Family Maintenance

Chapter 9

Hello, my lovelies! I just couldn't wait to get out the next chapter of FM, so here it is! :D It's the build-up to the moment you all have been waiting for... Este's background! I hope you enjoy!

Leave reviews, please! They make me happy!

It had been a few days since his talk with Mal and Ben was feeling much better. He'd apologized to the council and stated what he was doing, and while some of them argued back, he put his foot down, which irritated his father and the few people who countered him, but Ben didn't let it bother him.

After all, he was going to be king, as Mal kindly pointed out. They'd have to get used to listening to him.

Now he was sitting in Mal's room again, playing dress-up with Este after a quiet dinner while Lonnie and Jane, who Akiho and Emir had introduced to the villain kids (both had gushed over Este and the little girl had adored them from the start, finding them just as exciting as her Auntie Vee.) The two girls had insisted on a night out with the Island girls, exclaiming about a new shopping centre in Auradon Village.

Mal had been reluctant since she'd never left Este alone with someone overnight, but Evie had insisted that she needed a break and Ben seconded that and so Mal was coaxed into going.

"Ben!" Este called from where she was bouncing up and down on Mal's bed. "Look at me! I'mma princess!" she cheered, the floppy crown she was wearing falling off as she jumped.

Ben chuckled as Este picked the crown back up, placing it on her head again before sliding off the bed and making her way to him. He was sitting on the carpet wearing a red blanket around his shoulders and holding a plastic silver sword.

"I gotta save you from the scary bear." she murmured as she reached for the sword. She plopped Cuddles onto the carpet in front of Ben.

"Oh no! I'm… I'm being held captive by this very scary bear!" he exclaimed dramatically and Este giggled as she hopped around the room.

"I'mma save you!" she yelled and she flopped down onto the bear, squeezing it."Cuddles, you gotta release the prince so he and mama can get married!"

Ben blinked in surprise. "What?"

Este ignored him as she dropped the bear on the floor and grabbed Ben's hand. "I saved you!"

Ben forced his shock to waver away and instead, he smiled cheerfully at the little girl. "Thank you, Princess Este! I can go back to my kingdom in peace and shall grant you the reward of all the strawberries you can eat!" he declared and she squealed.

"I love sta'bewwies," Este sighed happily and Ben laughed. "And Lonnie let me try choc'whip cookies!"

Ben chuckled, ruffling Este's mop of hair. He tapped her nose gently as he sat her down on the bed. "Okay, sweet girl, we should clean up now. Your mama's going to be home soon and we need to get you, Princess Este, to bed!"

"I don't wanna!" she said, pouting immediately and crossing her arms.

"You have to or your mama might get sad," Ben said, stifling his laugh at her posture. "You don't want mama to get sad, right? Besides, I already let you stay up an hour past your bedtime."

Este hmphed, but slid off the bed and dumped her dress-up outfit into her toybox. Ben helped her into her pajamas and with brushing her teeth and then Este flopped onto the bed with Cuddles tightly in her arm.

"Ben?"

"Yes, Este?" Ben glanced at her as he shut the curtains, bathing the room in a slight darkness. He pulled the nightlight on, remembering how Este disliked the dark.

Este wiggled under the blankets, poking her head out, and sleepily grinned at him.

"Night night, Ben!"

Ben smiled. "Goodnight, Es."

About an hour later, Ben wrapped up his call with Mal, who had said they would be home in around thirty minutes. Ben told her to take her time as Este was sleeping peacefully and he didn't have anything to stress about the next day. She hung up after a quick goodbye and Ben was left scrolling through his phone.

He looked up when he started to hear soft squeaking sounds coming from Este and he placed his phone down on the table, making his way towards her.

"Este?" he asked softly, pulling the blankets away to find her shivering in a curled-up position. She whimpered and Ben sat down, picking her up and tucking her into his chest.

"Este, sweet girl, wake up. You're having a nightmare." Ben whispered, rubbing her back. He murmured quietly in her ear, hugging her to him, and soon, her eyes shot open, flooding with tears.

"Hey, sweet girl. What happened? Are you okay?" Ben rocked Este back and forth, trying to calm her down. Este continued to cry, burying her face into Ben's shoulder, sniffling furiously.

"I want mama." she murmured sadly, hiccupping and Ben nodded, sighing as he reached for his phone with his free hand to dial Mal.

"Ben? Is everything okay?"

"Mal! Um, Este woke up and had a nightmare… She's asking for you."

Ben could clearly see Mal's face paling in his brain and she stuttered. "Of course.. Uh, w-we'll be there in fifteen. Can you put me on speaker, please?"

Ben did as she asked and held the phone towards Este. "It's your mama, sweet girl."

"Baby? Hi, Este, can you hear me?"

"Can hear you, mama." Este sniffed and Ben squeezed her tighter. Her small hands clung to his jacket tightly, her expression small, and his chest panged. He just wanted to melt all her sadness away.

"I'm going to be home soon okay, baby? Do you have Cuddles with you?" Ben listened quietly as Mal spoke softly to Este over the phone, almost as if she had done this a hundred times.

"Okay, I'm going to end the call, baby, I'm here now. I'll see you soon, Es."

The call ended and Ben pocketed his phone, shifting Este so that he could wipe away her tears. "Are you alright now, Este?"

"Mhmm." Este hugged her bear, leaning her head against Ben's chest.

"Do you want to talk about what happened?" Ben asked gently and Este stared at him, her eyes still tinged red from her crying. Este shook her head and Ben continued to rock back and forth, running his hand through her hair to soothe her. A few minutes later, Mal rushed into the room, her green eyes wide with worry.

"Este!" she exclaimed, bending down to look her daughter in the eye. Este hid her face away in Ben's shoulder and Mal sat down next to Ben, her arm brushing against him as she reached for Este.

"Baby girl, can you come here?"

"No. I wanna stay with Ben."

Ben and Mal glanced at each other. Ben shrugged and Mal sighed, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Do you want to tell us what happened, baby girl?"

"Mama's mama took me away," Este whispered sorrowfully and Mal's back straightened, going stiff as Ben stared at the little girl in shock. "And mama was crying and Uncle Jayjay was really angry and Ben... " she paused to sniff. "Ben was tryna' get me, but mama's mama-" she trailed off, starting to cry again and Mal rubbed her hand across her back another time, squeezing her arm lightly.

Mal looked towards Ben, whose face was swimming in confusion. And anger? Was that anger? Who was it directed to? Why was it there?

She almost missed Ben whispering quietly in Este's ear again, but she did catch when Este had murmured softly, falling back asleep again. Ben tucked Este back into the bed, brushing the hair out of her face.

"How did you… It always takes us so long to calm her down after-" Mal stopped suddenly, realizing what she said.

"Mal? This has happened before? Why?"

"Ben, please, I don't-"

"Mal, she's three. This shouldn't be happening to her!"

"Ben…"

"Mal, I won't judge. I just want to listen. I want to help, she's… I'm with her a lot, right? What if it happens again and you can't get here as quickly?"

"Ben, I…"

Ben sighed, knowing Mal's walls were way up. They always were, especially when it came to Este. "You know what? It's fine. I told you before I wouldn't pry, so I'm not going to. I'll just get out of your hair then so you can get some rest."

He turned to leave, but Mal grabbed his arm, gulping nervously. "Wait! You… You're right. You should know. You spend just as much time with Este as me or one of my friends do. Y-you should know."

Guilt seeped into Ben's gut at how stiff Mal had gotten. "Mal, I didn't mean to sound.."

"It's okay, Ben," Mal crossed her arms, her gaze lowering to the ground. "It's a sensitive topic, and, um, it's a bit long."

Ben smiled gently at her, sitting down on the floor. He patted the space across from him and Mal followed his lead after glancing at Este with an unreadable expression on her face.

Ben squeezed her knee before pulling away. "I have time."