In the morning, the ground was too spongy to move the carts without heaping piles of mud attaching themselves to the rims. Ben went around helping people pull their carts onto higher ground, and they all simultaneously decided that they'd park and wait for the day. Uma's large tent was erected, and then small children ran around with large sticks, chasing each other and playing swords. The rain had also brought a small benefit - in places where the mud had run, it had revealed dozens of different types of roots under the ground.

Ben helped Uma haul out the kitchen equipment, clean off what had been dirtied, and then they directed crowds of meandering people to the tedious task of digging up the roots. Ben, Harry, Gil, and several others scrubbed off the tough outsides as they came in with metal brushes, and then even more people shredded them and added them to heaping pots of water set directly onto the flames. Uma herself was busy, adding portions of shredded meat, a few dried fruits, and other items to the pots along with a variety of things like hickory salt, which Ben had decided he was going to get heaps of when he returned to the palace, and pepper. Some items came from the Isle, while others Uma had taken from their surroundings.

Gil told jokes as they worked, making the work fast and easy. Ben laughed, but his heart still felt heavy. Mal hadn't ever returned, and no one had seen her. He wondered if she had some sort of invisibility spell, but if she did, she wasn't looking for him.

"Ben," Uma called from her place by the pots. "Fetch me a ladle!"

Harry pouted. "Why he?" He demanded, sticking his lips out a tad.

"Because I need you to stay here and keep Jimmy from messing up," Uma nodded at a smaller boy who was fumbling with the large knives, "He can do the job well enough anyway."

"Sure thing, Uma," Ben nodded, setting his knife down and wiping his hands off before he set toward the large covered tent that had housed the equipment during the storm. His shoes stuck in the ground as he walked. Evie had finally gifted him so tennis shoes, which were much more comfortable than the boots he'd originally worn. He was wearing black pants and a blue shirt. He was grateful Evie was now catering to his normal colors and thought it was still strange to be out of suits, even though he'd been away for almost three weeks now.

As he reached for the tent flap, he heard Evie's voice from inside and paused, wondering if he should come back later. However, then he heard someone else, and couldn't stop himself from leaning forward to listen.

"No, Evie, that's not it at all," Mal huffed, clearly exhausted. "Listen, can you just leave me to sleep? I went all across the valley last night in the rain." Ben's fingers twitched. She was back?

"Well, that's your fault," Evie declared. "You can rest for a while, but we need you here. We needed you here. When everything is stable, you can run wherever and go wherever, but the VK's need us now. Remember? The kids we promised?"

"I know," Mal groaned. Ben could picture her face - exhausted and melancholy with a half-lidded stare. His fingertips grazed the canopy flap. He really should walk in now, and announce his presence and purpose before he overheard something he wasn't supposed to.

"Mal, what happened?" Evie asked in a soft tone.

There were several seconds wherein Ben pictured her shifting her weight while he tried to convince himself to enter, grab the ladle, and leave. His fingers itched towards the opening.

"I don't know," Mal finally admitted in this broken tone that Ben hadn't imagined could come from her. "I just… got so angry. Hurt and angry… I don't know. It was like I'd been lied to, but I knew I hadn't been. I guess I just let things get too big in my head, and then-"

"Ben told you?" Evie asked in a hushed whisper.

Mal burst into this crazed, frenzied laughter that made his skin crawl. "I don't know why - I should have assumed! I mean, yeah, there was no ring, but!" She choked a little. "I just… I thought for a while…"

She stopped. Ben's hands felt like ice. He knew exactly what she'd been thinking. That he'd liked her. That they had something small and special. That it was a beginning to something greater. He knew because he'd been thinking the same things too.

"You love him?" Evie asked, and that was the thing that brought Ben back to earth. He was eavesdropping. It was wrong. He shouldn't be invading their privacy like this.

"I don't want to!" Mal exploded. "This isn't fair - he has no right to be making me like this and-"

Ben seized the tent flap and opened it. Mal's rant cut short. He stepped out of the sunlight, ducking a little as he entered, and then kept his gaze firmly on the ground as silence reigned and he listened to Evie and Mal gape in shock. Then, finally, he let his gaze drift up. Evie looked a little green while Mal had gone glasslike again. She was like a statue as she examined him. He felt like some sort of bug under than piercing gaze, even without the magic.

"Sorry," He whispered. "I was coming in for a ladle for Uma. I wasn't going to start eavesdropping, but I was surprised to hear Mal was back and froze up. I apologize for invading your privacy."

"How much did you hear?" Mal asked, stone-faced. She wasn't focusing directly on him - more on a point over his left ear.

"I heard everything from you saying you'd gone across the valley," Ben admitted, letting his gaze fall again. "I shouldn't have listened to as much as I did - I was just surprised. Please forgive me."

There wasn't anything after that. Nothing but heavy breathing as Mal tried to keep from exploding at him and his heartbeat hammering in both his chest and his skull. Finally, Evie broke the silence by crossing to a post and picking up a ladle from where it hung. "There," She declared. "You may go now."

Ben put one foot behind him and then his gaze shot up to see Mal had turned away, towards the West. "Can I talk to you?" The words spilled out of his chest like he was throwing them up. "Please?"

Mal turned and looked over her shoulder to make sure she knew who he was talking to. Evie tensed up as she looked back and forth in between them. Then Mal inclined her head and Evie exhaled as she took a few shaky steps towards the opening of the tent flap. ben stopped her and replaced the ladle in her hands. "Can you take that to Uma for me?" He requested. "I promise I'll be back out to help her soon."

Evie nodded hastily and then practically tripped out into the open. Ben took a breath and turned to Mal. She ignored him, facing away again, and then sat down on a crate, where she began tightening her shoelaces. Ben approached her softly until he was standing behind her. He couldn't tell if she had heard him approach or not, but either way, she jumped when he began to speak. "I'm sorry," He apologized. "I never wanted to hurt you."

Mal didn't answer. She yanked the laces on her boots tight against her skin and Ben felt a lump arise as he observed the curve of her calf into her ankles. "Uma and Jay and Carlos told me that I had to be careful… had to make sure you knew what sort of commitments I had because they didn't want you hurting more in the long run. I didn't realize… I thought… I hoped that whatever was going on in my head, it was all me, but-"

"Going on in your head?" Mal interrupted, turning to furrow her brow at him. "What do you mean?"

"Well, I meant…" Ben stammered. "Just… there were these glances and I could always feel your eyes on me, and…" He trailed off, awkwardly.

"You like me?" Mal asked, squinting a little. She sounded bewildered by the concept. It was as if someone had informed her that all of the villain kids were to be invited to Auradon or if he'd announced it was time to take the barrier down.

"I can't love you," Ben blurted out. "I'm sorry, but I can't. I have a wife and a daughter - they depend on me. You're amazing; I hope you know that, but I made a commitment to Audrey, and I can't break that."

"Audrey," Mal repeated in a soft tone. Ben cast his eyes to her feet again. "Is she a princess?"

Ben swallowed. He really, really didn't want to tell her, but he didn't want to lie either. "She's Aurora's daughter," He admitted, flinching internally at how backward this all was. "You know, uh, Sleeping-"

"Beauty," Mal cut him off, spinning away with a hot, hard look in her eyes. "I've heard the name."

"I know how that must seem to you," Ben began slowly. "She's not like Stefan, though. I mean, she's close to her grandmother, but she's not a bad person. She just… likes lots of things and people and yeah." He stopped himself as he started to babble. Even though Mal was mostly turned away from him, he could see her face twist in confusion.

"And you love her?" Mal asked softly.

"Yes," Ben agreed, though the words sounded hollow on his tongue. "I do. Her and my daughter."

Mal nodded softly as if that made sense. She took a small breath. It almost sounded as if she wanted to cry, but Ben doubted Mal would ever. He sat down beside her and put a hand on her back. "Will you be alright?" He whispered.

Mal nodded. "Yes," she affirmed. "Of course. Why wouldn't I be?"

Ben tilted his head down. "Because I know you felt… whatever it was too."

"It wasn't anything," Mal shook her head. "It was foolishness. All primal bull crap." She brushed his hand away. "Love is a lie, anyhow, but it's a beautiful one. That's why people buy into it."

Ben raised an eyebrow at her as she stood up and brushed herself off. She turned to face him, crossing her arms as she did. And this answer gave Ben the truth. "Did you… fall in love with me?" He asked in a hollow tone. Part of him was devastated, but the other… amazed. Audrey had never fallen in love with him. They had just fallen together as if they were fated. This whatever-it-was was so much more powerful than anything he'd ever experienced with her.

"Of course not!" Mal snapped. Her eyes lit up with deadly fire as she balled her fists against her sides. "How dare you imply such a thing!"

Ben blinked slowly. "You thought I implied it."

There was a loud echo of something smacking against something else in the teepee, like a brief clap of thunder. Ben hadn't realized she'd hit him until he caught the glare in her eyes and then briefly felt the sting begin in his cheek. He put a hand up to the wound with a small frown, but it didn't hurt as much as what he was going through internally. "That wasn't very nice," He reprimanded.

Mal looked confused. "It wasn't supposed to be," She furrowed her brow.

Ben tilted her head. "Then why did you do it?" He asked.

Mal looked down at her hand for a second as if it had done something she couldn't explain. Then she looked back at him. "It doesn't matter," She spat. "I know now. You don't have to worry about leading me on and anyways, you weren't in the first place."

She tried to storm past him, but Ben seized her hand. Mal tried to yank it away, but Ben quickly tugged her forward before she could wrench away. "Did you hit me thinking I would stay away after that?" Ben asked, scoffing a little. "Listen, if you want me to stay away, fine, but this isn't the Isle of the Lost. And you're hurting - you don't have to slap me to get that out."

"I don't have to-" Mal sputtered, and ceased fighting with him. She slumped a little, bowing her head and looking frazzled. "I know this isn't the Isle, Ben. But… I hit you. It's over. You hate me now; that's how these things work!"

"You don't think Audrey has hurt me before?" Ben deadpanned. "Or that Harry has hurt Uma before or that you've hurt Evie, Jay, and Carlos? We don't just leave people behind, Mal."

Mal kept her head bowed, staring at the ground as she took long, slow, deep breaths. "I'm sorry," She apologized. "Is that what you want from me?"

Ben released her hands and she withdrew them to herself like she was guarding her heart against something. He put his hands in his pockets. "I'm sorry," He whispered. "I wish I could make things better for you."

Mal shook her head and exhaled. "Please…" her voice broke a little. "Please, just… let me be alone."

Ben took five immediate steps back before he turned and headed towards the door. There was a time to grab her wrists and keep her from marching out and there was another to obey and depart in peace.

He returned to the fires and Gil whistled upon seeing his cheek. "Man, who hit you?" He called, a little too loud. A few people glanced his way, looking confused. Ben waved them all off.

"No one," he assured Gil as he sat down, pointedly ignoring Uma's piercing gaze.

He worked alone for several seconds and then a shadow fell over the table. He looked up right as someone tossed a cool, wet bundle to him before turning on their heel and walking away. It was Mal, that he knew alone from the purple and the feeling that his body had caught fire, but if he hadn't have had any other hints he would have assumed it was Evie or Uma because Mal wasn't exactly the person to toss a wet cloth his way for his face. He picked it up and discovered a bit of frost on the outside. He unwrapped a portion of it - there was ice inside? Where had she gotten ice?

It must be magic.

He felt even worse as he pressed the bundle to his cheek and continued working.

The first real alarm the caravan had had since Ben had been accepted as an equal came as they passed the halfway mark between Arendelle and Cinderellasburg. Ben had been sitting with Evie, watching as she sewed the outsides of a shirt together when someone gave a shout of panic and he became aware of dozens of people snatching up spears and bows and rushing to the north side of the camp. He stood up and immediately saw what the chaos was - someone in pink and orange had appeared on the side of the field they were pausing in. Ben started to dash over, weaponless, and almost toppled over Mal, who had apparently had the same idea but from a different direction. She shoved him a little as she struggled back to her feet but Ben seized her arm. "We can't let them kill them!" He declared urgently.

Mal nodded, and then somehow they were running side-by-side towards the commotion. As they got closer though, it became clear that it wasn't exactly turning into a massacre. Instead, it was turning into… a battle?

The figure in pink whirled around, wielding a sword with steady expertise. Their face was mostly covered, but the long hair was a giveaway to who it was.

"Lonnie?" Ben gasped upon nearing the circle she was defending herself from. Everyone paused and exchanged glances as the girl stopped, spotted Ben, and pulled off her face covering.

"Ben?" She asked, equally confused.

Mal nudged him. "You know her?" She demanded.

"Yeah. She was an old friend from school," Ben supplied. "I haven't seen her in a few years, though."

Lonnie scoffed and rolled her eyes. "Yeah, not since Audrey went ballistic the last time." She stepped forward, keeping a hand on her sword. "What are you doing out here? Does she know you're gone? How'd you convince her to let you go out to the middle of nowhere with a bunch of girls involved?" Lonnie scanned up and down Mal's frame, looking startled.

Mal glanced between Ben and Lonnie, squinting more and more as Ben's cheeks and ears turned red. He shrugged awkwardly. "I, uh, she might know by now?" he suggested slowly. "What are you doing here?"

Lonnie turned back to the woods and cupped her hands around her mouth. "Hey, guys!" She called. "Come on out! It's Ben!"

Mal leaned to the far right to watch as two other figures stumbled out of the trees. One was a tall boy with sandy blonde hair. The other had long, dark, curly hair and a blue hiking outfit. Ben felt his entire expression light up. "Doug!" He exclaimed. "Jane!"

"Who are these people?" Mal asked.

"Old friends," Ben smiled. He presented them to each other as Doug and Jane came closer. "Mal, this is Lonnie, Mulan's daughter, Doug, the son of Dopey, and Jane, Fairy Godmother's daughter. Lonnie, Jane, Doug, this is Mal. She's the daughter of Maleficent."

Doug let out a squeak and Jane's face went white. Lonnie raised up her sword in panic and with a brisk movement, shoved Ben away from Mal and behind her. "Why is she here?" Lonnie demanded. "How long has she been holding you?"

"Don't you think I would have called for help if I needed it?" Ben asked, annoyed. He pressed on Lonnie's hand to lower her blade down and returned to Mal's side. "Listen, Mal is one of the leaders around here and she commands everyone who holds weapons. I'm sure that if you ask very nicely, she'll tell everyone to quit aiming their arrows and brandishing their other weapons at you."

Mal looked like she would much rather tie them up and leave them somewhere like she'd left Ben. She glared at Lonnie's sword suspiciously. Ben nudged her, then gave Lonnie a pointed look. Lonnie carefully sheathed her sword, looking confused and cautious, and then cleared her throat. "Can you guys, uh, lower your weapons?"

Mal pressed her lips together and then gave a single nod. Everyone dropped their weapons. Lonnie looked amazed. Ben beamed at Mal and then made a gesture back to camp. "Go on, everyone. These guys are friends. You don't need to worry." He turned to Lonnie, Jane, and Doug. "Come on, guys. I'm going to introduce you to the other leaders. There's Uma, she's the daughter of Ursula, and Evie, she's the daughter of the Evil Queen. They're both super nice."

Mal stopped Ben before he could begin to lead them back. "Ah!" She snapped, sounding miffed. "I get the sword. She can have it back when she leaves."

Lonnie seized the hilt of the sword in panic. "This was my mother's. I'm not leaving it behind with a stranger."

"I'll take it," Ben offered. He held a hand out for the sword and then took a glance at Mal. "Unless you still don't trust me to take off with them?"

Mal clenched her teeth together. Ben tried hard to fight a smile as Lonnie slowly handed the blade over to Ben. Ben took it but kept a hand outstretched. "Knives too, Lonnie," he laughed. Lonnie begrudgingly removed two daggers and handed them to Ben.

"So, you know them?" Jane asked as they began their trek back to where Ben had left.

Ben nodded. "Yeah. They picked me up back in Charmington and I'm helping them relocate." As they passed back into camp, a little kid came up and took Ben's hand. Ben smiled and swung their arms back and forth as they continued walking. Mal took the knives from where Ben had tucked them under his arm as they went.

"How long have you been here?" Doug asked.

"Umm…" Ben tried to think back. He felt like he'd been here his whole life. "I think about a month."

"You've been our friend for twenty-eight days," the little kid babbled as they jumped over a tiny puddle in the ground. "And tomorrow it'll be twenty-nine."

"So yeah, a month," Ben nodded and then pulled the little kid's arm to help him leap over a puddle. "Has the palace said anything yet about me going missing?"

"No," Doug shook his head. "No. No one has any idea that you're gone."

"Wait," Mal blurted out. "The King went missing and no one knows?"

Lonnie shrugged. "Maybe they're trying to keep it on the down-low?"

"No," Ben shook his head. "You need the Queen's signatures to get anything done in the king's absence. That just means Audrey doesn't know I'm gone yet."

"How can she not know you're gone?" Jane asked, furrowing her brow. "Wouldn't they have told her?"

"Well, they might have tried, but she's queen. If she doesn't want people to talk to her, she won't be bothered," Ben let the little kid's hand go with a bright smile. He pushed his hands through his hair. "I know you guys think she's clingy, but she honestly has been pretty distant and lax since Belle was born."

"Because you have no friends that want to deal with her when they come over?" Lonnie asked with a snort.

"No," Ben protested. "No, just because she didn't have the energy anymore."

"Oh, please, Ben," Lonnie sighed dramatically. "The woman is vile and lazy and you know it, but you won't talk bad about anyone."

"That's Evie," Mal pointed ahead to where Evie was standing beside a cart, looking concerned. Doug let out a little gasping sound. "She's going to help me decide whether or not we want you tied up or not." She set a hand on Ben's arm and gave him a confused, worried look.

"What?" Ben asked, pausing as the other three carefully walked up to Evie. Lonnie shook her hand with a smile and a "Wow, your hair is amazing!"

"Is all that true?" Mal asked softly, staring at Ben as if she was trying to see through his soul.

"Is what all true?" Ben asked.

"Ben," Evie called. "Who is this?"

Ben had to leave to introduce everyone, but Mal stayed hovering by the cart, watching as people passed by and examining him from a distance. Her mouth has twisted into a deep frown.

It took a while to catch everyone up - how he had been captured and what they were doing and who these people were and what they were doing. It turned out that they were a lot closer to Charmington than Ben had anticipated and Lonnie had seen them from the road. It wasn't a problem, per see, but Evie, Uma, and Mal quickly decided to move onwards.

Night was falling, and the three were invited to stay for dinner. Ben usually ate with the kids and they all told jokes and silly stories, but Lonnie sat down beside him and he knew he was about to be interrogated.

"So," she began, biting into an orange with a furrowed brow. "Audrey doesn't know you're here. She's gonna pissed that you're working with three girls without her knowing."

Ben shrugged a little. "I might just focus on Uma," he mumbled. "She's committed. Maybe if I focus on her and Harry, the explosion won't be so bad." Then, he shrugged and took a bite of his food. "But if she doesn't ask then that's that."

Lonnie rolled her eyes. "Ben, when was the last time you talked with someone? Like friends? Someone not a servant or Audrey or Belle? And not for work."

Ben didn't answer. He could feel fire creeping into his veins though. A tell-tale sign someone was eavesdropping. Lonnie snorted when he remained silent and then got to her feet. "You can sugar-coat it all you want, but she's ruined your life, Ben."

Ben bit his cheek as she walked away. That wasn't true, he thought. It wasn't all Audrey's fault.

The icy-fire wasn't leaving his skin as he continued eating. Ben sighed and rolled his eyes. He kicked the chair Lonnie had vacated and nodded his head at it. "Come on," he invited. "I know you've got questions."

It took a few seconds, but slowly the purple-haired fairy moved from wherever she'd been to stand behind him. After a long pause, she finally dropped into the chair. Ben broke his roll apart. Uma had been experimenting with Mal's magic on food and they had discovered a wonderful multiplying spell that they could use on the non-perishable stuff. Suddenly, there was an abundance of flour, sugar, salt, and other base ingredients.

"That girl is interesting," Mal began blandly.

"Lonnie?' Ben questioned. "Yeah. She and I were good friends back in high school. She never liked Audrey much."

"Any reason why?"

"Audrey's a bit delicate. Not a very active person."

"That's a lovely cover-story, Ben. Now, what's the real reason?"

Ben picked at his plate a little and then set it down at his feet. "Audrey gets jealous. And defensive. She doesn't like me hanging around with other people much. Even for work."

"You?" Mal squinted at him and twined her fingers together. "But you love being around people."

"I don't much anymore," Ben nodded. "She, uh, used to get all… well, I mean…" He huffed a little. There wasn't really another way to describe what Audrey had done. "She used to threaten the people I'd hang out with. And she'd hire people to follow me around if she wasn't invited. She was kind of obsessed during our early dating years. Lonnie got threatened, and so did her parents. That's why she doesn't like her much."

"That's sadistic," Mal declared. "And that's coming from a villain kid."

Ben snorted. Her humor somehow pushed through a barrier in his head, and he found himself spilling out a few more secrets. Things he'd tried to brush under a rug in his head so he wouldn't have to look at them. "She once had a fit when I took my mom out to lunch. And when I turned twenty-one, the very first thing she wanted me to do was to get a tattoo of her name."

"Did you?" Mal asked.

Ben shook his head with a little snort. "No. I'm not one for needles. She didn't speak to me for a week after I said no." He straightened up. 'But she's not like that anymore. Ever since she had Belle, things have been different."

"Ah yes, she's become the wife that hasn't realized you're gone after a month," Mal snorted, eyeing him suspiciously. "What's up with that?"

Ben picked up a stick from off the ground nearby and snapped it in half. He began picking all the bark off of it, debating how much he should tell her. "We live separate," He admitted. "She has her area of the castle and I have mine."

"But you still love her?" Mal asked, spitting out the word 'love'.

"Of course I do," Ben affirmed.

"No. Say it," Mal pinched her lips together. "You always make it out to be about duty or you brush the question off. Tell me you love her. Not just because you promised you would or just nod and pretends that's the same thing."

Ben opened his mouth. He could feel the words on the tip of his tongue, but somehow they wouldn't come out. 'I love Audrey', he wanted to assure Mal. 'But I don't', his heart protested.

He closed his mouth. "Do you want to know the truth, then?" He asked softly. "Because I haven't seen Audrey in two months now and she didn't even look at me the last time I went to see her. When she first came to live in the castle, she had half of it redecorated, including our bedroom, and told me where I was and wasn't allowed to go. Then, when she was six months pregnant with Belle, she asked me to sleep in another room. In my own castle, I'm only allowed outside, in my office, in the guest areas and my own bedroom. I have to set up appointments to see her."

He could see the varying shades of bafflement crossing Mal's face, and he didn't blame her. His life felt like a soap opera whenever he thought about it too much. He shook his head and tossed little splinters of bark to the ground before continuing.

"I used to have lots of friends and be pretty popular, but things… fell apart. She doesn't want me around my own parents, taking meetings, playing with little kids, and every once in a while even gets upset if I take Belle somewhere. I tried to consolidate her at first, but that obviously worked really well. Most of my old friends won't hang out with me because of things she's said and done.

"Belle is almost exactly the same as her, and it's really irking me, but if I discipline her too much, then Audrey gets mad at me. The girl is just… she's so spoiled! And she doesn't like anything. No water, no fresh air, no hot or cold. She's always cross and begging for candy and goodness knows I love her because she's mine but then she's not really… mine."

"Why on the Isle are you still with this woman?" Mal asked, shaking her head as if it were spinning. "She's a monster."

"No," Ben disagreed. "No. No, she's not. And… she was just everything I thought I was supposed to have. She was royal, pink, pretty outgoing and popular when we were teens and yeah, she was pretty… and we'd known each other since we were kids. I was hoping I'd fall in love with her."

"Isn't this supposed to be the land of true love?" Mal demanded, rising to her feet. "Of dreams-come-true and happy-ever-after?"

Ben stared at the ground, digging his toes in a little. "Of course," He nodded. "But sometimes… we look in the wrong places for love." He glanced up at Mal through his eyelashes.

"In the wrong places?" Mal repeated as if she couldn't believe what had just come out of his mouth. Ben sighed and buried his face in his hands.

"I… don't really want to talk about it," He admitted. "I still have to go back eventually. Maybe after all of this… I might try and make changes. Tell her she can't spend all day in that stupid spa and make Belle behave and maybe I'll even pull them out of the palace. If Audrey gets mad… she can just leave me." He shook his head. Part of him honestly wouldn't mind if she left. It'd probably be good for her to not have him allowing whatever atrocious behavior she wanted to put on.

If she left, would he come back here? To Mal?

He glanced up at the purple-haired family and shook his head. "I know this probably all sounds trivial to you. I mean, I haven't heard much about the island, but I've heard some things, and…" He trailed off, shaking his head. "I'm sorry.

Mal tilted her head to the side. "Yeah," She agreed softly. "It was hard, but you've been through lots too. All of that… it stinks." Ben shrugged, and Mal sat back down beside him, slowly. "And I understand…. what it's like to hope someone will love you back."

Ben found himself immediately getting to his feet. "Mal, I can't love y-"

"I wasn't talking about you," Mal snapped, pushing her hands through her hair and turning her face away from him. "I could stand to care less about you. My mother, Ben. Maleficent."

Ben slowly retook his seat. Mal looked like she was being… wracked with pain. Her hands shook as she took several long, deep breaths. "I… always wanted her to be proud of me. To love me back. And so I kind of understand why you would have kept at it for so long with Audrey. I mean, I may be wrong, but…" Her mouth twisted into a bitter line as she bit her lip. Her eyes squeezed shut, but he could still see green light ebbing out under her lids. She ran a hand from her forehead, down through her hair, and then latched onto her shoulder as she kept focusing on her breathing. Ben pulled his chair closer, so her knees were touching, and then tugged down the zipper on his jacket. It was his favorite blue one, but he still pulled it off his shoulders and then swept it over hers. Mal closed her eyes a little as she took deep, steady inhales.

"I guess you guys have it pretty rough on the Isle," He sympathized.

Mal nodded. "We weren't exactly running from comfort, Ben," She snorted. She rubbed her sweating, trembling hands down her knees and then clutched a little at the zippers on his jacket to pull them closer. "My mother… she demanded a lot. I had to live up to her standard of evil, but it wasn't like I could curse everyone. And you may have noticed I'm small and not exactly intimidating. So I had to learn to be vicious instead. There's a lot of things… in the back of my head… I don't even want to think about it with you or the other Auradon kids around because they're not exactly things to be proud of. At the time I wasn't really focusing on the people I was hurting. Every single thing I did, I was always looking over my shoulder to see if I'd finally done the thing to make her proud. I was chasing something impossible."

Ben hummed in understanding. "What sorts of things?" He asked. Not because he particularly wanted to embarrass her or make her uncomfortable. Not so he knew what he was getting into, being friends with her. And not so he could have her prosecuted, certainly. If anything, it was because he was curious to see… how far her trust would stretch.

Mal looked back up at him and examined his gaze. "Murder," She whispered. Ben didn't let the surprise and momentarily disgust enter his gaze. She raised an eyebrow.

"I was expecting that to be relatively near the top," he shrugged.

"Ouch," Mal snorted hollowly.

Ben gave her an exasperated look. "You know I didn't mean it like that," He reprimanded her.

"I'm not your daughter," Mal deadpanned, sounding empty through the sarcasm. "Don't take that tone of voice with me." She rubbed her brow before continuing. "Dismemberment. I set places and possessions and people on fire. If my mom had someone brought into Dragon Hall, it was my job to, well, get creative as I killed them. Snuck poisons into kid's lunches at school. Fought brutally so no one would question me or come after me. People were afraid. None of the villains my mom worked with ever talked back to me and my teachers never complained about all the school I missed or whatnot. People got out of the way when I walked by." Mal gestured around them with her mouth pressed into a thin line. "They still do," She sighed.

"So what changed?" Ben asked, running a hand down his chin and glancing over to where Evie, Jay, and Carlos were talking with the newcomers avidly.

Mal blinked. Her gaze became distant as if she was looking into another time, and then she reached down and began fiddling with her boot strings again. "My mother," She admitted. "I realized that I couldn't make her proud - ever. Even if I destroyed the entire world and killed every person alive, it never would have been enough for her. She just… doesn't have the ability to love me because…" She bit her lip and then shook her head.

"You don't want to tell me?" Ben asked.

"Well, I didn't, but now that you've asked I feel like I have to," Mal chuckled without humor. Ben knocked his knee against hers lightly, and she sighed. "It was because she was like everyone else. She couldn't ever love me because she was just as terrified as everyone else. Terrified of what she'd created. She thought that so long as I kept chasing after her love, she'd have me under her control, and that was why she never gave me anything back. But I kept getting scarier, and I didn't realize how much I scared her until she broke down one night when I corrected her on something. That was when I realized."

"So, let me get this straight," Ben clapped his hands together. Mal flinched at the loud sound. "You're telling me that Mal - Mal Bertha - Pixie Mal who can't read and who is scared of thunder-"

"I am not scared of thunder!" Mal snapped, glaring at him.

"-Who held the barrier open for kids to escape and who thinks rain is magical and who refuses to swallow her pride and help Uma out with anything, that Mal terrified Maleficent into a breakdown? Maleficent, Mistress of all Evil?" Ben leaned back into his seat, smiling despite the formerly heavy mood. "I don't buy it."

"I drank blood!" Mal snapped, though a grin stretched at her mouth too. "I burned people alive with my gaze alone - through the barrier! Gaston ran from me! How dare you doubt me!"

"I think you must be talking about someone else," Ben snorted, though his stomach twisted with the extra details. "That sounds more like something Uma would do. Are you sure you're not trying to steal her thunder?"

"Oh, wow, Uma would fish in the poisonous lake and eat the fish raw. I literally ate a piece of a man's throat after ripping it off with my teeth. It never even touched my hands," Mal scoffed, crossing her arms.

"You're too small and cute for such a vicious act," Ben waved her off. "You're practically a little kid. Let me know if you need help reaching the top shelf for your sippy cup."

Someone burst into crazed laughter behind Mal and her face bloomed bright red as she turned and watched Harry Hook hit the ground, heaving for breath. Across the way, Evie, Jay, and Carlos looked incredibly surprised while Doug, Jane, and Lonnie's expressions held a mix of fear, disgust, and shock. Ben hadn't realized how loud they had been getting.

Mal turned back around, looking sheepish, and whispered: "I can't believe you got me to admit all that out loud in front of you." She covered her hands with her face. "God, you must be disgusted. I'm so sorry."

"Well, I don't exactly want morbid details," Ben sighed, "But it's in the past. And hey, I'm proud of you for talking."

"If Auradon knew I was ever in your presence, they'd want to hunt me down and lynch me," Mal muttered. "If they knew I existed period, then-"

"I'd like to bring you to Auradon one day," Ben interrupted. Mal was so surprised she almost fell out of her chair. "When I get home… I want to fix things. Clean up the Isle so that any new kids who are born there don't rot for another twenty years. Take better censuses and lock villains away in cells who are at the head of the killing. I could use someone who knows what they're doing on the Isle to tell me where to start."

Mal snorted. "You want to give Auradon a taste of Evil," She pointed to herself, "With me? They'll never let you out of the palace again."

"I'm the king. I can do whatever I want," Ben replied.

"Except go where your wife tells you not to," Mal deadpanned.

Ben rubbed his hands together with pinched lips. "I'm going to try and patch things up there, too. I think I just went… numb to everything bad. Being out here… I like people. I like hard work. I like little kids who want to cuddle and rain and feeling like I have a purpose. So when I have to go home… I'm not going to let things be the way they were."

Mal nodded slowly. "I hope you do," She whispered. "But, uh, be careful. You might go back and get busy and become… complacent again."

"I doubt it. Especially if I have a spunky someone to remind me of the type of king I promised to be," He bumped Mal's knee again. "You could come back and be part of the solution."

"Me?" Mal asked, wide-eyed and regretful. "Part of your solution? You really think I could survive in a place filled to the brim with prissy pink princesses?" She shook her head. "I'm not one of those ladies of the Court, Ben. I'd be a big fake or a big menace. And besides," She nodded to the camp around them. "They need me here. I'm their big defense. Everything I've done and everything I can do… I could fend off entire armies and no one else would have to lift a finger. I can't leave them that unprotected."

"No one will attack you, Mal," Ben put a hand on her wrist. "And if you worry, I could send in an army from the kingdom to protect you. I know there's no way I can convince you that they won't turn on you, but… you could leave whenever. Trust me when I say Auradon has little to no clue how to imprison a dragon. You could fly back and forth."

Mal took her hand away from his. A tiny blush had bloomed into her cheeks. "Thank you for the offer," she began, "But given the recent… circumstances between us, I think it's best that I don't go anywhere Audrey could meet me. If she can't stand Lonnie, who was holding her own against my soldiers pretty darn well, then there's no way she'll stand me, the daughter of her mom's enemy."

Ben's mouth closed. Unfortunately, there was no way he could argue with that. He sighed, leaning back into his chair, defeated. Mal twiddled her thumbs slowly. "I hope…" she began in a tone not far off from a snail's pace. "That you do get things patched up with Audrey. Maybe I can visit then, one day."

"When you're over me?" Ben asked softly. Mal pinched her lips at him and growled.

"I am over you," She snapped. "I was never hung up on you to begin with. It was all nonsense."

Ben shook his head. "It amazes me," he sighed, "How easily you deny things. Your first instinct is to snap, and then apologize. Don't you remember that I was there?"

Mal scoffed and pulled his jacket back off her. She dropped it in his lap and then stood and stretched. "I'm beat," She announced. "Evil dreams, Ben. I hope you're ready to move out tomorrow."

"You mean you're going to go sit on top of Evie's cart and strike fear into the hearts of all who pass," Ben sighed, rolling his eyes and then pulling his jacket back on. "I'm very impressed with your avoidance skills. Well, goodnight Pixie."

"You do not have permission to call me that," Mal glared. Ben snorted and closed his eyes. He listened to her trek off, but could still feel eyes on him. Human eyes - eyes that weren't enchanted or enhanced. He peeked out and glanced over to where Evie, Jay, Carlos, Doug, Lonnie, Jane, Uma, and Harry were all glancing over, lips mouthing as they examined him. They probably couldn't tell he was squinting through his lashes from here. But it didn't matter.

"So, you're really okay to stay here?" Jane asked uncertainly the next morning. Everyone was packing up around her and Ben was lifting teepee poles into Mal's cart. His shirt was rolled up, showing the extra muscles he'd gained the last month, and he was sweating his own personal downpour.

"Yeah, I am," Ben smiled, reaching for more poles to load up. "I'm going to take them to the unused lands over there, help them set up, and then I'll be back in the palace to give them an official status."

Jane chewed on her cheek. "Will you be bringing back anyone?" She asked.

"I asked Mal if she'd want to come and help me in Auradon," Ben sighed, grunting a little as he wrestled a pole against a rough edge. "But she doesn't want to leave."

"Audrey wouldn't like that," Jane mumbled, going quieter near the end of her sentence. She looked at Ben with big, wide doe eyes. "Are you cheating on Audrey?"

"No," Ben replied flatly. "And if Jay or Carlos or anyone said I was, they're lying. The reason I talk with Mal more is because she was the person to bring me into this. There is nothing else and will be nothing else."

"Well, no one said you were cheating," Jane explained uncertainly, "But Carlos told me that you guys were into each other and that she was devastated to learn about Audrey, and then Harry and Uma have a bet going-"

Ben slammed the last of the poles into the cart in a fit of rage. "Uma and Harry? Really?" He snapped and shook his head. "No, no, we're not. And the reason Mal was angry is because it was Sleeping Beauty's daughter." He kicked at one of the canvases to spread it out more and then knelt down to begin rolling it up. "Whatever. I actually do want to stay out here, Jane, and I promised I would help them anyways. It's been really great - I love the fresh air and all the things I get to do around here. And the kids are fabulous - I wish I could take them all home with me."

"We could arrange that!" Someone yelled, walking up to him. It was Uma, and she was wearing a blue bandanna with a bright blue outfit. "I'm sure they'd love to spend their days up at the palace with whatever you've got up there."

"I'm not sure my wife would be open to that right off the bat," Ben frowned. "But I'm going to be making some changes to our family, so we'll see how things go."

"Bringing in the homewrecker?" Uma asked, leaning against Mal's cart. Ben glared at her.

"No," He snapped, "And by the way, I don't appreciate you and Harry betting on us." He leaned against the cart to start her in the eyes.

"Eh," Uma shrugged. 'There was a reason we didn't tell you." She reached up and pulled her bandana out, looking exasperated. Then, she began fishing for pins in her blue hair, trying to let it down. "Hey, listen, Gil is having trouble with the canopy Carlos made. Carlos is busy, but I know you kinda oversee everything now, so I was wondering if you know how to take the thing down?"

"I don't oversee everything," Ben rolled his eyes. "But yeah, I do know how to take the canopy down. It's pretty cool how many new things they've made since I first got here."

"Just wait," Uma laughed. "We can't wait to start putting down permanent houses." She pulled the last of the pins out and her long blue locks fell down over her shoulders and were promptly swept away by a light breeze.

Ben smiled as the sun glinted off her hair. "Your hair looks super clean," He laughed. "Did you wash it last night?"

"Oh," Uma ran a hand through her hair. "Yeah, I did. And now it's all curly." She held a lock up as proof.

Ben extended a hand. "May I?" He asked. Uma extended the lock and he brushed his fingertips down it. "Wow," He commented with an even brighter smile. "Like silk. Good job."

Something flew into the cart with a crash that made Ben, Jane, and Uma jump. Ben spun around to see that three large tents had all been flung in at the same time and that Mal was storming away with smoke rising from her hair. Either someone besides him had set her off and lived, or she was suddenly mad at him. People squawked and jumped out of her way as she stormed away.

"Someone's the jealous type," Uma rolled her eyes. "She and Harry are more alike than they think."

"She and you are more alike than you think," Ben rolled his eyes. "Don't think I don't notice how you get closer to him every time Evie walks by." Uma stuck out her tongue in response. Ben sighed and glanced to where Mal had vanished. "She's gotta help me pull this, so I'll talk her out of her spout then," He decided. "Hopefully everyone stays out of her way until then."

"What's up with you hurling tents around?" Ben demanded as Mal stalked over to pick up the cart handle with him. She glared at him as she bent down and together, they hefted the cart upright. Jane, Doug, and Lonnie had left to go back to Doug's family home for the last of their vacation and the Islanders were continuing their trek. "Are we playing the silent game?" He asked.

Mal balanced the cart on her leg and pulled her leather gloves out of her pocket without a word. Ben's blue ones were already on. Evie had made dozens for people to protect their hands with as they walked.

"Listen, I have to deal with Audrey getting jealous of me at every turn and she's my wife. It's not exactly fair that you, a close friend, are also offended if I tell Uma her hair is nice," He leaned down to be in her field of vision. "I tell Evie she looks great all the time."

"I know that!" Mal snapped. Steam wafted up from her hair. "And I'm not… why would I be jealous?"

"I like your hair too, Mal," Ben murmured softly. "I like the purple. It suits you and it's pretty."

Mal scoffed and picked up a strand of her hair. She had dirt in it, and she'd been working hard, so it clumped together with sweat. But it was still vibrant purple and beautiful. Just dirty. "My hair's not clean like Uma's is," She mumbled under her breath.

"So wash it?" Ben asked, raising an eyebrow. "It's not that big of a deal. I could show you how."

Mal flipped her head to the other side as they began to trek along. Every so often, her hand would come up to brush away at the lock of hair she'd first picked at. Ben watched her every time she did, watching her nails catch in her hair, and about a mile into their hike it suddenly clicked in his head.

"Oh!" He exclaimed, making Mal jump a little. "You're upset because I touched Uma's hair." He raised another eyebrow at her. "That's rich. What's the big deal?"

"It's not a big deal!" Mal's face turned bright red. "And I don't care whose hair you touch. Go touch everyone's hair, for all I care. You don't mean anything to me!"

"Mal," Ben sighed, "Can we skip the part where you hope that I'll believe you because you're yelling your lies and just get to the part where you tell me how I can help?"

Mal stayed stubbornly silent. Ben finally sighed again. "Listen," He began. "Rinse your hair out. Then you can use an egg to get out all the grime. Just rub it in, leave it for a few seconds, and rinse it right out. After that, put a little oil in your hair and comb it around so that when all is said and done your hair feels nice and silky. Audrey does it all the time at home, except she uses shampoo. This book I read talked about different types of things you can use to keep clean in forests and eggs have lots of proteins that are good for your hair."

"I'm blocking you out," Mal grumbled, focusing on the gravel of the road. "Leave me alone, Ben."

"You don't have to act like Audrey when I'm miles away from her," Ben pointed out.

Mal's angered expression faded immediately into guilt. "Sorry," She grumbled. "Thank you for the advice. My mom was never really big on beauty tips, and I never really had a sister or anything."

"That's okay," Ben shrugged. "Audrey… she's a princess at heart. She used to talk my ear off about all this stuff when we were teens. I guess I absorbed some of it."

They went over a bump and Mal's hands slid about six inches into Ben's before she pulled them back to herself. "You don't like her, do you?" She asked.

"We were arranged," Ben said by way of explanation. "There wasn't really another choice." It wasn't really an answer, but it was easily than saying no. Mal liked to yell and scare people into submission, but he liked to avoid the question. Neither of them bought the other's gig.

He laughed a little when he thought of something that might amuse her, and slid one of his hands down to knock against hers. "You know, I never actually proposed," He laughed. "She picked her own ring and mine, and then picked the date and told me to show up."

Mal snorted half-heartedly. "What a rip," She scoffed. There was a brief pause, and then she looked up at him. "So, what, you've just been… faking it since then?"

Ben's expression fell and he gave a little half-shrug. He wanted to try and avoid the comment, pretend it hadn't come up, but something inside of him was tired of lying and avoiding the problem. "I guess," He whispered.

Mal nodded and then focused her gaze ahead. "I kinda wish I hadn't learned about her," She whispered, equally honest. "You're making me think… things."

"Don't," Ben advised. "I don't want you to get hurt."

Mal nodded, and they didn't say another word to each other for the rest of the trip that day.

The night the passed out of the Arendelian barrier was the most joyous of any night Ben had spent with the company. They left 'Official Auradon' behind around noon and hiked onwards until Evie and Mal discovered a large freshwater spring with small clearings scattered in between large trees, and everyone promptly dropped their supplies in joy. Carts began to be dismantled, and before night arose, there were small skeletons of structures as the Isle folk went to work to build themselves a safe haven.

A large bonfire was created - partially to help clear underbrush, and partially to light up their celebrations. Mal multiplied the honey that Uma had and everyone feasted on roasted vegetables, various types of meat, and bread dripping with honey. She helped unload her cart so people could begin setting up tents, teepees, canopies, and lean-tos, and then vanished. Ben didn't have much time to wonder where she'd gone. He was busy helping everyone all over the camp. Carlos was especially busy as he rushed around, helping people organize themselves and where they would go.

When everything they had was set up and dismantled and organized, the sun was setting, and the celebrations were continuing. Ben played with the group of children, roaring upon request and wrestling and throwing them into the air until, one by one, they tired out and dozed off in the soft grasses or in piles of blankets within teepees. Then, the adults and teens of the camp danced beside the fire, laughing as they celebrated the end of their tedious journey.

Uma handed Ben a drink of something from the Isle as he passed by. He made sure to water it down before he tried it, but the whatever-it-was still made him dizzy after a few minutes and several sips. He dumped it out on a bush and returned the glass to Uma without a word.

Ben had just collapsed onto a bench beside Uma when Evie appeared in front of him and offered him her hand. "Can you dance at all?" She asked. "Any style?"

"Yes," Ben confirmed, getting back to his feet. "I can waltz, I can foxtrot, I can do lots. What were you thinking?"

"I've always wanted to waltz with a prince," Evie confided. "So before we lose you forever, I want to steal that chance."

Ben laughed and let her pull him to a mostly clear area of grass and earth. He put his hand on her waist and took her other before they began to sway around, him leading her as her smile beamed through the darkening night. Ben was a little rusty - he and Audrey hadn't danced in years and he didn't exactly have many reasons to keep up the practice. Still, people paused here and there to watch as he led Evie through presents and turns and steps. Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Harry pull Uma into the shadows to try and mirror his movements, and behind her, he could see someone perching on the top of a structure, looking down on all.

He stopped, bowed a little to Evie, and then laughed as she thanked him. Evie was beaming - he didn't think he'd ever seen her so happy. She went to Dizzy, who had clapped a little whenever Ben twirled her older friend around, and together the girls romped off to the bonfire.

Ben slipped into the shadows and went to the base of one of the skeletal structures of dwellings that they'd erected. He looked up at the dark figure up above and laughed a little. She was so high up that her boots scarcely brushed his chin. He debated teasing her, and decided to dive in. They'd been so honest the last few days. "I think you have a height complex," He called.

"I think you seek to justify your presence down there," Mal returned. She leaned down, and somehow, he could see her face even though the darkness. His chest felt tight - she looked lovely. He felt like she was seeing her for the first time all over again. "Did you wash your face?" He asked, choking a little.

Mal shrugged and then jumped down. It was quite a dramatic difference to have the top of her head where her shoes had previously been. Ben took a breath as she leaned against the structure. "Did you need something?" She asked.

"I was wondering if you wanted to dance?" Ben asked, gesturing to where Uma, Harry, and others were stumbling through shaky waltzes with boisterous laughter.

Mal furrowed her brow. "I can't dance," She informed him.

"Can you stand to follow me for a minute or two?" Ben asked, chuckling. "It's just a little circle and maybe a turn here or there."

He offered her his hand. Mal looked down on it. Then she carefully put her hand in his. Her hands were tough and strong.

They went out to a quiet, grassy area, and Ben leaned in to whisper instructions in her ear as he began to lead her in a tiny circle. Her hair smelled nice, he suddenly realized. It was nice and… soft. He paused, released the hand he held in his, and then trailed his fingers down through her hair. She'd washed it. It was soft and floaty and would probably glint in the sunlight tomorrow. Mal tilted her head into his touch.

"Sorry," He apologized, eyes flickering between her hair and her eyes. "Your hair looks really nice."

"It's dark," Mal snorted. "You can't see it."

"I can feel it," Ben mumbled, threading his fingers through her hair a little. "It feels nice." She fidgeted with her hands, unsure what to do with them, and then put them against his chest.

It occurred to him he had one hand on Mal's back and the other twisting through her hair.

"I feel weird," he whispered, trying to find the courage to take his hands back.

"Feel like what?" She asked, equally soft.

"I feel like… like singing your name," Ben admitted, focusing on her eyes. "You just look so… beautiful."

"Don't sing," Mal warned him, eyes growing wider. "We wouldn't want anyone to go deaf."

"I'll have you know I can sing rather well," Ben frowned. He took his hands back and they retook their waltz stance. As they started dancing through their small clearing, Ben started singing under his breath. "I met this girl that rocked my world like it's never been rocked and now I'm livin' just for her and I won't ever stop. I gotta know which way to go, c'mon, give me a sign. You've gotta show me that you're only ever gonna be mine. Don't wanna go another minute livin' without you, cause if your heart just isn't in it, I don't know what I'll do."

"What song is that?" Mal asked, smirking a little and blinking slowly.

Ben's mouth went a little dry. "I, uh, don't know. I kinda just made it up on the spot."

Mal stopped spinning in his arms and withdrew a little. "Interesting lyrics," She mumbled. "You feeling okay?"

"Yeah," Ben nodded. "I'm just a little… overcomplexified."

"That's not a word," Mal immediately reprimanded him. She ruffled a hand through his hair briefly. "But I'll forgive you because you're cute."

Ben couldn't remember the last time he had felt this dizzy. He put a hand to his forehead and then Mal started to automatically lead him to the bench he'd previously vacated. "Do you know what Uma was giving out?" He asked, stumbling over the hard consonants as he said them.

"No," Mal shook her head. "It tasted a little like fisherman's alcohol, but I can't be sure. It's been a while since I had any."

"How strong is it?" Ben moaned.

"You'll feel it in the morning," Mal assured him. Ben groaned and ran his hands through his hair. Mal kept her eyes on him. "I guess that was kind of obvious though, huh?" She suddenly broke out into giggles. "Hey… You can be King Obviously Cute!"

"That is my legal name," Ben smiled, leaning his head against his hand as he watched her laugh. "What should we call you, Queenie?"

Mal laughed some more and then leaned forward into his chest. She was pretty shaky too. He wondered how he hadn't noticed it when they were dancing. Ben started playing with her hair. "I like your hair like this," He whispered. "I like clean and soft things."

"I like you like this," Mal slurred, closing her eyes against the harsh lights of the fire and keeping close to his chest. "It's easier to forget you're not married when the world is like this."

"I think you're drunk," Ben announced. "I think I'm drunk too. I think we should probably leave each other so we can both talk like normal people tomorrow."

"Why do we need to leave?" Mal huffed. "I like how warm you are." She balled her fists up into his shirt and Ben had this sinking feeling in the back of his mind that told him this wasn't going to end well.

"Because I don't want to cheat on Audrey," he told her, taking her hands off the fabric. "I promised I'd love her."

"But that doesn't technically count," Mal yawned. "Because you don't. And either way, you promised to love her so long as she loves you. That's what Evie told me about the vows Auradon uses. She doesn't love you like we do here."

"We?" Ben repeated, squeezing her hand.

Mal looked up and he saw desire and curiosity and everything he'd never seen in Audrey's eyes looking back at him from hers. She squeezed his hand back. He tilted his head. "You're right," He conceded. "I don't love her. I don't like weak girls."

Mal chuckled this tiny little chuckle that made her seem like the most irresistible person on the planet. "Want to hear my theory?" She whispered, sounding surprisingly coherent. "I don't think you ever got over me. I don't think you can, and I think you know why."

"That's true," Ben mumbled. "What about you? Do you think we're in love?"

"I don't know what love feels like!" Mal laughed, sudden and boisterous and throwing him off his game. "How would I know?"

"I don't know either," Ben mumbled. Her breath smelled like she'd been chewing on a mint plant. When had he gotten this close?

Mal was suddenly closing her eyes. The bonfire had started to die, so it was dark. It was dark and her skin was tough and her hair was soft and her eyes were green and her breath was minty and she was dangerous to everyone except him. It was late and he was drunk and she was too but her hands were slipping up inside his shirt and his were pulling at her waistband and he already know they were going to go way too far tonight but he couldn't do anything to stop it. She was pale and she was purple and she let out a little sigh that ghosted past her lips and onto his before he brushed his lips against hers and felt his brain explode with colors and sound and lights. His heart swelled up in his chest.

"Wow," Mal whispered against his lips; a tickle that lit a fire inside of him that had his hands slipping down even further.

And to be honest, he didn't remember much after that.

When he woke up, everything hurt. His arms, legs, head and everything. And it was cold.

Ben sat up, rubbing the last of the sleep out of his eyes. He was lying on a patch of grass with a little river running in front of his feet. Tall trees made the light cast odd patches of light on him and a collection of large, leafy plants surrounded him. He could see the place where he'd obviously come through. Beside a little trail he'd beaten down to reach this area, his shoes and socks were thrown haphazardly to the bushes. Everything else was mixed up in a heap that was luckily away from the river.

He looked down at himself, slowly connecting the dots. Metaphysically and literally. He traced bite marks up and down his arms, across his collarbone and down his chest. His shirt would cover them all. He felt his mouth, but it only felt sore, not swollen.

Ben closed his eyes as a deep pain set into his head. He couldn't tell if it was the effects of the hangover, or the realization that he'd caved with Mal.

And speaking of Mal…

Where was she?

Ben struggled back into his clothes and then yanked his shoes and socks back onto his feet. When he was sure he was mostly presentable, he battled his way back through the leafy underbrush, trying to find his way back to camp. He followed the sounds of construction; of loud and boisterous laughter. He wondered if anyone was wondering where he was or if anyone had seen him leave with Mal.

As he reached the others, a tree tipped over and Islanders began sawing off limbs. Large burn piles were being constructed with the excess while the Islanders formed a chain of assembly to quickly build shelters. They worked fast, which was a given since there were so many of them.

"Woah, man!" He heard Gil laugh as the man walked past carrying a large board. "You look wasted. Our alcohol too strong for you?"

"I guess," Ben rubbed his face. His headache had come on stronger now. "What happened last night?"

"I dunno man, I went to bed early," Gil laughed. "But everyone's been wondering where you are. Evie, Mal, and Uma want your help. I think Harry's trying to convince them that you ditched for Auradon to get soldiers, but they think that's a load of crap."

"Yeah," Ben shook his head. "Yeah, I'm still here." He ran his hands through his hair. "I'm not sure how useful I'll be."

"That's okay. Take a day if you need it," Gil recommended. "We all do here and there."

As Gil walked away, Ben felt a weight sink into his stomach. Mal was looking for him? As in she was pretending she didn't know where he was?

He wandered around until he found the three girls with Jay, Carlos, and Harry included. They were gathered under a canopy and talking over blueprints that Carlos had drawn up. They didn't notice him until he ducked under the canopy and Jay called: "Hey, there he is."

Everyone turned and greeted him. Harry looked immensely disappointed to see him, but he didn't say anything. He only sighed and looked downcast. Evie laughed. "You look like you slept on the ground," She chuckled. "Did you wander off?"

"Apparently," Ben grumbled as Uma snorted at his disheveled appearance.

"I guess our drinks were too strong for you," She chuckled. "Sorry, Ben. I didn't think to warn you." Her sympathetic look told him that it hadn't been a prank - she just genuinely didn't think about it.

"I watered it down, but a lot of good that did me," Ben sighed. He glanced over at Mal and was disappointed to see her ignoring him.

She'd fixed herself up so she didn't look like she'd spent a night tangled up beside him. Or maybe she had just left straight afterwards - who knew? Her hair was brushed and she'd changed her outfit and she looked like she'd been awake from hours. If he remembered correctly, she'd been tipsy the previous night too, but she wasn't showing any signs of being hungover right now.

"Gil said you needed my help," Ben began, taking his gaze away from Mal. "I'm not sure how useful I'll be, but I came around to see what was going on anyways."

"Yeah, you're useless," Carlos snorted. "Go get some water and go back to bed, Ben. We'll manage without you for today. Besides, we're not going to have you around for much longer."

He could have sworn it was a hallucination brought on by his dizziness, but he thought he saw Mal dig her nails into her legs.

Ben nodded and then took a seat beside the table. He listened numbly while they finished debating where they wanted to build permanent residencies and occasionally made comments about what he'd be sending from Auradon to help them. They were drawing out a layout based on circles with diamond-shaped places they'd leave trees and foliage. Dividing the region by thirds, Mal's crew would rule one part, then Evie's another, and finally Uma would control the last. It was going to be a beautiful city one day. When everyone was clear on where they wanted to start clearing in preparation for Auradon Supplies to come in, they broke off one by one. Uma and Harry walked off with their arms around each other, down to where they were going to start preparing lunch and dinner. Jay took off to go find Gil and help him out, and then Evie, Carlos, and Mal muttered for a few more seconds before they started to walk away. Ben caught Mal's arm as she started to walk away.

"Can I talk to you?" He asked, trying to keep his gaze soft and coherent. He put a finger down on Mal's sector. "I have some questions," he said, keeping it vague on purpose. He didn't want Carlos and Evie to suspect any more than everyone already did, but he wanted Mal to stay behind.

"N-" Mal began to say but quickly bit her tongue when she realized Evie and Carlos were still there and she couldn't say no to such a simple task without making it seem like she was angry at him for some reason. She bit her lip. "Fine," She agreed begrudgingly, "but make it fast - I want to go start scoping things out. They need someone with magic out there."

She hovered beside the map and Carlos and Evie continued wandering away, towards Evie's sector. Mal leaned over his shoulder. "What are you confused on?" She asked, putting a finger down on the map.

"You left," Ben whispered. "I woke up and you were gone."

Mal's face burned bright red. It was odd to see her face red, her eyes vibrant green, and her hair purple. "Of course," she hissed. "We couldn't have two people looking like you walking from the same direction at the same time."

"Okay, fine. Don't you think we should talk about it though?" Ben asked, staring at her as he spoke. He couldn't deny her words, though he could see in her eyes that she hadn't been thinking of that when she'd left and it was only a convenient cover-up.

"Talk about what?" Mal snapped, withdrawing from him. "There was nothing. Nothing happened. We didn't see each other last night."

"Please tell me we're not doing this," Ben slumped his shoulders. "You don't have to go off like this every time something happens, Mal."

"Well what would you prefer?" Mal snapped. "What would you rather I say? 'Gee, Ben, we should have split up last night when you first suggested it," "I'm really sorry about everything that happened; maybe we should just forget it all.'"

For several seconds, Ben couldn't help but be hurt. As much as it had sucked to wake up alone and with the realization he'd gotten drunk with Mal, it really sucked to hear her say she regretted it all after he'd gotten up the courage to try and talk with her about it.

But then he started thinking about the way she had said it and how her face was twisting up and then somehow everything made sense. He'd pointed out her angry, lying defense, and instead of reverting back to "Mal", she'd started a defense tirade for her defensiveness. Which meant that everything that had just come out of her mouth was a lie.

"You regret nothing," he whispered in realization, and this… emotion lit up her eyes. Something strong and weak and harsh and loud, all at once. She smacked him hard across the face and then was withdrawing even farther. The pain on his face combined with his throbbing headache and numbing shock made everything feel foggy, but he didn't protest. He didn't even make a sound because he felt like he'd finally managed to understand.

She lied so she didn't have to accept the truth.

She hit him because, on the Isle, that was how to keep people away.

She was afraid of losing him and thought it would be better to leave him behind first. That way, it was still in her control.

She was walking backward faster, trying to leave him behind. Something in his eyes must have revealed the truth to her. He knew. He knew her on this metaphysical, spiritual level that she tried to deny she even had. And that emotion - the fear - was so thick in her eyes that it hurt him.

So he let her go. There wasn't anything else that needed saying between them.

They didn't speak for five days.

It was torture.

He saw her standing around, using her magic to prepare for homes and places to be built, hiding in trees and looking down over everyone, but they didn't talk to each other. She didn't seek him out and he didn't try and talk to her again.

This must have been the effect Audrey had tried to spark between them whenever she ignored him as teens. In hindsight, it had always been a relief instead of a downside when she'd stopped speaking to him. So many warning signs that he'd ignored… so many things he'd tried to overlook.

This electricity with Mal was so different… it was physically hurting him to be away. He felt this tug in his chest that let him know, at all times, what direction and how far he would have to walk or run to reach her. He felt like he was being burned alive as he waited for her. Pining. He'd never experienced that effect before, but he knew what it was now. Just like how he knew now what it was like to be in love with someone.

Five whole days of avoiding each other with careless excuses of 'I have to go do this' and 'I can't talk right now; maybe later.' None of the others had noticed anything, but it wouldn't have mattered if they had. Mal was very adamant about hiding her feelings and herself away from him. She must have thought that if he couldn't see her, he couldn't read her emotions, but that was a fluke of a thought. He knew her. He knew what she was feeling from five miles away as she stewed over them and what they'd done and what they'd been.

And she knew him.

"Ben," Carlos yelled, startling Ben out of his thoughts as he hefted a large beam onto a pile. Ben whipped around and smiled at the white-haired man as he gestured Ben over towards a tent where he, Evie, Uma, and Mal had shielded their documents from view. He pulled off his gloves and walked over. Carlos held the tent flap open as Ben ducked in and then stepped in afterward. Ben glanced around and his smile dropped off his face.

Two reasons. First, Mal was sitting in a corner, sharpening a stick with a knife and looking furious. Second, a man in an official Auradon uniform was standing in front of him. Ben remembered him vaguely as the man who had pushed him out of the way when Mal had stopped their caravan. He put his hands in his pockets and straightened up, examining the red-faced soldier candidly. "What's this?" He asked.

"I sent a letter to your kingdom back when we passed through Arendelle," Evie blinked in surprise. "Did I not tell you? I told them that the King would like to return home around now. They're actually a little earlier than I expected, but you can go home now if you like. I'm sorry if I forgot."

Ben stared at her, and then let his gaze flicker back to the general, who swallowed to compose himself. "Your Majesty," He began, and the words felt unfamiliar to Ben. "On behalf of our squadron, we apologize for your loss on the Cinderellasburg road."

"It's alright," Ben assured him. "I went willingly." He glanced between Jay and Uma.

"We ought to return to the palace now," The guard said in a very stifled tone. "There is an armed squad waiting for you at the road, but it's rather hard to get through the trees, so…" He trailed off uncomfortably. "Your presence is required at the palace as soon as possible."

Ben looked over at Evie and Uma, avoiding Mal's frame entirely. "Will you need me for anything?" He asked softly.

"We can train other people," Uma laughed. "Besides, you must be missing sleeping in a proper bed and wearing your own clothes."

He wasn't.

"And besides," Evie chuckled. "Your wife must miss you." She tried and failed to avoid glancing at Mal.

Audrey wouldn't.

Ben exhaled. "Yeah," He agreed in a hollow tone. "And I need to make you guys official. Draw up land pacts and send crews to help you. We've got to get things going." He glanced at the general. "I, uh, can't leave tonight though. There are things I need to do tonight. If you like, you may all come and help pitch in or you can make camp where you are. I will be staying up here with these fine folk."

"These fine-" The general snorted and cut himself off. "Your Majesty, I hope you'll understand that we won't allow you to continue being held for any ransom."

"I wasn't aware I was being held for ransom," Ben butted in before the man could say anything. "And thank you for your concern. Does this mean you'll be coming up?"

"Your Majesty, we will be removing you from the area immediately," the general explained like he was talking to a small child. "It's time you came back to your position."

"Hmm," Ben snorted. "You know, sir, I think I'm fine here. These people need an extra hand and I have two. And for the record, you would do best to stay in your position as well." He turned away from the man to dismiss him a little and Carlos snorted. Ben rolled his eyes. "I'll finish the things I started this morning and then pack up later tonight. One more night under the stars will be good for me. I'll walk down to meet the squadron tomorrow."

"We appreciate it, Ben," Evie smiled kindly.

"The kids are gonna miss you," Uma frowned. "You'll have to come back and visit."

"You'll miss me too, Uma," Ben teased. "You'll miss making bets on me and ordering me to fetch you things."

Uma shrugged with a tiny, wistful grin. "Hey, ordering the king around is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity," She chuckled.

Ben nodded with a laugh and then pulled her forward into a hug. Her hair smelled like seawater and sweat. Uma tensed up and then relaxed into his grip. He laughed at her uncertainty and then, after releasing her, hugged Evie. Evie buried her face into his arm a little and he knew she was going to miss him terribly. Ben then bumped fists with Jay and Carlos, and then they all paused as one and glanced to where Mal was sitting, sharpening her stick into a point that could probably draw blood. He waited for a few heartbeats for a response, but aside from her hair falling forward even more, she didn't move.

Ben turned to his general. "I want you to walk down and invite everyone up to help us work," he told him. "But only those who'd like to. The rest of you selfish folk can sit wherever you're parked and wait for me to be done up here."

"Your majesty, we really have to get you back to the castle," the general protested.

"Yes, and you will. We just won't start today," Ben replied.

"This is foolhardy!" The man exploded. "These people kidnapped you and you are allowing them to continue doing so!"

"Thank you for your opinion," Ben sighed. Across the tent, there was a sudden snap and then a slam. Evie yelped. Ben spun back around to see Mal had snapped the pointy part of her stick off and then driven it straight into the table. She leaned across the table with a gaze that made it feel like he was being shot over and over. He took a hard seat underneath her gaze, sliding down on instinct as she leaned closer to him. "Are you insane?" She snapped. "Or are you just a broken, miserable little fool?"

Her hair had lit aflame, vibrant purple flames licked her beautiful violet locks. Her eyes were turning the light in the room a different color. A candle on the table leaped to life as flames appeared, jumping out of her collar and off her hands. Things started floating. Ben was pinned to his chair by an unforgivable force, and it suddenly became very hard to breathe.

Was this the creature that Maleficent had feared?

Evie, Jay, Carlos, and Uma all cowered, which was something he'd never seen them do before. All of the blood had drained out of the general's face. And ice was creeping over Ben's skin as his brain tried to signal his body to run.

"Don't you ever get mad?" Mal shrieked. "He's the reason you're here! You went through two months of prison and hard labor and eating and sleeping in the forest. We walked twenty miles every day! And he's snapping off at you like he's king! Why aren't you angry?" The sound was ringing in his ears. Outside, all was silent.

"You're the reason I'm here, Mal," Ben managed to force out, though a pressure immediately clamped down on his throat. "It's not his fault."

"Then be mad at me!" Mal demanded, practically spitting flames out as she slammed her hands down on the table. Ben flinched back. The tent seams began to rip as she grew angrier. "Be angry! Scream, shout! Are you even human? How are you so ridiculously calm? Come on, scream back! You can't possibly be so bloody perfect all the time!"

Ben paused. Oh.

He swallowed. "I'll miss you too, Mal," He whispered.

Mal burst into tears. It wasn't even the silent tears that you could wipe away and try to hide. The girl practically collapsed in on herself as she snapped from avenging temptress to despairing angel in the space of a second. All of the flames extinguished themselves in the space of a few seconds. Ben felt the pressure release on his chest as Mal pushed herself around the table and exited the tent, completely inconsolable as she wept for what was probably the first time in her entire life. Evie, who had ended up on the floor, covered her mouth as she tried to catch her breath. Ben slowly stood up and pushed his chair back in. In a corner of the table was the stake Mal had slammed through the four-inch-thick tabletop and imbedded into the wood. He'd never seen anything like that before.

"A sorceress!" The general exclaimed. "She… she's a witch!"

"No," Ben shook his head. "She's just a very powerful young lady." He turned and felt blindly for the opening. "If you'll excuse me," he mumbled. "I'm going to go back to work."

The sun set on his last day with the Islanders and everyone was devastated to learn he was going. Dozens of people came to shake his hand and thank him for everything and to wish him safe travels. Little kids crowded around his knees to cry and beg him for hugs and kisses and cuddles Ben obliged, feeling sadder, until one-by-one every child was pulled away to bed by parents and overseers.

"I haven't seen Mal still," Evie whispered before she slipped off to bed. "If you see her, can you check on her?"

"I'll go look before I turn in, Ben assured her.

His sixth sense regarding Mal still hadn't slipped away. He followed his heart down into foliage, past several towering trees, and then discovered a tiny little alcove with a waterfall spilling into a little pond with glistening white rocks at the bottom of the water. His skin prickled and became icy with fire as he stepped up to the water's edge and then glanced down. He scuffed his toes against the earth and sighed. "You could still come with me," He invited the waters, somehow knowing she'd hear. "I've been thinking… ever since we got here… I can't go back to live the way I was."

There was a sound like mist to his right and he caught a glimpse of purple reflected in the water.

"I… need to be wanted. Need to be needed. And the person I am - the person I became here - I need to be loved," He looked over all Mal and watched her examining the water with a blank expression. "She doesn't love me. I don't love her. But you…"

Mal brushed her hair away. "And Audrey?" She asked softly.

"Divorces exist," Ben reminded her. "I'll make you a queen if you let me."

"And Belle?" Mal whispered.

"Well, she's still small. Her mom would probably get primary rights. But I'd still have her sometimes." Ben put his hands in her pockets and stared at her. "I can't stop being her dad," He whispered.

"But you can stop being Audrey's husband," Mal pointed out blandly.

"She stopped being my wife years ago."

"You'll rip her whole life apart."

"Hasn't she done that to me?"

"Ben."

Ben dug his toes into the ground and then took a seat on the edge of the pond. He combed his fingers through his hair. "What am I supposed to do, Mal?" He whispered. "Even if I froze her funding and made her spend time with Belle and dismantled her stupid spa, She's never going to be you, Mal."

"But you committed to her," Mal reminded him, taking a seat. "And maybe she can't be me, but I could never, ever be her. All the royal responsibilities and people telling me where I need to be all the time… I can't do that."

Ben slumped his shoulders. He knew she couldn't. And truth be told, he'd rather her be out here with her people, healing from everything her mother had done to her.

"I love you," He admitted out loud, tossing all cares westward. "Do you love me?"

Mal sniffed. "I don't know what love is," she reminded him. "That's all primal lies."

"This is love," Ben annunciated. He reached across the earth and took her hand. "I finally figured it out. I'm not… faking anything anymore. I feel like I'm finally living." Ben got to his knees and, using the tips of his fingers, traced a pattern down her cheek. "I think I've always loved you," he whispered. "Please, please come with me. I'll do anything. I'll divorce Audrey, I'll - I'll-" he took a deep, steadying breath. "It won't be easy, but I swear I'll spend the rest of my life trying to make it worth it."

Mal put a hand on his and shook her head. "I can't leave here, Ben. After everything… Auradon isn't what I want. Please, don't ask me to leave again."

Ben deflated, staring at the ground in disappointment. Mal cupped his cheek. "In another world, we could have made it work," she whispered. "But the way I am… I can't anymore Ben. It's been too long. I've done too much and I've seen too much."

"I left you too long," Ben muttered. "If only I'd thought of the Isle years ago. Instead… I went looking for love in the wrong place."

Mal let out a despairing sort of laugh and her breath ghosted past his cheek. "This is who I really am, Ben. My mother and grandmother and everyone before me was a forest fairy. I'm finally home."

"I know," he whispered.

"You have to be king," Mal whispered. "And I-I have to be Queen of the Isle. I have to protect them."

Ben sniffed and nodded. Mal put both her hands on his cheeks and pulled him close before she stopped. He could smell her breath from where he was hovering, nose no more than a few inches away from hers. "We're not drunk," she whispered. "You're still married."

Ben shook his head. "I just spent two months doing the most good I've ever done because of you and your light trick. God will forgive me if all I want is to be in your arms this last night." He cocked his head at her. "Are you going to leave me again tonight?"

"No," Mal shook her head and combed her fingers through his hair. She trailed her fingertips down his collarbone with a smile. "If there is a god," Mal breathed against his neck, "She's sadistic and cruel and takes pride in making our story end like this."

Ben snorted and leaned in. The only thing separating them was a moment of hesitation before Mal's nimble fingers wrapped around his ears and she moved to wrap her toned legs around his waist. Then her lips fell onto his like they had been destined to be there all along and he lost himself in everything that she was. It was all Mal, Mal, Mal.

A servant helped him down and wrinkled his nose at the King's appearance. Ben glanced around at the palace. Aside from the longer days, nothing had changed.

"Where's Belle?" He asked softly, going to pull his own collection of Isle items down before any of the servants could dispose of them.

"She's with her nanny," A servant responded. "Would you like me to fetch her?"

"Please," Ben agreed. "Send her up to mine and Audrey's old room, and if you could have a bunch of boxes sent up, that would be lovely. We're going to be decluttering and sending things away."

"Yes, your majesty," The servant made to take his bundle, containing his jacket and clothes and a few things that the children had made him, but Ben held it tighter to his chest.

He was followed inside. He'd forgotten for lurid and expensive it was in here. As he tapped his foot against the carpet, he sighed. "I want this replaced," He announced. "Please find a simple brown, and repaint the walls to be white again. And I'm going to have the windows be made clear to let in more light."

The servants exchanged looks. "Queen Audrey designed this room herself," They announced.

"I know," Ben assured them. "But this is my castle and my family home. I want it changed back." He picked up a gold ornament of no particular value off the table and sighed before passing it off. "That can be the first thing to go," He declared.

He made his way up to the spa room and opened the door softly without knocking. Audrey was lying in a chair with her eyes closed, sighing as someone rubbed her scalp softly. Ben walked to the windows and pulled open the curtains. Audrey's face twisted. "Who's there?" She asked.

"Me," Ben called, frowning around the room as he tried to remember what it had been before.

"Did I know you were coming?" Audrey asked, lifting her hands up for him. He walked over and she took his face before making as if she was going to kiss his cheek. Her eyes were still closed. Her mouth never touched his skin.

"I live here," Ben told her. "And I've been gone, so I figured you would want to see me."

"It has been a while, huh?" Audrey asked, eyes still shut tight. She still hadn't even looked at him. "How long? A week?"

"Thirteen, actually," Ben tried to keep the bitterness out of his tone. "I've been gone for three months."

"Oh!" Audrey sounded surprised. "Oh, I hadn't realized. What a long trip. I've just been in here."

"Is your back still hurting?" Ben asked.

"It is," Audrey frowned, shifting uncomfortably. "I can't figure out what's wrong with it though."

"I think you need more fresh air," Ben declared, going to fling the window open. A brisk breeze of cool air flew in from outside. Audrey yelped. She opened her eyes and sat up. Ben didn't give her time to protest. "Belle and I are going to be in our room. You can come up if you want. And tomorrow we're going to be in her room. She's getting older and I want to fix her room up."

"That sounds like a good idea," Audrey nodded, rubbing her back. "She's almost three now, right?"

"Six," Ben replied flatly.

"I was close," Audrey shrugged. She examined Ben a little closer. "You look different," She commented. "Have you been working out?"

"Sort of," Ben shrugged. "I think you should join me. We can try some things to help strengthen your back again. Like when you did cheer." Audrey made a noncommittal sound. "I'm going to be redecorating our bedroom," he told her. "So don't freak out when we have crews coming through. I'll put your favorite things aside for you to keep."

Audrey frowned. "What kind of redecorating?" She asked.

"Simple things," Ben promised, leaning down to kiss her forehead. He meant, of course, simple as in the decorating style. Not in the changes he'd be making. The action, however, distracted Audrey.

"You didn't ask permission," She accused, brushing the skin where he'd touched her.

"Neither did you when you took my face earlier," Ben replied. He exhaled and patted her hand. His ring was back on his hand, digging into his skin a little bit more. Maybe he'd put in an order for a different one and let Audrey keep this one as a memento. "One more thing, Audrey," He said as he started to walk towards the door. "Our High School reunion is in a few months. They're holding it at the school and there's going to be games and things. You'll need a pair of tennis shoes. Do you want white or pink?"

"You can't go," Audrey frowned. "What if there are other girls there?"

Ben crossed his arms and leaned against the door. "Then you'll trust me and I'll trust you," He suggested, though a pool of guilt twisted his stomach. "Now, Belle is waiting for me. I'm going to be letting her nanny go and you and I are going to raise her. If you want to talk to me about it, you'll have to come out of the spa."

He reached for the handle, pausing to see if Audrey would protest. She didn't, but she did look absolutely baffled as she sat back down. She hadn't thought about anything else in a while, so Ben figured it'd take a minute for everything to sink in.

Ben twisted the knob to his room for the first time in almost seven years and stepped inside to commotion. The poor nanny had marks up and down her arms and looked frazzled as Little Belle twisted on the ground, screaming. "I don't wanna!" She hollered. "I don't wanna!" Large boxes piled around her.

Ben put a hand on the woman's arm. "Thank you for everything you've done," He whispered. "I'll take it from here. She won't be allowed to behave like this anymore. I'll send you a bonus in the mail and write you a letter of recommendation if you like."

The nanny wasted no time in leaving. Ben knelt down beside Belle and put a hand on her back. "Belle," He called, using the stern tone he'd finally learned how to use with Mal. The girl quit beating her fists into the carpet and looked up at him with red eyes.

"Daddy, Mrs. Marks was being mean!" She complained. "I want a new nanny."

"No, Belle, you were being bad. Dad told her to bring you up here, and you hurt her, and I'm angry with you," He frowned at the child, but she wasn't much fazed by the show. "From now on, Mom and Dad are going to be in charge of you. And if I see you throwing a fit like this, I'll make you sit on a chair in a corner all by yourself for a whole day." He crossed his arms and pinched his lips at her. Belle snarled at him, sat cross-legged on the carpet, and pouted. He only rolled his eyes.

"Dad hates this room," he told her, gesturing around to the vibrant reds and gaudy pinks. "We're going to rip everything out and you're going to help me. If you're good, then I'll give you some candy afterward. If you're bad, I'll make you sit on a chair until you want to be good. If you break anything on purpose, Dad's gonna find something to break in your room. Do you understand me?"

Belle pouted, but then slowly got up and walked over to a collection of sequined pillows on Audrey's couch. "These?" She asked.

"Those," Ben let his face soften into a smile to cheer her up a little. "And then tomorrow we're going to do your room too and make it look like a big girl's room." Belle wiped the last of her tears away and then picked up a pillow and carried it over to a box, swaying as she did. She dropped it in with a little poof, and then looked up to see his reaction.

"I bet I can do more than you," He challenged, and Belle scrambled back to the couch. He let her gather as many pillows as she could into her tiny arms before walking over and scooping her up with a little growl. He dumped her into the box playfully on top of the last pillow as she squealed.

"Daddy, I'm not a pillow!" She protested.

"You aren't? But you're squishy and soft like one!" He picked her up, spinning her around with a smile, and she put her arms around his head, squealing as she grabbed the back of his shirt.

Eventually, they slowed down, and then Belle poked at something on his collarbone. "What's this?" She asked.

Ben looked down. It was a bruise. A dark purple bruise a little smaller than a golf ball right underneath his collarbone. His mind blanked out. What to tell her? What to say?

Someone gave that to Daddy, Princess. Daddy let someone do that. Daddy loves another lady, sweetheart.

Ben smiled and kissed her cheek. "That happened to Dad on his trip," He explained. "It'll go away in a few days, and then it'll all be over."

"What'd you do?" Belle asked, poking at it a little. Ben let her, even though it stung a little.

"Well, Dad went far away, and he met-" He paused for dramatic effect. "A dragon. And this dragon was fluffy and sweet and very, very sad, and so now our family has a dragon for a friend." He tapped the bruises. "But this was something the dragon gave Dad by accident. She said that she was very sorry."

"Okay," Belle nodded, accepting the story. Then, after a moment of contemplation, she leaned forward and kissed it awkwardly. "Nanny Boe always kissed my boo-boos," she explained, and then hugged her arms around his neck again. "I'm sorry the dragon hurt you."

Mal had hurt him. Probably not as much as he'd hurt her, but he still ached for her presence. His mental compass was firmly attuned to her. Just like the needle on the water, they'd all been so amazed by, part of his soul still pointed out west towards where he'd left her behind. They'd laid their whatever-they-had to rest, but he still missed her all the same.

Ben smiled and cuddled the little girl close. Nothing was going to be the same again, but everything would be okay.

Hard, but okay.

His dragon had taught him how to be happy again.