sorry Jay, but I dont think sending Audrey in there is the best idea."
They had discussed sending her in to meet with Fairy Godmother so that risk of seeing one of them stayed minimal, and Jay had thought that was a good idea. This was why he wanted to discuss it with the others. Mal would have seen that flaw in a heartbeat and never even suggested sending Audrey in, but he wasn't her. "Valid point," he agreed. "I will go then. I don't want any of you near the royals until we figure out what the King's next move is."
"And what about Ben?" Evie asked with a slight growl. "He's clearly not thinking straight."
"No," Jay agreed, "he's not. Audrey, I need you to keep tabs on him. Try and see what he's up to without getting too close. He knows you and might let you in."
Audrey grimaced. "See, I think you are wrong there. I dug my own grave by treating you all so harshly. He wont tell me anything." A frown crossed Jay's face then, not knowing what else to do until Audrey got an idea. "What if I get an anonymous note to Fairy Godmother asking her to check in on him? That way when you go to meet her," she nodded towards him, "she can tell you what he's been up to, and maybe even what the King is planning?"
"That could work."
Ben did not want to go to school today, he would rather be at the hospital or searching for his friends. Were they his friends anymore after what had happened? His mother had pretty much ordered him to attend. She made the point that there was nothing he could do at this time, and he needed to let his dad cool off for the night before trying again. She also put the cherry on top that maybe he would hear something at school, or maybe they would by some miracle attend as well. Of course, they were not there, and even his closest friends didn't even know that they were missing. Of course because of his questions, the ever inquisitive Lonnie got him to spill what he knew, so he let both her and Doug in with a little bit of the truth. They both pledged their loyalty to him, and vowed to do what they could to help him and the VK's. Why he let them in was a surprise even to him, but he knew he needed more people on his team; he couldn't do this alone. And to make matters even worse, Fairy Godmother was nowhere to be seen.
As Ben fought to get through the day, Fairy Godmother was fighting to get through the doors to King Adam's study. He had ordered the royal guards to keep everyone out, Fairy Godmother included. It was only when Belle gently guided her away did she finally leave and storm back to the school. She was beyond angry, and anger was an emotion that she wasn't used to. Fury radiated from every fiber of her being, and it all started when she 'set foot' on the Isle of the Lost. She was hoping she could get some more details from Jay at the end of the day. She desperately wanted to check on them all. And it wasn't just because they needed medical attention, she wanted to check on how they could have possibly been dealing with what life had handed them. Before that though, she needed to speak with Ben again. An anonymous note had been slipped underneath her office door saying such. It was written in a handwriting that she didn't recognize, and she knew it wasn't one of the VK's. She knew their writing from her Goodness Classes. So, Fairy Godmother sent word out, and Ben must have thought she knew something based on his prompt appearance. The hope in his eyes crushed her for a third time in 24 hours.
"Have you found them?" he asked as he flew across the room and took a seat, his hopefulness radiating off of him in waves.
She knew that she couldn't disappoint him right now, so she offered him a little bit of the truth, but it crushed him just the same. "I ran into Jay early this morning at the hospital, Ben. They are doing as well as they can be. I'm sorry but I really don't know more."
"You saw Jay?" he repeated with a drop to his shoulders. He should have stayed with Mal last night. Wait… "why were you at the hospital? When did you see him?"
Before she answered him, she sighed and got up from her desk, circling over to him and sitting in the chair adjacent. "I couldn't leave that poor girl, Ben. To be honest, I still don't know what your father is planning and I didnt want anything to happen to her if either me or you weren't there."
Ben was kicking himself now, he hadn't thought of that. His body pulled himself up and itched to be running out of that door and straight to the hospital. Would his father do something like that? Based on last night's fight, he thought yes, but based on his mothers words, no.
"Ben, calm down honey," Fairy Godmother soothed. Of course she had someone watching over Mal. "One of my good friends, a charge nurse, is keeping watch over her."
"Why can't I do anything right?" he asked, slumping back into the chair as the familiar feelings of failure crept back in. So far, he had hurt Evie, caused a manhunt, pissed off his father, and now left Mal unguarded.
Fairy Godmother linked her hand with his and when his fingers tightened around her own, she knew in her heart that he was hurting just as she was. He wanted to do right by these kids, he just didn't know how. "We are all failing, Ben. There is no right way to deal with all of this. Jay is trying his hardest to keep them all safe from the unknowns right now. He snuck in around 4 this morning, just to make sure Mal was still alive and being taken care of. I promised him that she would be okay, I just need your help in ensuring that. Have you heard anything else from your father; what his plans are?"
"No," he seethed. "Not after he locked me out last night. I don't get it Fairy Godmother-" he trailed as he looked at her in puzzlement, "I was so sure he was on our side. You saw the way he tried protecting them on the Isle. You saw how he would step in front of Maleficent without even thinking, just to protect Mal, and how he tried ripping those men off of Evie. I could tell that he wanted to punch Jafar straight in the face. What happened?"
Our side. Ben had said 'our side.' Of course he was on the side of the VK's, there should have never been any doubt. He was just a kid, trying his hardest to make sense of what he had seen with the spell. It was something he could never have even dreamed of. "And he could be, Ben," she offered, understanding why the King may be acting the way he was. "Maybe he is taking the blame too hard and is punishing himself. We just don't know, and until we do, we need to help these kids. Now, I don't know where Jay and the others are hiding, but he promised me that they were safe. I think that they have someone in Auradon helping them, Lonnie or Doug maybe? And with your father acting the way he is, what are you going to do about this situation? You need to go back and talk to him." Was Ben even in the right mind to make plans? His answer though gave her the hope that she had been searching for.
"I've been thinking about that since dad kicked me out of his office last night. I haven't slept," he said excitedly, happy to bounce his ideas off of yet another person on his side. "I don't know who is helping them, but it's not Lonnie or Doug; they have been with me all day…I told them about what was going on, and they were in the dark, but they want to help. And based on what you have just told me, I have another idea."
It was agony waiting for the rest of the day to drag on before meeting with Jay. Fairy Godmother was happy that she now knew there was at least a shred of a plan in place, and she hoped that it would establish more trust between the boys. What she wasn't expecting though was Jay slipping through her door after leaving her waiting for a few more hours, dressed in a letterman jacket that he got from who knows where, and an outfit that screamed Auradon Prep. It was the perfect cover, and then she understood why he was late; he needed to sneak in. Once the door was locked behind him, she watched as his eyes ran over the room suspiciously before he finally let himself relax…some.
Jay wasted no time in cutting to the chase. "What did you learn? Did you talk with the King? With Ben?"
Poor boy, he was so stressed out, and rightly so. His body language screamed that he didn't want to be here as he was so on edge. "King Adam is still an unknown, he wont talk to anyone, Ben included. But I did talk to Ben; he's definitely planning to help you guys, but you all also have to prepare yourselves, because I don't think you are going to like it."
Jay sighed, he didn't need anymore bad news. It was bad enough that they were separated from Mal. "What's going on, Fairy Godmother?"
"King Adam is gathering the royals from the other kingdoms for a council meeting. Ben thinks that he is going to discuss what he saw on the Isle. Now, whether that is in favor of helping you guys or not remains to be seen."
"What the hell?" Jay yelled as his body coiled in anger. "What the hell are we supposed to do? There is no way we are going to be able to save the Isle now. Every single one of them had a vote to lock up the 'bad' years ago."
"Not so fast, Jay," Fairy Godmother warned, right before Jay was about to punch a hole in her office wall. "Ben has a plan, but he needs your cooperation."
He shook his head in anger and disbelief, this ought to be good. He evened out his breathing and nodded for her to continue. She was only trying to help after all.
"He wants you all to stay in hiding, but he wants to be in on it. He has a plan on sneaking more kids off of the Isle, but he wants to work out the kinks with you."
"I'm not meeting with him. What if he is working with his father? It could all be a trap," he told her as if it were obvious.
"Don't be daft, Jay," Fairy Godmother chastised. "Trust me when I tell you to talk with the boy. He is tearing himself up over how he had acted."
Jay had to admit, her comment stung. She was right though, he needed to give Ben a chance to prove himself, but he wasn't about to forgive him just yet. If he really did have a plan with getting the kids off the Isle, he couldn't do it alone. "Fine," he told her through gritted teeth before letting out an angry breath. "We can set up a meeting."
Fairy Godmother grinned in satisfaction before her face slipped into a frown. "What would it take for you all to meet at the hospital tonight. You could all see Mal and have your talk with Ben. In the meantime, I have a friend there who could give you all a look over. Don't forget what I saw on the Isle, Jay. You all need to be seen as soon as possible."
At the mention of bringing them all out together, Jay immediately went on the defensive again as he mulled it over. He couldn't chance bringing Ember and Kenzi out in case something happened. He would have to think about it, but the picture of Evie's broken hand thrust itself to the forefront of his mind. "We will see. I'll meet Ben there tonight for sure, but I can't promise any more than that. 2 o'clock should work. Auradon was starting to stir after I left this morning; should give us enough time to slip in and out without being seen."
"Have you been resting, Jay?" Fairy Godmother asked in concern at the mention of yet another early morning meeting. "You look exhausted."
Jay scoffed, of course he wasn't resting. Rest would have to come later. There was just too much going on to relax. "I'll rest when I'm dead. For now, I'm doing what I can to protect my crew. Thank you for all you have done, Fairy Godmother. I'll see you later, I guess," he offered before slinking over to the door to make sure the coast was clear, and then slipping away into the dark hallways.
By the time Jay made it back to the cottage, everyone was piled around the living room watching a movie. They grilled him with question after question, but all he could give them was the little he was able to find out. He told them about Fairy Godmother convincing Ben to get back in his fathers good graces, and he also told them about how sorry Ben was. The prince was on their side, and he was killing himself for how he reacted to what he had seen. The news of Lonnie and Doug joining Ben gave them all a bit of anxiety, but they knew that the two HK's had never given them a reason not to trust them. It was unnerving to have their circle growing so much, so fast.
"So," Jay clapped his hands together before earning a warning look from Evie, who had finally gotten Kenzi to sleep, "Evie and I go to the hospital, Carlos stays here with the kids." He stated it more matter of factly; he wasn't asking for other options. He needed to be there with Evie, to protect her if anything went wrong as well as to check on Mal again, and he needed someone to stay behind with the girls, so he volunteered Carlos. He wouldn't say that he was the least injured, but it was what made sense at the moment; Evie needed to get her hand checked out.
"I don't know," Evie voiced as she looked over to Carlos. "I feel like we could all use a good once over. Los' took a beating same as we did."
"I'll stay with the girls," Audrey offered easily, causing all heads to turn to her. "All of you can get checked out, and the girls will be here safe with me."
It took entirely too long for anyone to say anything. Of course they had pretty much accepted Audrey, but when it came to the babies, it was no surprise that they would be over protective. The three VK's spoke to each other through their eyes, but Audrey didn't mind; she knew what they were thinking. When Evie gave a tiny nod to Jay to tell him that she was okay with it with Kenzi, he then looked to Ember who was wedged between Audrey and Evie on the pullout bed, who was comfortable and content with being around the royal. He was in charge of that little girl, and he didn't know what he would do if anything happened to her. Could he put that much trust in Audrey of all people? To watch Ember and Kenzi, and even put her life on the line if it came down to it? No one knew where they were, but what if someone followed him back to the cottage? What if King Adam was waiting for an opportunity like this? What if… but there were too many 'what if's,' and he could go on and on, finding a flaw that said it wouldn't work. But what if everything would be okay? "...Fine, but are you sure you are okay with that?" he asked Audrey, reflecting back to this morning when the two of them were out in the garden.
"Of course, Jay. Whatever you guys need," she promised with a genuine smile. She would be more than happy to watch them. She only wished that she could see Mal herself. After seeing her 'nemesis' as hurt as she was, she had doubted Jay's promise that she was okay. She prided herself though in the fact that they were trusting her to watch the girls. It was the least she could do, and she vowed to protect them at all costs.