He raps his knuckles against the door lazily, waiting a full minute before brazenly inviting himself in.
He could wait.
But he wasn't going to wait outside the door.
As it was, the man was intent with his phone to his ear as he stares at something on his pathetic-looking pc.
The fuck? His face pulls in disgust.
If he was sticking around, which he was-
Note to self, update the tech.
He glares at the computer, if it could even be called that.
He couldn't associate with someone who was using system fucking eight when they were well on their way to eleven.
And here he thought all the villains were on the Isle.
He shakes his head before he plops on one of the chairs sideways, letting one leg rest over the chair of the arm, and pulls out his phone.
He's not sure how long he ends up playing the FPS he was currently enraptured with.
"How can I help you, Mister Hiro Hamada?"
"Hiro." He corrects, waiting to kill the last enemy before he pauses his game.
He slides the phone into his pocket before he looks over, "So, I'm going to build a school."
"I see." Adam smiles as he takes his seat behind his desk, "I'm assuming here in the Auradon commonwealth, not just any old school, and that you've already selected the land."
"Yep." He nods, "I'm putting a campus here so I can do my job and shit."
Adam nods, "Well, Hiro, as much as I honestly wish I could be the one to continue these meetings with you, I'm not the one in charge of educational establishment within the commonwealth of Auradon."
"Oh?" He lifts a brow. "Fuck, wrong office?"
"Oh no, I approve the idea," Adam chuckles as he dials on his phone, "now Belle gets to talk it over with you."
He blinks.
Did he just-
It… It's called speed dial.
Or contacts.
Oh my god.
Was he on a seventh Gen?
"You know you're a king, right?"
"Yes," Adam's brow furrows before he shrugs, "but when we formed the alliance, I knew Belle was best suited for the job of education infrastructure and equality."
"Duh." He shifts in his seat, straight up offended on every level, "I meant your phone is garbage, and you're trash at using it. You're like, forty, dude, the fuck? There is no- And I mean, no excuse for that. Like. At. All. You- You don't even have a smartwatch."
Adam's eyes crinkle in amusement, "Why is that important?"
His jaw drops, "What do you mean- Important? Paramount, maybe. Necessary. Abso-fucking-lutely. I just- I don't- Why though? Explain." He rubs his temples, baffled.
"I don't understand what you-" Adam shakes his head before he chuckles, "It sounds to me like you need another job from the crown."
"Gimme." He demands, gesturing to himself, "This is unacceptable. Utterly and completely unacceptable. You just dialed a number, your wife's- What is this?" He scoffs, genuinely horrified, "The dark ages?"
He glares at Adam's amusement.
"This isn't funny!" He huffs as he crosses his arms, "It's a downright travesty!"
"What's a travesty, dear?" Belle questions, her voice slightly altered by the severely outdated speaker.
He grimaces.
The poor definition of the speaker.
His eye twitches. "Please tell me you have a smartwatch Belle, I need this."
"I have a virtual library, Hir. Let that be enough."
The noise that leaves him is new to him, as he takes a deep breath, "A virt-."
Like a fucking tablet?
Ridiculous.
This was utterly ridiculous.
He closes his eyes as he centers himself.
"By his silence, I assume it's not."
"Does not appear so." Adam agrees.
"You're both insane." He grumbles.
"Oh, well, I was going to offer you a contract to update the commonwealth's technology services-"
"Don't be ridiculous. If I'm moving here, it's happening. Just do us both a favor, and agree it's insanity with how archaic your tech is, and let me fix it. Pleeease? For that is all that is right in the world."
"Deal." Adam and Belle say at the same time.
"Yes!" He pumps his fist in victory.
"And dear, Hiro is moving his campus to Auradon, so you'll need to work with him on that."
"Oh?"
"I ain't splitting Chibi-Chan from his pack, and over my damn ice-cold body is that kid going to any of the schools here currently. I mean, look at your tech!" He drags a hand down his face.
"That is wonderful news, Hiro!" He was pretty sure the faint sound was clapping, "Auradon is in desperate need of a good tech school, and your school is the one I've been trying to model a school off of."
"Knew you were a genius, didn't know you had such great taste."
"She is and does." Adam smiles fondly before he looks back at the phone, "I'll give Hiro your card, dear, sorry to interrupt your book club."
"This was a worthy interruption-"
"She gets it!"
"I'm sorry," Adam presses a hand to his chest, "were you thrown out of the office when you just walked in?"
"Oh, come on, you're like four versions behind! How can I not-" He takes a deep breath, "I mean, yeah, thanks for that."
"Okay, guys, I'll talk to you both later. I look forward to the initial meeting, Hiro."
"Same," He agrees, "Enjoy your-" His nose scrunches, surely antiquated, ugh, people and their smells, and tactile blegh- "Bookclub."
Adam chuckles as he ends the call, "How are Lilo and Carlos doing?" He asks as he sits back.
"In order, eccentric and anxious as ever." He runs a hand through his hair.
"Eccentric makes life far more interesting." Adam smiles.
"Oh, for sure," He grins. "Never know what I'm gonna walk in on. Like last week, all the painted nudes pinging against walls for her latest exhibit."
"That sounds-" Adam clears his throat, "Anyway, I wanted to thank you for your support of Ben."
"Great kid, definitely worth my time and support." He snorts, "Can't say I say that often."
"He is a great kid, and he's well on his way to learning everything he'll need to be a great leader." Adam sighs, "One of the things he'll hopefully learn from my mistakes is knowing who to trust."
Huh.
Well… Fuck.
Add that to the list of huh.
He hadn't been-
Huh.
Apparently, old beasts could learn new tricks.
Damn it.
Where the fuck was that anger supposed to go-
Leah.
Duh.
Fucking bitch.
"Hey man, tech isn't the only thing that needs patches and updates." He shrugs. "'Least ya can see you made mistakes, I know a lotta people in your position, and most put up firewalls 'gainst that shit."
Adam's head tilts slightly to the side, "I- I think I get what you're saying."
"Good, cause I was gonna be concerned." He grins.
No, he didn't.
Not even a little.
But that was fine, for now.
For. Now.
Once again, he finds himself staring at the large looming doors of his father's office, though admittedly this time, he didn't feel trepidation.
It had been a relief to hear that his father was on his side despite the many complications. To hear that he was working to circumvent the council's stonewalling.
He wasn't sure why he'd ever questioned his father's loyalties… Maybe his reaction to his proclamation and the warning that it would be an uphill battle with boulders tethered to his ankles.
He interpreted it as disapproval at first, but now?
Now he understood exactly what his father had been cautioning him about.
He, his father, had even admitted he'd been remiss in the occurrence of villains having children. Felt remorse for just lying to himself and those concerned with the notion that they would love their children.
Even his concerns for T had been a misconception.
He'd thought for sure his father would have reservations about pulling over someone with T's- his eyes narrow.
Faustina's condition.
That was definitely going to take some time getting used to.
It helped to consider them siblings.
And after reading Faustina's letters, apparently, that's what she at least considered them to be.
Did T think of her as his sister too?
And if that was the case, did that mean they'd always known about each other?
He shakes his head before his thoughts could spiral into things he wouldn't be sure of until they met… Assuming T would ever feel comfortable enough to talk with him.
He frowns, not important right now. What had he been thinking before-
His eyes narrow as he looks up to the ceiling.
Oh!
His father being understanding about T's situation.
He shakes his head.
He could get so lost sometimes.
He smiles.
Was it any wonder Mal called him a space head?
He sighs. So not the point.
He'd been thinking about T's letter and how he'd never show his father the explicit, blatant, nearing on full-out hatred he'd written about him.
The King.
He was pretty sure his father would-
Actually, he wasn't sure what his father would do. He'd been so wrong in his assumptions lately.
He just knew that his dad would at the very least be concerned with the vehemence behind it.
His head tilts to the side as another errant thought has his lips quirking into a smile.
Did Uma or the others know T's letter's contents before he added it to the pile?
Everything in him told him she hadn't. That none of them probably had if the fact he actually received it was any indication. He can't help his amused snort.
Mischief bubbles in his chest at the thought of showing the rest of his family once they met.
He'd enjoyed seeing Mal and the other's disbelief and exasperation.
He was curious how the Sea Family would react.
From everything he knew, it would be amusing, to say the least.
God, how he wanted them over.
His chest aches as Faustina's letter echoes in his mind.
Hated the points she had made.
Hated how plainly she had written out exactly why they, the Sea Family, couldn't come over. At least not until the rest of the children were safe and out of harm's way.
Which at the current rate-
His fists clench at his side.
Too long.
It would take so long for them to come over.
Would they be resentful?
Would they be hurt that they'd been the ones left behind?
Bitter?
He closes his eyes at the thought as he takes a deep breath.
They were doing the best they could, all they could, in fact.
But it still wasn't enough.
Not with the council stonewalling them.
He can't help but think about the letter again.
The point Faustina made about the older generation's decision to erect the barrier in the first place.
How the royals who came together to figure out how to deal with the villains thought it best to imprison them all in one place.
How they would have to admit they'd been wrong to do what they once believed was right.
He swallows a sigh.
Had any of them ever admitted that they were wrong in the slightest?
He couldn't recall one time where any of them, the royals of the same generation as Leah at least, admitted to being at fault for anything. Least of all, an oversight of this proportion.
He takes a deep breath before he steels himself and knocks on the door and waits, slipping through it at his father's acknowledgment.
"Ben," Adam greets, looking up from the pile on his desk with a small smile, "You really need to work on your punctuality." He chuckles as he takes off his glasses, "Though I suspect the problem is more one of getting out of your head." His eyes sweep over him, "That is what kept you, isn't it?"
He runs a hand through his hair and looks away when he feels heat searing his cheeks. "When isn't it?"
Adam smiles as he stands, absently cleaning his glasses before he resettles them back on his nose and walks around the desk, "A wise woman once told me there's a time for being stuck in your head and a time for pulling the ideas from it." He chuckles as he hugs him, "Or something like that."
He loved it whenever his dad did that.
Speak about his mom like she was a sage. It was one of his favorite things about him. How willing he was to admit that she was wiser than him. It took a lot for someone, especially a king, to realize something like that.
He grins sheepishly as he returns the hug. "Mom constantly reminds me of that." He pulls back, "Sorry I was late."
"Don't worry about it with me." Adam smiles as he gestures to the seat closest to the desk, "I seem to be having a similar problem here recently."
He frowns, "There is a lot to think about, isn't there?" He sighs before he walks to the chair, waiting for his father to settle before he joins him.
"Indeed." Adam nods before he looks down at the pile, "And a lot of planning to think through as well."
His eyes drop to the cluttered desk as his frown deepens.
That wasn't good.
For as unorganized as his father could be, he'd never seen his desk in such a state.
"I'm doing everything I can to push the adoptions through the stonewalling. And to further pass ordinances that will clarify international adoption policies so we can apply the same logic to the Isle, since the council is attempting the stance that the Isle of the Lost is not actually Auradon territory."
A warmth curls in his chest at the genuine promise in his tone.
The somberness.
The understanding.
It meant a lot to him that his father was actually on his side with this. Taking on his position. That he was fighting for him.
For the VKs.
But when the words register, he blinks. "I'm sorry, what? They're claiming the Isle of the Lost isn't part of our Kingdom?" He asks in disbelief.
What the hell?
Adam tilts his head to the side, "Unfortunately, they do have enough to try to back it up since there is no formal enforcement of law and order, none of the residents are allowed to vote on laws and amendments pertaining to their lands and place within Auradon, and there is a form of trade that we have with it."
He swallows a growl but can't help the set of his jaw as he clenches his teeth.
His eyes narrow.
"We send them our trash." He bites out. "How is that a trade?"
"According to the council reports-" Adam's brow furrows as he lifts corners of pages until he moves a stack aside and lifts a single page, "We also supply medicines, basic living necessities, school supplies, water, and food."
Heat boils in his stomach as disgust crawls over him like a hoard of spiders.
How ridiculous.
This time he can't help himself as he scoffs. "None of which the kids of the Isle are privy to, or have the means of purchasing."
These people.
These people that headed this council.
It hur-
No, not hurt.
Sucked.
It sucked that they were part of the kingdom.
His soon-to-be kingdom.
They were absolutely the shittiest human beings he'd ever had the displeasure of learning about.
His eyes narrow.
He couldn't wait to take the crown.
The first order of business was going to be to rectify this.
To replace the councils with people with more forward-thinking views. People he could trust. Not people who felt like they deserved it. Swearing it. Searing it into his mind like the holiest of oaths.
Adam slowly nods before he removes his glasses and absently drops them on a pile.
"Mal and the others had never even gotten the basic of vaccines. All they mentioned were Tetanus shots."
At least that's what he'd conclude after their description.
"It is not a good system, Ben, I know that." Adam sighs as he drags a hand down his face, "But it's hardly the focus right now."
He swallows his first retort, "It is though. We are being stonewalled left and right. It could be years before we get them over here." Tightness pulls at his chest.
"And if we don't prioritize our fights, we'll never get through any of the stonewalling," Adam explains calmly.
He takes a deep breath as he tries to quell the bitterness creeping over him.
He blinks.
That was new.
New and vastly unpleasant.
"I don't like it. And now that I know-" Adam closes his eyes and sighs before he continues, "Now that I know more about what truly happens on the Isle, I believe you are correct. Instead of focusing on the Isle's infrastructure, or more accurately, the lack of, I would propose we instead focus on your original decree. The Children of our villains do deserve a better life, and the only way to provide them with one is to remove them from the Isle."
He wanted to argue. He really did.
But as much as he loathed, utterly, utterly hated to admit it, he could concede his father's point.
"While I understand that and appreciate your guidance and wisdom," He agrees softly, but he can't help himself. "They didn't know milk was supposed to be a smooth dad."
Adam grimaces, "That is a terrifying, defining image." He sighs, "I'm doing what I can to slowly change the way the Isle is looked after, but it could take years to remove enough power from the council to effect positive change. It's a slow process, but it has to be slow."
He bites back a groan.
Of course it was.
Nine years.
Nine long more years.
Adam frowns as he watches him, "If you wish to redefine your proclamation son, now is really the only chance you'll get."
He sighs, "What do you think I should do?" Waiting to bring four kids over at a time made him ill. But shifting his proclamation could make it take even longer.
Was it fair to the kids stuck on the Isle for years? Waiting until their opportunity came?
He knew he could only fight one battle at a time from his current position.
"I'll again rely on a wise woman's advice. Trust your heart. It's a good one. And something I wish I had more faith in for myself when I first accepted the crown of Auradon."
"My heart says that it's complete and utter-" He pauses. "Unpleasantness. That we have to choose between saving these kids or making sure they have the means of eating more than trash and their parents' leftovers."
"That is the harshness of ruling," Adam sighs as he stares off into the corner of the office, "sometimes you have to make hard decisions with the resources you have. And no matter what you choose, no one will be entirely happy about it, and everyone will feel slighted or cheated."
"We're supposed to be the kingdom where 'happily ever afters' do come true." He sighs in resignation as a heaviness settles over him.
An exhaustion he'd only experienced a handful of times.
Exhaustion that solely came from swallowing his outrage.
"Unfortunately, we were just the United Kingdoms of deporting misery to build an area of 'happily ever afters.'" Adam sighs again before he resumes eye contact, "And now you are tackling a wrong of the United Kingdoms, which is unsurprisingly suitably sized."
Wrong.
Deez's hundreds of tablets flash through his mind. All the wrongs that had happened to the children of the lost.
How those under the barrier had to hide the way they cared.
How they couldn't show love or affection without consequences.
How the VKs were so terrified of getting caught being kind when it was the base nature of so many of them.
Wrong didn't even begin to cover it.
"You're unweaving my wrong." Adam plucks his glasses from the desk and puts them on, "You're doing what I was-"
He frowns at the hesitation in his father's voice.
"What I was too afraid to do once I learned about the children on the Isle. When I learned the truth of what the spell had done."
He bites his bottom lip as he studies his father.
He'd never thought of it. How hard it was for people to admit they were wrong. To swallow their pride and help right what they'd done, or said.
It didn't take the sting away.
Didn't stop the loss of respect for his father.
Maybe it was less, but it was still a loss.
Afraid.
He'd been afraid to rescue children?
Because of backlash?
Because he might upset some people. Sure they were important people… In the eyes of those who abided by traditions.
He'd never viewed his father as a coward, but at this moment?
He sighs.
"I don't say it enough, Ben, and I know you didn't feel supported by me at first, but I am so proud of you. So proud of your bravery and your heart." The barest hint of a smile passes Adam's lips, "The things you clearly inherited from your mother.
It wasn't the first time he'd said it.
That he was proud of him.
But it still made his chest inflate with happiness.
He hadn't expected to ever hear those words, at least not in the context of his proclamation.
It was nice.
"I do try to emulate her. She's as intelligent as she is kind, and it's something I've always loved about her."
"Same." Adam nods. "My stance on this being an uphill battle has not changed, but now that I have seen you remain steadfastly dedicated to this proclamation, I can share with you all the thoughts I had on the matter of being kept in the dark in regards to the Isle."
People were going to be so upset when he took over the kingdom. So many things were going to be thrown out the window.
First and foremost, he was getting rid of that.
Being kept in the dark.
Too many things festered and withered in shadows.
"Things I have been slowly trying to fix for the past year, and the plan I had to make the necessary changes before you take the throne after your twenty-fifth birthday. Changes that would keep you from falling into the same mistakes I made."
A ghost of a smile plays on his lips, "I appreciate the work, effort, and foresight in that matter. It will certainly make the transition easier, and for that, I am grateful." He frowns as Faustina's words flit across his mind, "And I appreciate you for being able to admit you were wrong. I get the feeling not many would be willing to do that. Could do that."
"A leader can punish those under them for their mistakes. A good leader can fix his own mistakes. But a great leader can also admit their mistakes." Adam smiles as his eyes dart to a picture frame on the desk, one he knew had a picture of their family, "And according to your Mom, we are both capable of being great leaders."
Mom. He smiles.
He didn't know where he'd be without her unwavering support, guidance, and belief in him.
"I'd like to believe that. That I'll make a great leader."
Though, as David would say, the best swells can't be made without disturbing the water.
"If your mother says it's true, then there's no question that you will be. She's never wrong about you."
He blinks.
Really?
His father seemed so steadfast in his words.
In that belief.
Could he live up to it?
He certainly hoped so.
Still, the absolute belief his father had in his mother's intuition about him was startling.
Startling and painful.
He couldn't imagine how Mal and the others did it. Become so generous, kind, and sincere without their parents' support, guidance, and belief in them.
Well, at least not in the way they wanted.
Needed.
"Thank you," He breathes softly, suddenly appreciating his parents tenfold.
Adam smiles, "For telling you the truth? You're welcome."
He shakes his head, "No. For believing in me. For the support you both give me. For the love you have for me. For the guidance you are willing to give me."
Adam tilts his head to the side, "You're my son. Of course I am more than willing to do those things."
"Nothing dictates you have to do those things because you're my parents."
"I do. I dictate that I do. As does your mother. It's choice Ben, it will always be about choice. The choice to do or not to do. The choice of right or wrong, and the choice of developing your own definition of what it all means." Adam stands from his desk, "It's always a choice, even when it isn't."
Choices.
Something the kids stuck on the Isle fought with every day.
Please their parents and be cruel and cold?
Or-
Choose to be kind and caring, knowing you'd be deemed a pariah and punished.
"It is, isn't it?" He asks wistfully.
Deez had shown him that, time and time again, with those she wrote about.
Clearly cared about.
So many. So very, very, many.
Her dedication to her self-assigned life's work.
The corner of his lip twitches in a smile.
Life's work. She'd spent over half her life advocating for those around her.
He'd thought for sure she was older. Much older. Like in her twenties older.
But she looked no older than Carlos.
It seemed so silly to call the work of a peer life's work.
He was the prince of a kingdom, and he didn't have a life's work.
It was nothing short of astounding. Admirable.
He blinks in surprise when he realizes Adam was kneeling in front of him.
"You are-" Adam shakes his head before he leans forward and braces a hand on each shoulder, "Everything I've ever wanted, not only in a child, but in a successor. Everything I hoped and prayed for, and all the best things I never even thought to mention. You don't just follow. You lead. You've always been a quiet boy, a shy one. But all those books, all those conversations with your mother, all the times you asked me about my past. You are everything I wasn't when I was your age, and I am so grateful to your mother for making sure you did not have the childhood I did."
His mouth goes dry and his eyes sting as he stares at his father in shock.
He'd never thought himself a disappointment to his father, but he'd never believed himself to be who he wanted to be either.
He'd thought for sure his father had wished for him to be more like him instead of taking after his mother's softness.
It was flooring.
Humbling.
Made him want to be everything his father wanted him to be.
To be the person his father saw him as.
"I'm grateful you have the tempering to the temper that runs in my veins. That you are capable of wielding the anger burning here," Adam pokes to his chest, "with the wisdom you are building here." He pokes to his head. "And you have the courage to know when to use them, together or separately."
He swallows hard as his eyes drop, "Thank you. That means so much to me. To hear that from you. That you're proud of the person I've become. Your faith in me. Just, thank you, dad."
Adam jerks him forward into a suffocatingly tight hug.
"You never forget how amazing you are." Adam demands roughly, as if he were fighting his own emotions, "You will be the king these kingdoms need to overcome the past, and the one to keep them united through the changes. Even I can see that, and I'm an idiot compared to your mother."
Forget?
How?
It was everything he didn't know he wished for from his father.
He loses the battle as he feels warmth roll down his face as he hides it in his father's shoulder and hugs him back tightly. "I won't." He breathes.
"Good."
God.
He'd never truly appreciated his father until he met the VKs.
Everyone around him had doting parents. There'd really been nothing to compare it to.
But now, knowing and seeing the truth?
The love in his chest hurt.
"Good." Adam nods without letting him go, "You're going to need that. Just like you're going to need your friends." He sighs as he pulls back, the action so tender compared to how the hug started.
"This is going to be hard. The hardest thing I've ever done, besides hoping that someone like your mother could love me for the man I could become and not just the beast I was." Adam chuckles wetly, uncaring of the tear tracks on his face, "You can't show weakness. You can't show doubt."
"I know." His staunch tone was so at odds with the tears streaming down his face. "I need to do this. Be strong for them. I already know I'm certain."
Adam squeezes his shoulders, "Good. Then I have an idea. An incomplete plan, if you will. But I can't do this without you.
He squeezes his dad's arm in return before he sits back and wipes the tears from his face. "Funny," He smiles, "I was going to say the same."
"Maybe our two incomplete plans can form a whole." Adam chuckles before he stands to slide into the chair beside him.
He nods, feeling a lot more invigorated than he had not twenty minutes ago.
The power of words.
Of love.
"So," He turns, "What are you thinking?"
"That I need to let my son sink or swim with his first decree, in the eyes of the people and, more importantly, the council that governs affairs related to the Isle."
He tilts his head to the side. That was a peculiar way to start.
But intriguing.
"Because I will be calling meeting after meeting with other councils to push my refined laws governing the assignment of responsibilities to each council and the specific seats within. All while outlining the specific duties the council seats have to the crowns of their kingdoms, and the higher responsibility the seats have to the unifying crown, who is the overall figurehead that governs international affairs."
He hated the thought of looking as if he'd made the wrong decision. But on the other hand, if it helped the Isle kids, he'd rather look like a failure than give into pride. "So, you're reallocating the power of the councils so that the seats are even. And I'll keep the members of the Isle council on their toes so they won't interfere?"
"Exactly. As members of a council, their vote during a meeting can be counted." Adam smiles, "during. And after it takes two-thirds of the present council members to invoke debate once a new law has been passed."
"I think that's a great strategy." He grins.
He could take the hit.
It wasn't even his father standing against him. Instead, he was just becoming neutral to see to other equally essential affairs to better assist him.
"Give it a year Ben, one year. You, Mal, Evie, Jay, and Carlos fight for every VK you can get them to bring over, but give me a year, and we can start to listen to the voice of the people more than the voice of the ruling cast."
A year?
A year was a long time.
But so much less than he'd been anticipated.
Had feared.
"I can do that." He nods firmly.
His eyes narrow, "I know currently you don't have the power to re-elect a council member, but, is there a way to add seats to them?"
Adam smiles before he jumps from his seat and swipes a large folder from his desk, "Here." He passes him the folder before he snaps his fingers, "It's a lot, I know. But your mother and I have been working on that-" He shakes his head, "For a very long time. You can't take it out of here, though, so take this-" He pulls a ring of keys from a desk drawer and pulls one free before he resumes, "You can come here whenever you want to read it."
He looks at the daunting folder with a wide grin. "Consider it read." He pockets the keys. "Thank you." He breathes. Meaning the words from the bottom of his heart.
He studies the folder for another moment before he looks up.
"If you have ideas you want added, please let me know."
"I'll definitely do that." He nods in appreciation.
"Good." Adam sighs, "We didn't do this right the first time. We did it quickly, and to do it quickly we trusted a lot of people we believed had everyone's best interest at heart."
Quickly.
He frowns.
Quickly. Right. Efficiently.
His mother's words echo in his head.
You can only have two.
Right and efficient was the best in the long run, but it took time.
Quick and right were usually the easiest, but not efficient.
Efficiently and quickly usually meant they weren't right.
Or the right reasons were lost in the process.
It was one of the things his mother had insisted he think about and understand from a young age.
Had she learned that from her own experience? Or was it some universal truth she'd come to understand?
He shakes his head, ponderings for later.
"We were young. And deeply in love was so new to me, to both of us. We trusted, even when we weren't sure. We let a lot of things slide, hoping it would work out eventually. That we would be able to fix more things as we went. And we did, we've fixed a lot of the glaring problems, but anything out of sight was clearly out of mind. And that was wrong. On every level, I was wrong."
The respect he'd lost for his father was slowly returning.
"But the thing is, by admitting something needs to be righted, it means that something was wrong in the first place, and I've never seen anyone who was happy to be wrong."
Faustina's words ring loudly in his ears.
His father certainly didn't look happy.
He looked remorseful.
Regretful.
Pained even.
"It takes a real person of character to admit something like that over an issue of this magnitude." He smiles. "Especially in your position. Then again, you've always shown me the path to be a great leader."
"Thank you." Adam slowly nods, "but know that, if it weren't for you, I never would have gotten the chance to admit it."
"And I wouldn't have appreciated the admission so much without a stranger pointing it out to me. The depths of what it means to admit you were wrong."
"A stranger pointed it out to you?"
He nods before he shifts and pulls out neatly folded pages. "I know I've always wanted you to read the articles Deez sent, but I also understand it might be overwhelming to begin at this point... So maybe start with these? I think you'll understand why I'm about to say what I want to say after that."
"Oh?" Adam smiles as he reaches over to take them. "What are these-"
"I want a little sister." He blurts out.
Adam coughs as he leans back in his seat, fumbling to take his glasses off to clean them. "Ben, haven't we already had this conversation? Not that I mind if you have more questions, just, that was an unexpected turn your old man didn't see coming."
His cheeks burn as he smiles sheepishly, "I remember the first talk."
"I mean, you're older now," Adam continues as he puts his glasses back on, "it might not be as awkward-"
"No!" He quickly holds up his hand.
He was one hundred percent convinced it would be more awkward now than when he'd first popped the question.
Adam clears his throat, "So um, how did you come to that um, statement?."
"A lot of things." He admits as his racing heart starts to settle, "But these letters and Mal and the others cemented it."
"Cemented-" Adam clicks his tongue, "Ah… I see you and your mother have been talking."
He grins sheepishly again, "That obvious?"
"As a Griffin in a stable." Adam chuckles, "Sorry, for a second, there you weren't sixteen. You were my six-year-old asking for a sister for Christmas complete with charts and research data."
He couldn't stop the snort if he wanted to.
He remembered that.
The way both of his parents had choked their drinks back into their goblets.
How upset he'd been when they explained why it wouldn't be fair to have another child when they were both too busy for a baby and didn't want their 'servants' to raise them.
"Probably not the best way for that to have come out." He admits, "But after you read these, I think you'll better understand."
"I see." Adam smiles as he unfolds the letters and starts reading them.
He observes his father's features, happy when he sees the way his eyes warmed. The way his lips twitch into a small smile. The way he chuckles- Clearly on Harry's letter.
He sits on the edge of his seat when his father turns to Gil's, watching him like a hawk.
His brow furrows as he narrows his eyes, "Huh. This-" He blinks before he looks up, "Gil is Gaston's kid?"
He nods, "One of three. He has twins too, but-" He pauses, "They're more… Like their dad, I guess."
"He always told your mother he wanted six or seven." Adam shakes his head, "But um, I would not have believed Gaston could- Or that one of Gaston's kids could- I mean, he can read and write well."
"He can." He agrees with a smile, "He's dyslexic though. It took Deez and the Shadow- sorry, T years to teach him, with Carlos and Yen Sid's help."
"Huh." Adam smiles as he looks back down, "Dedication, I like that. And he's so-" He trails off, as if at a loss for words.
"Sweet?" He smiles as his father struggles to realize that the word could apply to one of Gaston's sons.
"Yes." Adam shakes his head as he reads the letter a second time, "Wow. Just wow."
His smile broadens. "I know. He's amazing. That whole family is."
"Seems like another great group." Adam smiles before he flips to the next letter.
The one from Deez.
"Now this handwriting I recognize." Adam smiles as he reads, "I am glad to see she's doing better."
He nods.
Understatement.
That first letter about herself had been concerning at best.
"And glad to hear Yensid is part of them. Seems the old sorcerer managed to do what he set out to do, teach the willing."
"Carlos and Deez both speak really highly of him." He supplies, "He's the reason Carlos loves science so much."
"If you believe Hiro it's all because of him." Adam snorts before he turns to the next letter.
"Ah, but Carlos only knew about him because of Yensid." He chuckles, amused by the snort. It wasn't like his father to respond so jovially about someone. At least not in that manner.
"Faustina is, is the girl who is also the Shadow, right?" Adam asks as he looks up from the letter, his brow furrowed in confusion.
"She is." He nods.
Adam nods as his eyes drift back to the letter. "She's also well-spoken. And educated, judging by her handwriting. It's so, formal."
"Very." He agrees.
His thoughts drift to how different the 'siblings' were.
Black and white.
He blinks at the apt description.
As if Faustina had completely taken every behavior she deemed 'masculine in herself and split it off.
He looks up again when he hears the page turn.
The final letter.
Well, the last letter he was letting his father see.
Faustina's second letter, tucked carefully into the notebook Deez made him
Adam crinkles his eyes as he rechecks the pile in confusion, "None from the 'family' Shadow?"
"I don't think T is so much of a writer as he is a doer." He maneuvers, rather smoothly in his opinion.
"Hmm." Adam frowns as he looks down and continues to read.
'Hmm' and a frown? That was not the best sign.
"Ah."
He tilts his head to the side, not wanting to have to interpret another murmur. "Ah?"
"Faustina is the one who pointed out to you that it's hard to admit when you're wrong."
Oh. "Yeah, she was."
"Smart girl." Adam nods.
But then his eyes widen before they get dark.
He shifts in concern. What had elicited that look?
Was it a thought?
Or a line from the letter?
He frowns as he goes over the letter in his head.
"She is smart. And she's not wrong. As a leader, you do have to know what your resources are, and how best to use them, even when the resources are people." Adam sighs, "But still, to come to that conclusion-" He trails off as he sets the packet down and rests his face into a hand.
He sighs.
Oh.
That.
That they couldn't have all of them without serious repercussions.
That she'd pleaded for him to leave T behind if he decided taking them was for the best.
He leans back as he takes a deep breath before he lets it out.
The heaviness of the letter once again settles in his gut.
"So, what is it you'd like to tell me," Adam sighs as he looks up again, "am I ready to hear it now that I've read them?"
"Well, as you've probably guessed, I want Deez as a sister."
Adam smiles as he nods, "Your mother also feels very connected to her." He wipes a hand across his face, "I'm not going to lie, I wouldn't mention that to the council. We'll deal with it when she is here. No need to give them time to cite all the reasons we can't adopt her."
"But-" He asks hopefully, waiting on bated breath.
"But, this is something your mother and I have already discussed. And the Kawanies and Hamadas are assisting your mother in gathering the necessary laws and ordinances we would need to reference. If we can adopt her, considering her Olypian status, we will."
He grins broadly as he sits up straighter. "F-Yes!"
"I see," Adam grins.
He once again feels heat rise to his cheeks as he clears his throat. "I mean, that's excellent to hear." He grins brighter as excitement bubbles in his chest.
Yes! He should've known his mother had already talked to him. She loved Deez just as much as he did.
Difficulties aside, he knew it would happen if they railed hard enough.
Persevered through the worst of it.
Fought for her.
Which, for Deez? For the mysterious H whose writing he'd been obsessing over for years-
Totally worth it.
Worth the wai-
He closes his eyes as he sinks in his chair slightly.
Wait.
And if you take Deez and her family, you have to-
No. Need.
You need to leave him.
Leave my brother.
Leave T.
The words echo in his mind as reality sinks in.
Wait. He grimaces.
"What just rained on your parade?" Adam asks stiffly, his eyes narrowing in concern.
He lets out a heavy sigh, "I just realized by the time she does get the opportunity to come over, I doubt that we could adopt her even if the situation allowed-"
Adam frowns, "Ben, when I said give me a year, I meant give me a year to change enough of the laws so we can just get all of them."
He blinks as his head snaps to his father. "Oh."
Bring them all over.
The words resound in his mind.
Bring them all-
He blinks.
Was he serious? A year?
With how slowly things have been moving…
A year?
Adam chuckles, though the sound was not a happy one, "It's a year longer than it should take, but yes, that's my goal. Hopefully, it won't take that long. You fight with everything you have to get who you can over here while I'll work to change the laws so we can finally get them all. It's the only way I can think to-" he sighs, "I can't even say make things right, because this won't." he shakes his head, "But, I believe you're on the right path, and I'm glad to be able to get back to that path myself, eventually."
"I…" He was sure he looked like an idiot, but what, no how, was he supposed to equate the sudden swelling in his chest to words?
How could he express-
"With Mal and my other friends supporting me, I know I can do that. Fight with everything I'm worth."
He'd give up sleeping.
Give up eating.
Give up his time.
Give up his power.
Give up everything he could to make this a reality.
To give the kids of an Isle a real chance to live.
Live.
Not survive.
Not scrape by.
Not hide who they are.
Live.
The life that they'd been meant to.
A life where they wouldn't have to look over their shoulder constantly.
A life where they didn't have to worry about where they slept.
What they had to eat.
A real life.
Okay, not trying to honk our own horns here (lies) but the convo between Adam and Hiro is just fucking gold.
Like, making Hiro have a full blown bitch fit over tech? Yes. Yes, please. Dark, let me write more of that.
And Adam just rolling with it? Come on now people. I know we all hate the movie version of Adam. But this is supposed to be Beast. Belle's fucking beast.
They shit all over Dark's OTP, there's no way that can go on unrectified.
Is she swaying your opinion on Adam at least a little? ← This if nothing else answer THIS. Please and thank you. (If we get five reviews on this today we'll post a second chapter… yeah, enjoy that carrot...)
*fingers crossed*
Cause, it's fucking hard.
Disney made it like, so, so, so fucking hard.
To make Adam a decent human being.
Dark's working her ass off over here, give the girl a bone and let her know your thoughts on the (hopefully, previous, )prick.
Feeling for Ben yet?
That was a lot to chew on.
Surprised by anything?
I sure as fuck was.
Fucking Dark. *rolls eyes*
Anyone else feeling the depths of Ben's conviction? *brushes knuckles against shoulder* Cause your welcome.
Fave Quote:
"I ain't splitting Chibi-Chan from his pack, and over my damn ice-cold body is that kid going to any of the schools here currently. I mean, look at your tech!" He drags a hand down his face.
-Hiro
What's yours?
Much love and appreciation
-Twisted