A/N HEY GUYS, THIS ONE SHOT WAS SUGGESTED BY A GUEST, IM GOING TO PUT A TRIGGER WARNING IN HERE FOR ABUSE. PLEASE, DONT FEEL PRESSURED TO READ THIS IF YOU ARE UNCOMFORTABLE.
It had to be one of the hottest days in Auradon ever, all the students tried to attend their first lesson, but due to the heat wave, the students couldn't focus and all their books were covered in sweat by the end of the lesson. After receiving several complaints about the heat from the teachers at Auradon prep, Fairy Godmother called an emergency assembly at the start of the second lesson of the day. She walked up the steps on the stage until she stopped at the podium in the middle of the stage. "Hello Ladies and Gentlemen, we all know it's quite hot so I won't keep you for long. Due to the heat, Students are not focusing at all in class, that is why I have decided to dismiss all of your lessons until the heat passes in a few days, please be safe." Before Fairy Godmother could finish, all the young teens swarmed out of the exits ready to enjoy the summer sun.
Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos and Ben made their way up to Ben's private dorm, the school board decided that while he is the king, he should have a private room to attend to paper work during the school hours as well as protection. Once the team made their way up several flights of stairs, they were greeted by Walter and Ivan, who were guarding the room's entrance. One flick of Ben's wrist and the guards moved from the door, Ben unlocked the door and as soon as he opened it, the teens were hit with a gust of cool air. They all groaned out of relaxation as soon as they entered Ben's dorm. Mal and Carlos flopped down onto Ben's cool bed while Evie hovered on the balcony and Jay stuck his head out of the large window. Ben removed his blazer and wrapped it around his desk chair. "Hey, I have an idea. Let's go swimming, I mean, you all know how to swim now so let's put it to good use" Ben suggested as he slumped down in his chair. Once he suggested this idea, Carlos and Mal shot up from the bed and stared at him. "Really?" Evie asked as she backed away from the balcony. "Yeah, my parents have a private pool in the back area of the castle, they told me that they were planning on spending the whole day there due to the heat and said that we were welcome," Ben said as he arose from his chair and tried to pull Jay in from the window. Jay reluctantly allowed Ben to pull him back into the room but when he did, he started shooting questions at the new king. "When can we go? Do you have spare trunks? How long are we staying? Are we going to get lunch?"
Evie scolded Jay for his questioning but Ben didn't mind, "We can leave in now if you want, my mother had a bunch of spare clothes and swimming costumes and trunks made for when you stay over in the summer holidays. We can stay for the next couple of days until the heat passes and I'm sure there will be a huge buffet by the pool like there is every year. Does that answer all your questions?" Ben asked while eyeing Jay, he nodded and with that, the 5 teens made their way out of Ben's cold room and into the burning building that was the school. The group ran down the wooden stairs and outside where cool air hit their faces. Ben stood by his father's statue to flag down one of the Family's Limos.
Once the boiling hot teens arrived at the Castle, the first thing they did was rush straight to their rooms in the castle and change into something a little more appropriate. Evie change into a blue two piece with blue sequins outline her straps and the top of her chest, she tied her blue hair up into a ponytail and put on some white flip flops. Jay changed into plain red trunks that fell to the top of his knees, he took his hair and mashed it into a small bun. Carlos had black and white striped trunks that also fell to the top of his knees. Mal, on the other hand, wore a purple two piece but had a light white t-shirt on top to hide her lower back. Everyone knew Mal liked to swim with a shirt over her costume but no one questioned why. The only people who knew why where her brothers and her sister. Only they knew of her scars. Finally, Ben had changed into short blue trunks with little crowns on them, just like the ones he wore on his and Mal's first date.
When he had finished changing, Ben decided to wait in the hallway for the other teens so he could guide them down to the pool to meet his parents. First out was the boys, then two minutes later it was Mal, five minutes after her, Evie came out and complained that she couldn't find her waterproof mascara. Ben took Mal's hand in his before guiding everyone down the grand staircase. Ben took the teens through several doors and past several staff members until he came to a set a glass double doors which lead to the pool.
Ben opened the door and another cool breeze hit the teens, Carlos peeked his head around the door and saw a glimpse of the pool with the two Royals sitting in it, when he saw that, he bolted out of the door and towards the pool. Jay and Ben trailed behind him, both running behind him, ready to cannon ball straight into the pool. Luckily, Adam saw this coming and pulled Belle closer to him to try and block her from the splash. Once the boys jumped in and soaked the former king and all of the castle possessions that surrounded the pool. Mal and Evie were close behind the boys, they both jumped at the same time and caused as much of a splash as the boys. "So, I take it school was cancelled?" Adam chuckled as he released Belle from his grip. All the teens nodded in response, not caring that the whole area around them looked like it had been attacked by a whale. Once everyone stopped laughing at the area around them, Ben's eyes fell on Mal, but not just Mal, her back.
While jumping into the pool, Mal's shirt rode up her back and stuck to her skin from the water. Ben let out a gasp which caused everyone to stop laughing and to turn to Ben. Once Mal turned around to see Ben, it only took one look in his eyes to find out why he let out a gasp. "Ben honey what's wrong?" Belle asked as she swam closer to him. Jay looked at Mal who was frozen and then back at Ben, it was then he knew that Ben had seen them, He nodded towards Carlos and Evie who immediately understood what was happening. They all swam towards Mal's side, Jay and Carlos stood by each side of Mal, while Evie stood behind and pulled her shirt down before placing her hands on Mal's shoulders for support and Comfort. "Ben?" his father asked. "Mal, how? What? When? Who? Why?" Ben couldn't stop asking questions, his Mother and Father were now intrigued about what has happened to Mal. Clearly Ben wasn't going to talk so Adam stepped in. "Let's go sit around the picnic table and talk about this please" Adam suggested as he helped his wife out of the pool. Mal was the last one out of the pool and with good reason too.
Mal was very reluctant to join them at the table but she knew that they had to know the truth at one point if Ben wanted to marry her. Evie held her hand out for Mal, which she gladly took and both girls made their way to the picnic table. Before the teen king can open his mouth to explain what he saw, the VK's all huddled in a group and decided the best way to approach things. Eventually, they turned back to the confused parents of the king and the distraught king himself. "First thing first your highness, we have decided as a family that whatever is said here has to stay here. Next, Mal doesn't have to talk about anything that makes her extremely uncomfortable and I swear, if you go so far as disrespecting Mal over this, king or not, I will end you" Jay warned as he sat by his sister's side. Evie and Carlos had hard looks on their faces and agreed with Jay's statement. "Finally, if I feel in any way that you have offended me, Mal, Evie or Carlos, then I will rip you to shreds and Walter and Ivan can join in on the fun" Jay threatened. Ben just shook his head in agreement while in shock, as did the former king and queen. Ben opened his mouth wide but no words came out, Belle noticed this decided to ask the first question "Does someone want to tell Adam and I what is happening?" She asked at no one in particular. The VK's all knew what to say but they didn't want to talk about it as it was a harsh subject for everyone. Mal wouldn't talk during this conversation due to the group meeting they had two minutes ago, Carlos was practically shaking, Jay looked like he was about to hit someone hard and Evie looked scared out her mind, but soon she worked up the courage to speak, her voice shaking. "After we jumped, Mal's shirt rode up her back and Ben saw something that he shouldn't have." She briefly told them, Adam gave a questioning look so she continued "On the Isle, our parents weren't exactly parents of the year, if you didn't live up to their expectations, they would punish you. Kids were mistreated all the time but the punishment was different for every parent. Some kids would be locked in a room with no food or drink for a few days, some would be kicked out of the house or forced to scavenge for the next month. However, it was different for us, If I wasn't pretty enough, my mother would take Cruella's cigarettes and burn me on my hips. If I was 'too fat' she would make me exercise for hours on end for weeks with barely any food." Tears threatened to run down Evie's face as loud gasps came from the Royals.
"If I didn't do all the chores for my mother or paint her nails correctly or perm her hair enough, then she would lock me in her fur trap closet, it doesn't take a lot to set them off, a feather could fall on the trigger and BAM you were left there to bleed to death. I had to rely on Mal and Jay to get me out and Evie to help me heal" Carlos added as he hung his head down in shame.
"If I didn't steal enough for my father or if I gave away some of the treasures to help Mal, Carlos, or Evie get by, then he would take his belt off and Beat me with it, I couldn't escape, he did it hard enough to make me turn red but not enough to leave a scar." Jay started. "But Mal, her mother was the worst. Mal didn't even have a name until she was six because she wasn't evil enough to earn it. If she wasn't evil enough or couldn't remember a spell, her mother would lock her in a cold, dark room with a shot glass filled with water that was supposed to last her for two weeks while she was locked in there. if Mal disobeyed her then she would hurt her then …. "
Jay couldn't bring himself to finish so Mal placed a hand on his shoulder indicating that it was okay. "when I was younger, my mother would lift me onto the table and grab a rusty fork and drag it across the bottom of My back. However, when I got older, she couldn't do that anymore so she would resort to whipping me and starving me" Mal concluded. You could tell that Ben, Belle and Adam had questions but one hard look from Jay, made them close their mouths and think carefully about what they were going to say. After sitting in five minutes of silence, Mal eventually stood up and left the pool area, with nothing left behind except the cold stares that the Royals were giving her.
Mal stormed through the castle, past the meeting room and the kitchen, up the grand staircase and up to her bedroom. Mal swung the door open to her lavender bedroom and flopped right down onto her bed, tears present in her eyes. Part of her wanted to be alone while part of her wanted comfort from the ones she loved. She expected them to hate her for hiding something so big, she expected them to want nothing more to do with her, but what she didn't expect was for Ben to come into her bedroom and lay on the bed, cuddling her, one hand in her hair and the other around her waist.
"Mal, I'm sorry you had to live like that, I promise to fix everything, everything my father did, I will fix it." When Ben got no response from Mal, he carried on talking, "Honestly, I don't care that you've got those scars Mal. Yes, I was shocked but I thought that even villains loved their kids, but you've shown me the truth and that's why I love you so much. You tell stuff how it is and are never afraid to speak your mind, you teach me new things and that's why I'm so intrigued by you. Audrey was one of the fakest people I've ever known, and if you don't believe me, I heard in the locker room that last summer she got implants" Ben teased which eventually got a small laugh from Mal. "Mal it doesn't matter what's on the outside, it's what is on the inside that counts, if you can teach Jane that, one of the most self-conscious people I know, then you can teach yourself that. I love you Mal scars, warts, freckles and all" Ben concluded, he reached over to Mal's side and placed a small kiss on her forehead before he left her room to go and grab some towels for the wet VK's.