Chapter 4: Chapter 4

He would have given up his entire kingdom to have been spontaneously murdered right then and there.

Was there anyone angry enough in Auradon to kill him right now? Maybe Maleficent, but that seemed a bit dramatic. Still, Ben would have given anything for someone to have driven a bullet through his skull right then.

He'd ruined his life. He'd ruined Belle's life. He'd ruined Mal's life. He'd ruined Audrey's life. He'd even ruined his son's life, whatever his name was, and he hadn't even met the kid yet.

Ben dropped his head into his hands and rubbed his tired eyes. He had no idea what he was supposed to do now. He'd formed a tentative list while he'd been away, sitting in the tiny hidden area by the river where he'd woken up without Mal beside him. First, he needed to talk to Audrey. That had been done. Then, he still needed to work things out with Mal, and lastly beg for her help still. After all, Maleficent was still out there.

The table slumped dramatically in front of him and then returned to a stable posture as someone sat down. Ben glanced through his fingers, glimpsed purple, and then looked up, leaning away even though he really wanted to lean forward. "You're back," he murmured.

"I made sure Audrey got inside okay," Mal offered by way of explanation. "She looked pretty… beat up."

Ben nodded. "Yeah. She didn't deserve that."

"You know, she's not as bad as I made her out to be in my head," Mal sighed. "Especially when it comes to Belle… I relate to her."

"You," Ben repeated, "Relate to the daughter of Aurora. Okay."

Mal snorted. "Crazy," she agreed. Ben watched her pick at her nails.

"How soon did you find out?" He asked.

"Find out about what?" Mal raised an eyebrow at him. "Who Audrey was? It was pretty obvious from-"

"The baby," Ben interrupted. "Our son."

Mal's expression fell. She stopped picking at her cuticles and instead traced the wood grains in the table with the tip of her nail. "Not long after you left," she recalled. "I mean… we were a little busy building everything, but I don't get sick ever so when the nausea started hitting, it didn't take long for me to link it."

"A month?" Ben asked. "Maybe two?"

"Maybe right in the middle," Mal agreed.

"You should have come to the palace," Ben chided her. "No - don't give me that look. You should have. I would have taken care of you, and-"

"Listen, Ben, I appreciate the gesture, but I think you're missing the big picture here." Mal set her finger on a random spot in the table. "You left. You chose to go back to Audrey and I supported you because that was where you belonged and this is where I belonged. Protecting my people. And so finding out I was pregnant… yeah, that sucked, but it didn't change those decisions. Who am I to show up on the palace doorstep with a new baby and drop that responsibility on you?"

"I think you're missing the point," Ben gritted his teeth. "He's my son too. My responsibility regardless of what I decided. I'm the reason he happened to you and you should have held me accountable for that mistake from the beginning. I should have had the opportunity to at least help you out with him."

"He's not a mistake to me," Mal glared at him.

Ben reeled. "I… didn't mean it like that," he corrected himself.

"No, you only meant it as in 'I regret this'," Mal snapped. "You don't even want him, Ben. Why are you trying to argue that-"

"I do want him!" Ben protested. "With every fiber of my being, I do. I mean… you remember me with all the kids here. I love them. And I only have - had - one. To know I have a son is kind of a miracle despite-"

"You don't even know his name," Mal cut him off.

Ben blinked up at her. He sighed. "Not to make a tense situation humorous, but I hope you named him something better than Bertha or Florian."

The corner of Mal's mouth twitched up. "I don't know if I want you to know," she murmured. "Isn't there some sort of Auradon roll you need to put him on?"

"Yes," Ben thought, but didn't say anything aloud. Mal exhaled. "Xavier James," she said. "We named him Xavier James."

"Prince Xavier James Adams," Ben thought, leaning back even more. "Wow," he whispered. "That's a good name."

"Evie picked it," Mal nodded, brushing a bit of her hair behind her ear. "I didn't quite trust myself. She wanted Xavier John, actually."

Ben nodded and brushed a bit of nothing off the tabletop. "When can I meet him?" he whispered.

Mal looked a little startled. "You want to?" she asked. Ben nodded. She crossed her arms. "Well… you can't take him with you," she said. "I want you to know that right off the bat. I want him here with me."

That was going to be a problem. Ben chewed on his lip. "Technically, he's next in line for the throne now."

"I know."

Ben looked up at her. Her eyes were stormy now as she crossed her arms even tighter. "That's why you didn't come to tell me," he whispered.

"Well, look what it did," Mal scoffed. "You've yanked Audrey and Belle into this full-force."

"If you had come to me right off the bat, we could have changed the law before he was born," Ben snapped a little before forcing himself to calm down. "And as it was, the moment we'd tried to put the crown on Belle's head, it would have rejected her. Then we would have figured out, one way or another, that there was another heir out here."

"I didn't know that," Mal murmured, looking crestfallen and guilty as she put her chin atop her hands. "I don't suppose… there's no way for her to now-"

"Belle can't get the throne until he releases it and he has to be fourteen to do so," Ben explained. "So she won't be able to be crowned queen at sixteen no matter what. And if he - Xavier - decides to keep it, then I'll need to train him. That training will have to be done at the palace."

"My place is out here, Ben," Mal reminded him. "Auradon doesn't know I exist, remember?"

"Irregardless," Ben shrugged. "He's set to be the next King of Auradon." He drummed his fingers on the table and sighed.

"I guess… I screwed up then," Mal sighed. "I didn't realize. Sorry."

Ben shook his head. "The problem wouldn't have existed if I hadn't… If I'd had a bit more self-control."

"Way to cut me and my feelings out of the problem, Ben," Mal reprimanded. He blinked at her easy and somewhat careless tone. She blinked at him, waiting for a response. Not yelling, not snapping, only waiting.

"You've changed," he muttered. "You would have yelled that at me before I left."

"I had a baby," Mal shrugged. "That tends to teach you lots of patience really fast."

Ben snorted. "I guess if you're taking care of them," he rolled his eyes.

"Don't shoot Audrey in the foot like that," Mal chided. "She's struggled more than you know. You just haven't listened to her."

Ben almost fell off his chair. "What are you talking about?" he asked. "I listen to her whenever she wants to talk to me - she just doesn't."

"Because you haven't listened and she's stressed."

"What? About me closing the spa?"

Mal stared at Ben and then shook her head slowly. An odd expression came across her face, like he was fond of him but still thought what he was doing was silly. "Nevermind," she mumbled. "Are you sure you don't want to sleep at my house? I have a couple of extra bedrooms… "

"No," Ben shook his head. "I - thank you, Mal, but I… I still pick Audrey." His voice cracked and broke on the end of his sentence and he almost choked. "I wish… I could but I think we both know what would happen if I stayed there. Especially since Audrey and I still aren't sharing a room."

Mal nodded and reached across the table. Ben flinched back, but she only set her hand atop his and squeezed. God, her hands had so much strength in them. When she pulled back, his hand followed hers a few inches. "I understand, Ben," she murmured. "More than you think I do." When he looked into her eyes, there was nothing but clarity there. Some sort of demented peace.

Mal got up. "You ought to get some rest. It's late, and Audrey will need your help with Belle tomorrow."

"Wait," Ben got up too - so fast he banged his knee into the table. "Xavier - I want to see him. Can I?"

"Oh," Mal blinked. She glanced back in the direction of the tower and her eyes lit up a little. "He's already asleep. I can't fly him down without waking him up and it's probably a bit too cold for him to be out. Do you want to wait until morning?"

"No," Ben stepped out over the bench. "Please, can we go up?"

"Alone?" Mal asked. "With me?"

A lump formed in Ben's throat and he felt his face go crestfallen. Sure, they were fine here aside from the fact Ben was aching to lean forward and touch all of that smooth skin and trace every strength-filled muscle on her, but behind closed doors it would be so easy… he could lean forward and accidentally brush her wrist… she could trip and stay on him for a second too long… And he knew how easy it would be to fall.

He sat back down. "I guess maybe we should wait," he muttered.

"I'll bring him down in the morning," Mal agreed. "And, uh, there are blankets and some spare cots in the storehouse here." She pointed to a portion of the pavillion that was walled away. With a flick of her hand, the lock clicked open on the door. "I'll leave my door open if you need it. Belle is on the second floor and Audrey took the third. Just… don't freeze to death out here. We'll find a place for you in the morning."

"I'm fine with being outside," Ben shook his head. "I've missed it."

"So Audrey said," Mal nodded.

She turned and as she did, large purple and feathered wings appeared on her back. Ben watched without much reaction. He hadn't known she had wings, but wasn't surprised to learn.

Mal took off and Ben was finally left alone underneath an unwavering electric light above his head. He realized, now that she was gone, that he'd forgotten to ask Mal about everyone else and how much they knew.

Ben woke up to Hades nudging him. "What're you doing out here?" he asked.

With all the crazy that had happened, it took a few seconds for Ben to remember how he could be talking to the God of the Underworld, much less answer his question. "I wanted to be outside again." he shrugged and stood up. "How are you?" he asked. "Did you find your daughter?"

"I did," Hades nodded, giving a little sigh. "She was a bit too busy to talk though, so I haven't said anything yet. Apparently I'm a grandfather now."

"Really?" Ben let a smile cross his face. It felt odd to smile after yesterday. "That's wonderful!"

"Yeah," Hades nodded. "I don't know who her partner is yet. I'll have to scare the tar out of them when I meet them."

"Ah, don't be too rough on them," Ben chuckled. He climbed out of the sleeping bag he'd assembled and began to fold up everything to put back into the storehouse. It was still very early. People were wandering around outside their homes, but no one had seemed to spot them yet. "Has anyone come around?" he asked.

"A white-haired boy," Hades nodded. "But that was as I was walking up. He went that way." Hades pointed in a general direction, but Ben didn't follow his finger.

"Probably Carlos," he nodded.

As he finished folding up the blankets, someone slung an arm around his head. For a moment, he panicked, but then he heard frenzied giggling. Not from a child, but from a man. "Hey, Harry," he said.

"Oh, if'n it isn't our wee king. Back for another round?" Harry released Ben and dropped down on the pavement beside him. "I don't s'ppose you've heard… you got yourself into a world of trouble."

"I've heard," Ben cut him off shortly. "And it's already been worked out. Thank you for your concern."

Harry's laughter grew even thicker. He opened his mouth to say something else, but then someone behind Ben said: "Harry, quit." Ben glanced behind him. It was Evie, and she was holding hands with someone familiar.

"Doug?" Ben asked, getting to his feet. Doug a little salute. "What are you doing here?"

"I… uh…" Doug held up his and Evie's hands awkwardly. "We're together! I'm with her."

"That's great, Doug," Ben smiled even though a pain had erupted in his chest. "I'm happy for you."

"Yeah," Doug nodded. "We've been married for almost a year and we have our daughter asleep at the house."

Another pain. Ben kept his smile. "That's great," he smiled.

Evie reached forward to brush off his arm. "Carlos said you were sleeping on the ground," she murmured. "Did Mal talk to you about-"

"I chose to sleep out here," Ben assured her. "I missed the outside. And yes, Mal and I talked."

"We came to invite you two for breakfast," Evie said, glancing between him and Hades. "I don't think I've been given the rundown, yet. Was Hades released from the Isle?"

"Discharged," Ben said before Hades could tack on anything else. "However, we have Maleficent in Auradon now. We need Mal's help."

"Ah," Evie glanced towards the towering building. "Will your wife and daughter need a place to eat too?" she asked. "I made lots, just in case."

"I don't know if they're awake yet," Ben said. Maybe I should - oh, there's Belle."

Down the path, Belle was holding tightly onto her doll Molly with one hand and holding Uma's hand in the other. She jumped over blades of grass on the pavement as she went. Evie chuckled as she looked up and waved with broad gestures to her dad.

"Found this one wandering," Uma called, releasing Belle to run to Ben when they were close enough. Ben bent down and Belle rushed straight into his arms with a shout. "You shouldn't leave kids alone, Ben."

"Ah, this one's smart enough," Ben teased, flicking Belle on the nose. "Did you sleep well?" he asked her.

"Yeah," she shrugged one shoulder.

"Do you know where Mom is?" he asked.

"No," Belle said. "I think she's still sleepy."

"Let's go get breakfast," Evie suggested, holding out her free hand to Belle. "You can play with my baby after you eat, if you want."

Belle immediately left Ben and took Evie's hand. The three began to walk away and Ben got the impression he and Hades were meant to follow. They waved goodbye to Harry and Uma as the sea duo began to head back into Uma's sector.

Evie's house had blue tiling on the roof and a beautiful whitewash on the exterior walls. Her flowerbeds were looking a bit sparse with the seasons, but her home was still lovely. Evie led Belle right up to the door and let her wander in. Belle slipped off her shoes at the entrance. "Your house is so pretty!" she marveled.

"Thank you," Evie smiled. "We have breakfast in here - come and get some."

Breakfast turned out to be burritos stuffed with scrambled eggs, bacon, sausage, peppers and cheese. Ben recognized a lot of Auradon items in Evie's household that the VK's now had access to. Evie served up Belle a large portion onto a china plate that Belle balanced carefully to a large table with a figurine in the center. Molly the Doll was placed in the chair beside her with a little food set on a napkin in front of her.

"So, you did talk to Mal?" Evie asked, handing Ben a plate.

"Yes," Ben nodded. "We've… got a few things figured out, but it'll take time."

"I thought there wasn't anything going on with you two?" Doug asked, pulling a bottle of orange juice out of the fridge. "What happened?"

"We got drunk," Ben replied.

Hades gave them all an odd look. "What?" he asked.

The front door opened, interrupting them all. Down the hall, Ben heard Mal yell "Evie? You home?"

"Kitchen!" Evie called, picking up a new plate and handing it to Hades. She picked up a new one for Mal, who appeared in the doorway. Her eyes zeroed in on Hades before flitting momentarily to Ben. Her lips pinched.

"Good morning," Hades said softly.

"Good morning," Mal replied in a tart tone. She stepped further inside and Ben almost dropped his plate to see her cradling a bundle to her ribs.

"Is that him?" he asked, siding his breakfast onto the table beside Belle and then crossing the room to Mal. He made to put a hand in the small of her back and then reminded himself otherwise and put it on her shoulder instead.

"This is Xavier," Mal nodded and then carefully loosened the bundles that had kept the baby warm during the trip to Evie's home. The moment she began to take away the blankets, Xavier began to squirm. Hades hovered over Ben's shoulder a little to watch as Xavier wrestled one arm free and gave a little cry of outrage. Mal put the extra blankets over her shoulder and then passed Xavier to Ben with both hands.

Tears formed in Ben's eyes. He leaned against the wall as Xavier clutched at the last remaining blanket with a clenched fist and examined Ben carefully. They looked alike. Xavier had his darker eyes and his tanner skin. His hair too, though his face more closely resembled Mal's. And despite being older, he was smaller than he should be. Ben would probably have a short son.

"Go sit down," Mal urged. "I don't want you to drop him."

Ben sniffed and used the back of his hand to wipe away tears before he took a few steps away, used his foot to draw out a chair, and sat down with the baby in his lap. Xavier pulled himself up to sit and looked all around at the room. Beside Ben, Belle squealed and leaned over with grabby hands to wave at Xavier. "Hi Xavier!" she cheered.

Mal set a careful hand on Ben's shoulder. "What do you think?" she mumbled.

"He is so small," Ben sniffed. "Just… wow." He wiped another tear away.

"Do other people around here have babies?" Belle asked.

"A couple," Evie nodded. "There's me and Mal and then a few others."

"I've got a baby!" Belle exclaimed, leaning over to pick up Molly. "Her name is Molly and I check her vitals every day and make sure she eats lots of vegetables. She likes broccoli the best, which is good for me because broccoli is gross."

Evie chuckled and sent a sideways glance to Ben. Ben also caught a glimpse of Hades's expression - confusion.

"It looks like you're a little doctor," Mal smiled. "Good job looking after her."

"It's practice," Belle said. "Do you think I can look after Xavier? I'll be very careful," She climbed out of her seat, leaving Molly in her chair, and waved again to Xavier. Xavier waved back with a chubby little smile.

"I'm sure you'll get to see Xavier lots," Mal murmured, getting down on her knees to be beside Belle. A hand came up and began to trace careful fingers up and down her back.

"Where's his dad?" Belle asked. "Did he die?"

Hades leaned in a little, brow furrowed.

"No," Mal choked a little. "He's, well, uh…" She glanced up at Ben for help.

Ben took Belle's arm. "Belle, Xavier is your brother. He's Mal's and my son."

Hades took in a very ragged breath. "What?" he asked.

Belle stayed quiet and blinked for several seconds, scrutinizing Xavier. "So…" she trailed off. "Are you married to two people?"

"No, honey." Ben shook his head. "Mal and I aren't married. We just have a baby together."

"So Mal and he are going to come live with us?"

"Mal doesn't want to, no."

"So he's going to live with us?"

"He has to stay with his mom."

"Can't Mom be his mom?"

"It doesn't work like that."

Belle furrowed her brow as if this didn't make sense. "So he's only coming to visit?"

"That's right," Ben agreed.

Belle nodded. "Okay," she decided. "So long as I can take care of him when he's over, I guess that's okay." She held out her hands. "Can I hold him now?"

"Sit down," Mal advised. She looked a lot more relaxed now. Ben carefully passed Xavier to Belle after she'd secured herself back into her seat and chewed on his lip.

"Honey?" he said softly to Belle, brushing her ratty hair back. "He's going to be king one day."

Belle didn't even look up. "Sure," she agreed.

"That means you might not be able to be queen - even though mom and I said you would be."

"That's okay."

Maybe it was just because she was young that the gravity of the situation hadn't sunk in. It was such a small thing to her. She barely even cared. She'd been talking about liking doctors for a few months now, but he and Audrey had just passed it off as childish fantasy. Now… she could technically do it if she wanted. And if she grew out of liking doctors and dolls and little kids, then there would be options.

"I need something explained to me," Hades announced from behind everyone. They all glanced over to face them. Hades pointed at Xavier. "He," he began, "is your son?" He directed everyone's attention to Ben.

Ben nodded. "Yes," he said softly. "Mal and I had an affair when I was out here. She saw fit to not tell me about him."

"That was the first time you'd met him, right, Ben?" Doug asked. Ben nodded.

"I can't believe it," Hades shook his head. "The King of Auradon stepped out on his wife?"

Ben flinched away.

"It was a difficult situation," Mal said in a tart tone. She ran a hand down Belle's hair and her brown hair combed itself out with one swipe. Ben wasn't sure she'd meant to do that. Mal looked over at Evie. "Can I have two plates?" she asked.

"Does mommy know about him?" Belle asked.

"Yes," Ben nodded. He glanced over to Hades, who looked upset for some reason. Ben couldn't imagine why.

Evie passed Mal two full plates and Mal set one down on Belle's other side, away from Ben and still leaving a seat for Molly.. She leaned down to whisper into Belle's ear. "I need to run somewhere real quick. Do you want me to take him back?"

"No! I can watch him!" Belle bopped Xavier on the nose. "He's cute."

Mal glanced at Ben. He nodded. "I'll watch her with him," he promised.

Mal nodded and headed for the door with her other plate. Hades stopped her just before she reached the door. "I'd… like to talk to you," he said softly. "When will you have a moment?"

"I have no business with you," Mal replied in a cold, cold tone.

"Mallie, I'm not asking for a lot. Just to talk." He reached for her hand but Mal batted his wrist aside and continued walking away. Hades let his hand fall to his side, chewing on his cheek in defeat. Ben reached for Xavier, picked him up, and gestured for Belle to finish eating her breakfast. She pouted, but didn't throw a fit.

"I can't believe you got away with calling her 'Mallie'," Ben said. "She would have killed you two years ago."

Hades shook his head. He sat down on one of Evie's bar stools and buried his face in his hands before taking a deep breath.

Ben frowned. "Is everything ok-"

"Shut up!" Hades flung a hand out at him and snapped in a voice so cold it made Ben jump. "Just… everything is fine." His hair caught fire as he pressed his fingertips to his eyes.

Evie and Doug exchanged a wary glance. Evie moved closer to the sink, worrying that the flames might grow out of control. Ben stared at the God - he looked furious. His veins were popping out of his arms and his face was red as he took several deep breaths.

"Hades?" Ben asked.

Hades's face began to slowly return to normal color. He glared over his shoulder - a look so icy that Ben felt his muscles ache as if he'd been hit instead. "Boy," he growled. "You screwed with the wrong girl."

And with that line, a lot of things suddenly made sense to Ben. He pointed out the door. "Mal?" he asked. "She's… oh."

Hades had said that his daughter had left with the villains. That she was older now and he was a grandfather. Her mother was crazy and had given their daughter a horrible middle name. Ben recalled how he had enquired about Maleficent's daughter and the proud smile that had spread across his face. With everything that had been going on with him and Mal, he'd missed the fact that Hades's eyes were always on her, that he was watching her.

Going down this line of thought, Hades had just discovered that the King of Auradon had gotten his daughter pregnant and left. Every nerve in Ben's body was on edge as his hands shook.

"Hades… it's not at all what you think… I wasn't trying to coerce her into anything."

Evie immediately spoke up in his defense. "He's a good man, Hades," she said. "They just got drunk. That's all it was."

"What?" Belle asked.

"Nothing," Everyone replied.

"Did you do something wrong?" Belle asked.

Ben chewed on his cheek. "Yes," he admitted. "Dads aren't supposed to have babies with other moms."

"Is Mom mad?"

"Very."

"Oh." Belle looked down and picked up Molly to hold even tighter. She seemed very unsure suddenly. it wasn't a look Ben was used to seeing on his daughter. But it was reasonable. Belle adored her mother, and had grown a little sensitive after all the long months Ben had spent working with her. Even though Audrey was never around for much or for long, Belle was always looking around for her and collecting small trinkets to show her. It was Audrey who always got Belle ready, even when Ben offered to, and Audrey who Belle always liked to cuddle with when she was scared or tired.

It was Audrey who was hurting the most over this.

"Maybe I should go find Audrey and make sure she's okay," Ben muttered.

"If I were you, I wouldn't leave the house with him," Doug called over Evie's shoulder, nodding a little to Xavier. "Mal will implode outwards if she has to search the camp for him after trusting you to watch him. She likes knowing where he is all the time, even if she's not present. A bit obsessive."

"Doting," Evie corrected. "I do the same thing with Morgan. It's just because they're small."

"Morgan?" Belle perked up. "You have a Morgan too?"

"That's my little baby," Evie nodded. "She's asleep upstairs." She gestured to her head and Belle craned her neck towards the ceiling, as if hoping she could see through the sheetrock.

"Just wait, Ben," Doug said, returning Ben's focus to him from the roof. "Mal will be back soon. Besides, I bet Audrey probably needs lots of space."

**Incase anyone was wondering, I did lots of research on how these cheating situations affect households and found out that, often, younger kids don't understand what is going on until they reach 10-12 and that's when the gravity sinks in. Given that Belle has never actually seen a happy marriage and is a bit used to hearing/seeing her parents fighting, she's not going to question why this matters so much however she is very sad that her mommy is sad.**

We're going to return to Audrey next chapter. Life is going to get both a lot better and a lot worse for her.

Chapter 5: Chapter 5

Audrey woke drenched in her own sweat and shaking despite how weak she felt. She wished her body would lie still so she could let the heavy blankets of the bed weigh her down. She wanted to drown in them and find her way to the surface later. She could see sunlight streaming in through the window behind the curtains and casting light on the room around her. The light made her eyes hurt.

In the palace, Ben had ripped down most of the heavy curtains that had gone up after Belle had been born. He'd replaced them with sheer fabrics that let in as much light as possible. He'd done it after he'd come back from here. Back from her.

Audrey buried her face in the covers. A headache was setting in and she was starving. The memories of what had happened the night before were pinching at her brain. She couldn't believe it had happened… he'd finally cheated on her.

She didn't want to use the word 'finally', but if she was honest she could acknowledge how awful she'd been to him and how it wasn't that surprising how hard Ben fell once he discovered someone with mystery, wonder, and sass. And sure, her attitude wasn't an excuse for his actions, but she certainly hadn't been trying to keep him. And it was this thinking that in a cruel, twisted way… numbed the pain. He'd cheated on her. She'd been afraid he would for years and years and he finally had. And in a way, she'd contributed to it. And a part of her was relieved that she didn't have to sit around and wait, wondering if the day was soon coming where she'd discover his infidelity. Now she was free from wondering and doomed to the reality of the situation.

Audrey slowly forced herself out of bed. The room held a large bed next to a window before extending into a bathroom where a comb and a toothbrush lay. These Audrey took advantage of, trying to focus on keeping her hands from shaking before she turned the knob on the door and left.

She almost ran into Mal.

Mal blinked in surprise to see her so suddenly and then dropped her eyes to the floor. "Good morning," she mumbled. "How did you sleep?"

Audrey didn't reply. Her stomach was churning with betrayal still. This… girl had known. She'd known from the beginning who she was and had talked as if she hadn't known. She was the mother of Ben's kid - Ben's son.

When she said nothing, Mal extended something in her hands - a plate. It was piled high with food - scrambled eggs with bacon and peppers mixed in. Audrey took it - her hands were still shaking - and Mal cleared her throat. "I, uh, thought you might like some food," she offered. "I wasn't sure if you'd want to come down and see everyone… they're all at Evie's house, eating. Ben has Belle and, uh, yeah."

"Your son?" Audrey whispered.

Mal nodded.

Audrey sniffled and wiped her eyes. Mal wrung her hands. "Do you… want to talk to someone. I understand now if you hate me, but-"

"I'm okay," Audrey sniffed. "But thank you."

Mal nodded. She took a half step back. "Well… if you need me… anyone in town can lead you to Evie's house. It's just-"

She paused and examined Audrey's face then. She previously hadn't been looking at it. "Are you alright?"

Audrey realized she must look very sickly. "Just light-headed," she muttered. "And the usual pain. I'll be alright."

Mal chewed on her lip. She glanced toward the room Audrey had left, which was still dark. "Do you want me to draw the curtain back for you and open the window?"

"No," Audrey declined. "The light hurts my eyes and I get cold easily."

Mal pinched her lips together then. "Something's not right with you," she declared. Audrey thought that was quite the statement coming from an adulterer, but Mal stepped back into her room and felt down the covers where Audrey had been lying. "Even if you'd gotten up five minutes ago, this should still be warm," Mal said. "And you're swaying and you can't focus on my eyes… headache? But then you always feel weak and you don't like light and…" She shook her head. "Whatever crap doctors looked at you, they must have missed something. Something really bad or really obvious."

"Like what?" Audrey asked. She found herself sinking to the floor, but inside felt a large weight lifted off her shoulders. Regardless of who this girl was, someone finally understood! She was right - what she was experiencing wasn't normal.

"I don't know," Mal shook her head. "But we're going to get Uma and Evie up here. They've seen and treated everything from seizures to the common cold."

"I'm going to get help?" Audrey repeated slowly.

"We're going to get you help," Mal agreed. "And you can rub it in Ben's face once we figure it out."

A laugh escaped Audrey despite everything that had happened. Mal patted her shoulder and then helped her get off the floor and travel to bed. "Stay here and eat what you can," she recommended. "I'll be right back and we'll get this sorted out."

Audrey nodded and practically fell back into bed. A few bits of egg fell off the plate and with shaking fingers, Audrey tried to scoop them up. As she ate, her headache lessened until she was able to sit back up. Her hands stopped shaking as much.

About twenty minutes after Mal left, Audrey heard people climbing the stairs. Evie and Uma appeared first and their heads swiveled to look in at her as they stepped into the room. Uma frowned. "She looks pale," she said immediately. Then, to Audrey, "Can you stand up?"

Audrey did and very nearly fell over. Evie caught her and guided her to sit back down. Behind them, Ben, Belle, Mal, and Doug - who Audrey now realized must have been the very same Doug that Evie had been talking about - crowded into the doorway. Ben looked a little exasperated, but everyone else looked worried. Ben was holding a baby against his chest, but he gave him to Belle and directed Belle to go sit on a chair in the corner with him.

Evie tilted Audrey's head back and put her fingertips to her neck. "Her heartbeat is really fast," she murmured. "Doug, can I have that water?"

Doug lifted a water bottle, but Mal snatched it out of his hands and went into the room to press Audrey's shaking fingers around it.

"Guys, she never goes outside and never exercises. I think it's pretty clear what the issue is here," Ben declared as he, too, stepped around Doug and went to sit next to Audrey on the bed. "She's let herself waste away."

"Shut up, Ben," Mal snapped firmly, glaring at him at little. Audrey was a bit surprised to see Ben blink and back off. She wished she had that power over him.

"Hold your hand still for me," Uma directed, holding Audrey's hand at the wrist. She started applying pressure, but Audrey's hand only shook more as her vision swam.

"Open the windows," Evie called and Mal flicked her finger towards the curtains. They snapped open and Audrey groaned, leaning back instinctively to bury her face in the covers. She could feel Ben rolling his eyes even with her eyes shut against the blinding lights.

"Guys, I'm serious, she just needs to-"

"Eat this," Evie directed, picking up the plate and putting it back in Audrey's lap. She forced her to stay sitting up and nodded at Mal. "Draw the curtains halfway and Ben, do shut up."

Ben fumed. The room returned to partial darkness and Audrey carefully took a few bites of food. Everything remained silent. Audrey looked around for further instructions, but Evie only gestured her to keep eating. Uma was still holding her wrist, testing Audrey's shakiness, and Evie held her fingers to Audrey's neck still.

Time passed. Audrey finished her plate and the lights didn't seem as bright. She could now focus on the people around her - Mal was standing with her arms crossed at the doorway and Ben was chewing on his upper lip while he looked at her expectantly. Evie and Uma exchanged a glance.

"How hungry are you still?" Evie asked.

"Very," Audrey murmured and took another drink. Her stomach was pinching something awful.

In a motion, Uma and Evie withdrew from her and Audrey was left sitting by herself. "Low Blood Sugar," Evie announced. "It's the same thing Doug's father deals with. He left last month after the baby was born. I think we might still have the meter to test her, right?"

"Should be in the storehouse," Uma nodded. "Mal, would you-"

Mal snapped her fingers and a zipper-closed black box appeared in her hands. She unzipped it and handed it to Evie. Before Audrey could react, they'd pricked her finger and put a drop of blood on the end of a paper, which she handed back to Mal. Mal scanned it and shook her head. "Low," she announced. "Really, really low."

"How long has this been happening?" Uma asked, turning her back to Ben, who was performing a rather accurate impression of a fish.

"Since Belle was born," Audrey said. "The doctors said it was probably just my body trying to recover after birth."

Mal and Evie both shook their heads at the same time, but it was Evie who spoke up. "They must have just assumed that was what it was," she said. "No, you have blood sugar problems, and from the sound of it, you have ever since you were pregnant. Were you ever tired or snappish at the end of your pregnancy?"

Audrey laughed. "Isn't everyone?" she asked.

"She probably didn't recognize symptoms," Uma muttered to Evie. "It was only after, when she thought she should have gotten better, that it became an issue. Of course, the doctors would have passed it off as after-birth problems since she'd just had her baby. She was probably too weak to do much while her body was trying to figure out what was wrong with itself and that's why Ben has it in his head that she's invalidated herself."

"She needs a bit more sugar in her and then she'll be able to function enough to starting moving," Evie agreed. "It's probably a sure bet that some of her pain comes from lack of movement, but if her body has been trying to get sugar all these years, there's a chance it might have worn down on her nerves and she's experiencing false pain. Stress might also be a factor. Or there might be something else, but it's a bit too soon for us to figure that out. For now, she needs to eat."

"You have orange juice at your house," Uma said.

"I do have orange juice at my house," Evie nodded. "We'll bring it. She'll see an improvement by the end of the day."

"I've been trying to eat bland foods to stop the stomach pains," Audrey frowned. "Will that-"

"Your stomach pains are probably just hunger cramps. Your body wants more food." Uma shrugged. "And this might be a bit of a stretch, but I'd say it probably has something to do with either your kidneys or liver being hurt during pregnancy."

"When all this is over, you should see if a doctor in Auradon can correct the damage," Evie announced. "They'll be able to tell you where the problem originated from."

"Is that it?" Audrey asked. "I've been dealing with this for eight years and it's just… low blood sugar?"

Evie shrugged. "The fact your bones hurt so much could be something else, but yeah. Low blood sugar."

Audrey was silent for several seconds. Then she leaned over and pinched Ben's arm. "Ow!" He jumped back. "How can you pinch so hard? Ow!"

"I told you so!" she snapped. "You thought I was being silly when I told you something was wrong, Mr. All-You-Need-Is-To-Stop-Whining-And-Get-More-Exercise."

"Has she ever passed out spontaneously?" Evie asked, turning her gaze onto Ben now. "It's a good thing she wasn't following your advice. Low blood sugar, which over-exercising and undereating contribute to, can cause seizures and death."

Ben turned bright red. "I was wrong," he agreed. "Okay? I'm sorry."

"You should be," Audrey sneered.

"I said I was!" Ben replied with his nose wrinkling up in response. "Geesh, I was wrong. What more do you want from me?"

"You guys are dysfunctional," Uma rolled her eyes and turned to Audrey. "Here's another diagnosis - Ben thinks he knows it all and that he's way smarter than you but he's usually too nice to make you do anything. You're sick of Ben's crap and the way he's always condescending on you."

"Accurate," Mal nodded behind Uma.

"That's not even!" Ben snapped. "Listen, I made one - two - mistakes and you're all ganging up on me! I was just going off of what the doctors said and what worked with Belle!"

"We're talking about in general, Ben," Audrey rolled her eyes. "If you could have just listened for five minutes… you've got a big brain; you could have figured it out."

"He did the same thing here," Uma shrugged. "Even right after we first captured him. He stayed low for a few days and then once he figured out a few things he became a de facto leader. We appreciated his help, but in a marriage with someone like you… big problem."

"Wait, so now I'm the big problem here?" Ben laughed. "Are we going to talk about her neglecting both Belle and me, never talking, banning me from certain parts of my castle… this is bullcrap!"

"I ain't saying she's innocent!" Uma shouted. She fixed a finger in Ben's face. "I'm just saying you've wronged her. Don't act like you're the saint between the two of you."

"That's enough!" Evie commanded before Ben could fire back. The baby began crying in Belle's arms in the corner at the loud noise. Audrey leaned forward to peer past Ben and make sure Belle was okay while Mal hurried over to take her wailing son back. Audrey got a glimpse of the baby as she held him. He looked like Ben. Hair and skin and everything. Belle hadn't looked too different when she was born. Something pinged in Audrey's heart. Especially when Mal ran her fingertips down the baby's back and glanced back at Audrey worriedly as if she was afraid she'd loathe the small child.

"Let's get her some food," Evie said as everyone began to calm down. Ben got up and took a half step towards Mal, hands out as if he was about to offer her help, but then he glanced back at Audrey and stilled where he was, looking pained. Audrey looked away and he set a hand on her shoulder.

"Is he okay?" He asked Mal in a murmur.

Audrey couldn't see Mal's reaction but imagined it was probably a shrug and a nod. "Just spooked. He's not used to loud noises."

Ah, she and Ben's son had things in common, then.

Ben's hand tightened on her shoulder. "We… need to decide what to do about Maleficent and you need to eat. Do you want to come back to Evie's house… If that's okay…" He glanced over at Evie, who nodded. Audrey nodded and put a hand on top of Ben's before using it as leverage to get to her feet.

Belle put a hand on Mal's forearm again. "Can I hold him again, now?" She asked.

"Let's not hold him while you have to walk down the stairs and outside," Mal replied. "When we get back to Evie's house, then you can."

Audrey closed her eyes as people began to leave the room. Belle stayed attached to Mal's side, standing on her tip-toes to look at the baby. Her baby doll was missing - she must have left it somewhere in favor of a real one. Her little caretaker.

She almost jumped out of her skin when Ben slid her arm around her waist and put his hand on her hip. It was strange to see his hand there after so many years. She'd forgotten how big his hands were.

"Can you make it down the stairs?" Ben whispered in her ear.

Audrey felt the urge to push him away - it'd only be fair, after all his snide remarks and indifference - but leaned her head into his shoulder and let him lead her down towards the staircase.

"Will she be coming to stay with us?" She asked Ben, closing her eyes against the sunlight when they crossed the threshold of the building.

"No," Ben replied. "But she'll probably bring Xander up from time to time… especially when he gets older. I already decided… it won't be good for me to come out to visit her without bringing you with. I'm… not going to give myself excuses to be alone with her. And… as for us… I'm going to try to be better. I didn't realize how bad I was being towards you and with this whole mess…"

"Do you love me?" Audrey asked.

Ben stumbled a little in his pacing. She felt his mouth open near her neck, but he said nothing. She hadn't expected him to. He used to say it all the time whenever she'd asked, but that had been before Mal and before he must have figured out what love should be like. She opened her eyes long enough to catch him glancing ahead to where the rest of the group was, and then shut them again. Part of her wanted to say 'me too,' but that would be admitting a major defeat.

"What's his name?" She asked instead.

"Xavier," Ben announced, louder than anything else he'd said so far. "Xavier James. He's ten months old."

She could feel his entire posture change - the way he straightened up and the strength that entered his frame. She knew the look without opening her eyes. It was the same way he'd been those first few months she'd been pregnant before she'd gotten too sick to keep acting perfect around him and asked to be left alone. It was the same thing he'd done - and still did - whenever Belle was around. From the first time he'd cuddled with her while Audrey rested after delivery to every day since he'd come back and changed things in their home.

She knew him well. Knew the way he thought about things and his strength and kindness. She knew, even now, his composure. The guilt and the thrill of being a new parent, all wrapped together. And despite this, if she was asked the same question she'd offered him "Do you love me?", would she be able to respond "yes"?

While the ache remained in Audrey's bones, she was astounded by how quickly her world changed as Evie put a bunch of high-sugar foods in front of her and directed her on how much to eat. Had she ever felt this good after eating? How could she have never noticed a difference? The stomach pains - Uma had been right about them only being hunger stabs - eased as Evie forced her to eat more, rather than less. And the foods, which Audrey assumed would set off even worse pains, didn't seem to faze her stomach at all despite how unused she was to them. Orange juice, sausages, and yogurt with granola and fruit mixed in. The yogurt was something Audrey had tried and found not too hard on her stomach, but she'd never dared eat too much.

Ben hovered in the room beside her, though he always made to stand when Mal happened to flit in or out. Belle followed Mal as the purple-haired fairy came and went with Xavier in tow, first to get him dressed for the day and then to go rouse Carlos and Jay before she left for a couple of other tasks.

Ben helped Evie clean things as Audrey finished another glass of orange juice Evie had set in front of her with a stern look. She glanced to the outside and the glass stilled by her lips. It was still bright - her eyes were unused to the outside, after all, but goodness, it was beautiful. And her brain didn't want to gouge her eyes out of her head. "Incredible," She murmured and got to her feet to peer outside. "Your garden is wonderful."

"Thank you," Evie replied, reaching up to put a glass in a cabinet. "Mal uses spells to help me keep it green all year long."

"That's smart," Audrey agreed, though the thought of the daughter of Maleficent performing magic with such ease gave her anxiety. "What else does she do around here?"

"Well, she's the primary leader now," Evie explained.

"Yeah, I was wondering about that," Ben agreed, reaching beside her to put forks away. "I'm surprised Uma let that happen."

"Uma was convinced by Harry," Evie explained with a smile. "And, uh, it kinda happened by the voice of the people. Once things got going, they requested her to be our main leader and protector."

"I thought people were scared of her?" Ben asked, raising his eyebrows. Audrey gave him a sharp look.

"That's part of why," Evie shrugged. "They knew she was powerful enough to keep Auradon away if things went sour. They also assumed she'd have, uh, lingering connections. This was before it went up that she was pregnant."

Ben chewed on his cheek and glanced towards the ground. Audrey watched him, then looked back outside. "Is she in charge of your barrier?"

"Yes," Evie agreed. "She's the overseer. Literally, since she lives at the top of that tall monstrosity. And she does other things… saves food and helps with construction and things like that. When Ben was here, she swore him to an oath that he wouldn't betray us and attack us."

Audrey hummed and put a hand up to the window to peer outside. She bit her tongue as she examined the flowers and then sat down at Evie's bar again. "Can you tell me…" she began, and Evie paused to look over at her. "How do people view Ben around here? After everything?"

Evie hummed and then leaned her elbows onto the countertop. Ben, too, stilled to listen to the response. "Well," she started. "Ben was very popular and loved when he left and you still see a lot of people who adore and miss him. The kids especially - he was popular." Evie threw a smile over her shoulder - a blinding one that would have turned heads in Auradon - but Ben only rolled his eyes at her. "When Mal found out she was pregnant, she was tight-lipped about it and didn't say anything to anyone, but there's of course only too long until people start to notice. Rumors started to fly when she was about six months and Uma called her out on it. Ben was - uh - quickly linked. They'd been close friends before he left and people would usually talk to Ben or me instead of Mal because we were the only ones she'd listen to."

Evie twisted her hands here and exhaled. "A few wondered if Ben had, ah, forced her, but that was put down quickly. No offense to Ben, but Mal could blow him off the face of the earth pretty easily if she wanted. The two common theories that flew were that Ben was just looking to get lucky or, uh, that they'd had an affair going that they'd broken off so Ben could rule Auradon and that he was going to come back one day. It never really hit the public that Ben was married, but I think gradually word spread because no one was surprised when you and Audrey appeared yesterday."

Ben let out a little breath as Audrey nodded along to Evie's words. "Okay," she whispered. "Thank you for that."

The front door opened with the grinding of metal on metal. "Mommy?" Belle called down the hall. "Are you still here?"

"I'm here, baby," Audrey called, planting her hands on the counter and working against the ache in her bones.

Belle appeared in the doorway. Ben smiled at her and Belle momentarily forgot her quest to speak with her mother in favor of giving her dad a quick hug. A breeze floated down the hallway behind her and Audrey became aware of arguing from outside.

"...not interested… I'm really not-"

"...not trying to…"

"...don't need this…"

"Mom, can I go play with the other kids?" Belle asked, dashing around the counter to hug Audrey. "Dad let me yesterday."

"Yes," Audrey agreed, partially distracted by the muffled arguments down the hall. "Please be careful."

Belle snatched the arm of Molly the doll on her way out and the arguments stopped as she re-entered the hallway. Ben stepped forward, glanced down the hall, and shifted a little. Mal, then. Mal must be down there.

Hades appeared from down the hallway. Audrey tensed a little on instinct though she was now familiar with the God. He regarded Ben with newfound disdain. What had happened? Hades had previously been impressed with Ben's leadership skills.

Mal appeared in the hallway and skimmed the room. "Ben," she began, "We need to figure out what to do about my mother." She was balancing Xavier on her hip.

"Yes," Ben agreed, reaching out to brush Xavier's hair carefully. "I don't even know if she'd still be at the palace. I tore down the map in my office, but with your barrier pretty visible, it can't be long before she figures out where you are. She'll come for you."

"She won't be able to get through my barrier," Mal replied. "But I'm not going to go out of the barrier unless I know where she is, otherwise it'll be an ambush."

"Okay," Ben agreed. "We'll have to figure out where she's gone… if she's back at the palace. Maybe I'll have to serve as bait to bring her back."

"No," Mal replied firmly. "That won't be necessary."

A sliver of a smile passed over Ben's face. "Nice to know you care so much," he teased before his face again crumpled with guilt and he glanced at Audrey to gauge her reaction. Mal, too, glanced over, but Audrey didn't feel too fazed by the banter. She appreciated the effort despite the circumstances.

It was strange, but knowing that Ben had cheated on her didn't hurt as bad as the fear that he would cheat that had crushed her in her youth.

"Couldn't you set up a moving barrier?" Evie asked. "One that would protect you as you moved?"

"A shield, maybe," Mal sighed. "Not a barrier. Barriers are fixed around immovable landmarks."

"Would you be able to take on Maleficent?" Audrey asked. "I mean… she's the Mistress of All Evil…"

"I'm more powerful than she is," Mal interrupted. "And she… probably won't try too hard once I find her. We have an odd relationship like that."

The corner of Ben's mouth crooked like he wanted to say something, but he didn't Audrey guessed he was more filled in on Mal's history than she was.

Hades drummed his fingers on the countertop across from Audrey, examining her tersely. When he didn't find what he was looking for, he turned and walked away. Ben exhaled as he left the room and Evie glanced over at him. "You should probably try talking to him again," she muttered. "Update him on the situation."

"It's none of his business," Mal wrinkled her nose. "He doesn't need to know."

Nonetheless, Ben seemed to agree with Evie. He nodded and stretched out his hands towards Xavier in Mal's arms. "Can I take him?" He asked.

Mal passed him over carefully, avoiding touching Ben himself. "Don't take him far, or I'll find you wherever you try to hide," she threatened without much bite in her tone. "He'll probably keep him from raising his voice anyway."

Ben nodded. His head had drifted lower when Mal had come towards him, but he straightened back up without consequence. With a glance towards Audrey, he left, following Hades.

Another baby began to cry upstairs and Evie moved to go retrieve the little one. Seeing as how they were going to be the only people left, Mal began to move towards the exit as well. But Audrey raised her hand. "Mal?" She asked. "Could you - could I talk to you?"

Evie gave Mal an anxious glance as she hurried out. Mal crossed her arms slowly and took a few steps forward. "Are you… sure you want to talk to me?" She asked.

"I just…" Audrey took a breath. "Have questions."

Mal sat down at the edge of the bar, leaving a separating seat in between her and Hades. She leaned one elbow on the countertop. "Yeah?" she asked.

Audrey's tongue felt fat in her mouth. She had things she wanted to say but wasn't sure how to brace the subject. "I just…" she faltered. "What was he like? When he came to you guys?"

Mal looked down. "Broken," she replied. "Very broken. Tired. He just, all the time looked like he didn't have anything to fight for."

Audrey somehow nodded to shake her head while conveying the emotion of agreement. "I understand but at the same time, I don't understand… he came back and he was happy again and yes, it was a struggle for us, but I hadn't seen him that lively in years!"

"He's just the kind of person who needs to have a mission," Mal shrugged. "That's what he asked us for, actually. Begged us to give him a purpose."

"I don't know how to be that," Audrey sighed. "He gets on just fine with Belle, but not with me."

"He's just… active," Mal stammered. Her voice sounded strained with every word. "Once you're feeling better… you'll be able to keep up with him again and things will get better."

Audrey glanced over at Mal. "Do you love him?" she asked and tried to make the question as innocent as possible.

Mal's eyes grew large and panicked. She balled her fists up and leaned away from Audrey with a white face. Audrey tried to keep her face neutral as Mal calmed back down. "I'm… not looking to take him away from you," Mal began softly. "We both made our decisions and I-"

"Is that a yes?" Audrey asked.

Mal swallowed. "Yes, I think so," she agreed. "Do you… do you hate me?"

There was a quiver behind her voice, which was absurd because she was the daughter of Maleficent, afraid of whether or not the daughter of Aurora would hate her. Ridiculous.

Audrey shook her head. "Honestly… not as much as I thought I would hate a person in this situation."

A little burst of laughter burst out of Mal. "You're not as bad as I always imagined you," she said. "You're actually kinda… I mean, I relate to you."

Audrey had to look down to hide a smile. "Well, I think we both could improve our taste in men," she whispered, and Mal began to laugh harder.

Through the window, Audrey glimpsed flaming blue hair. Hades and Ben had wandered around to the back of the house. Hades was now holding Xavier, and they appeared to be chatting slowly, mostly keeping their eyes off each other. "Did Hades ever find his daughter?" Audrey asked aloud.

Mal jerked a little in surprise. "What?" she asked. "Oh, yes, I think so."

Audrey nodded. "I'm glad. he was anxious about it." She turned back to Mal and found the other girl's nose wrinkled up in confusion. "Well, he broke the barrier to come see her. I've been listening to him talk about her in the carriage… he was excited for the chance to reconnect."

"I don't think he wanted to reconnect," Mal shook her head. "See… he wasn't exactly there when she was growing up."

"I know," Audrey agreed. "So, this is what I've heard: her mother was insane, tried manipulating him and was just a control freak in general, and so he left her and she asked him not to contact the girl. And by asked, I mean she threatened him with disfigurement and a couple of other things. Also threatened their daughter. Since he was on the Isle, he was vulnerable, so he decided to let rest, but kept watch over her and tried to help whenever possible by leaving things places… the normal stuff, I guess. But then they left with all the villain kids. So he broke out to come to see her, spend time with her, help her out, I guess. He said he wanted to be part of her life in whatever way she'd let him."

Mal blinked slowly as if the information didn't faze her.

Audrey glanced down at her hands. "I kinda feel like Hades's ex-wife," she admitted. "With Ben. I just… can't blame him for this because I was… horrible to him."

"Oh, believe me," Mal snorted and shook her head. "You are nothing like her."

The back door opened and Ben glanced inside. "Hey," he mumbled. "Um, Mal, Xavier is crying. Hades's hair spooked him and we can't get him to calm down. Can you come to help us?"

Mal stood up. "Be right out," she agreed and set a hand on Audrey's shoulder. "It was nice to talk to you. Thank you."

Audrey, for as frazzled as her brain was and for everything that had happened in the last five hours of wakefulness alone, was drawing lines between the people around her. She turned to watch Mal step out into the sunshine, hold out her arms for Xavier, and take him. Hades didn't look at her, even as the purple-haired fairy studied his face. Ben shifted uncomfortably, glancing between the two. Could it be that-

"What did I miss?" Evie asked as she re-entered the room. "Where's Mal?"