Chapter 3 – Deleted Scenes

I don't tend to write a story totally in order, so below are the extra scenes I thought might make it into the final version of the story that ended up getting cut for one reason or another.

It probably says something that the deleted scenes are almost as long as the actual story itself, woops ;)

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Chapter 1 – Lonnie Gossip with Chad

Notes: I played around with the idea of Mal letting it spill why Chad was a jerk to any girl that flirted with him – mostly to her crew, and since Lonnie tended to hang out with her in this alternate version of the story, of course she had to confront Chad and get that fresh gossip for herself. I cut it for the sake of pacing, but still, it was fun :)

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"Is it true?" Lonnie asked, blindsiding Chad with such a vicious intensity that he sort of flailed against his locker, though he managed to recover with what he hoped was a charming smile.

"Is what true?" he asked, trading his books out as though he had not spasmed like a dumb freak.

"Is it true that you were a jerk to girls because you're afraid of dating them?"

That was just- "Who told you that?" Chad asked, dropping his voice low because that was not a thing he wanted spread around. "Did Mal say that? That was supposed to be a secret. I mean, I didn't tell her it was a secret-"

"So it's true?" Lonnie grinned as though she'd discovered something victorious.

"Please don't tell." Lonnie was like, one of the biggest gossips in the school. Even Chad knew that and he talked to barely anybody.

"What? Why?" Lonnie blinked. "You want to be known as a jerk?"

"I mean, better that than a weirdo," Chad murmured, staring down at the floor.

"I think it's kind of sweet," Lonnie said, making Chad look up in surprise. "To be that worried. I mean, that still doesn't make the jerk stuff right. Didn't you think of, I dunno, asking you dad for advice?"

Chad felt his shoulders tense despite himself, and it was a battle not to stare at the floor again. "My um… my dad stopped talking to me after my mom died."

Lonnie just sort of stared at him, her brows furrowed in confusion. "But didn't… wasn't that like, a decade ago?"

More than that, but he appreciated the lack of specification. "Yeah," he admitted. "I don't really have anyone to talk to about that stuff, but Audrey suggested the homework thing, and it worked even, so…"

Lonnie's expression did this weird shift from confusion to like, stoic anger, and Chad did not understand it. "Audrey told you to do that?"

"Suggested it," Chad clarified. "I um- I asked her one time about how to- what girls might like, since she was dating Ben so there wouldn't be like, any mixed signals there, and she told me-"

"That it was better to be a jerk than a weirdo," Lonnie finished.

Chad nodded. "Right. So that's what I did." He shut his locker. "But then Evie called my bluff and Mal said she would like me if I was just like- me, and that seems to be working out okay."

"That is generally how these things work," Lonnie said sagely, using a level of confidence that made Chad wonder why he hadn't just gone to her for advice way back way. "Hey, wanna join me for lunch?"

Chad blinked at the arm she offered him, like she was a prince. "I'm sitting with the transfer students," she added with a wag of her brows. "You can sit by Evie."

"Do- do you think she'd want me there?"

"Yes." The voice came from behind him, making Chad lurch, but it was just Mal, wearing her usual expression of annoyance. "I have already told you Evie wants you around."

"But like, if she changed her mind-"

"Then I would tell you that," Mal sighed, and then she was grabbing Chad's arm and tugging him onward.

Lonnie let out a laugh and took Chad's other side, until Chad was walking through the hall with two confident, pretty girls and he wasn't freaking out because he was pretty sure they wanted to be there, so-

That was cool.

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Chapter 1 – Locker room gossip

Notes: More stuff I ended up cutting because it made too much of the school aware of Audrey's poor treatment towards Chad. Despite this, it was a fun way to initially bring in Jay and Carlos and give them a little more spotlight :)

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"Hey," one of the new kids spoke up when they were changing out of their Tourney jerseys in the locker room. "How'd your date with Evie go?"

New guy must be like, a scholarship student or something, because he was a natural at Tourney. Chad spent a majority of their practices since new guy started on the ground, because new guy was like a bulldozer and Chad was just Chad. Sometimes he wondered why he even played Tourney, but Audrey said it was something princes did and Chad was a prince, so he figured he could manage that much.

"Um…" Chad blinked at the tall, shirtless teen who was still waiting for his answer. "Why do you ask?"

New guy stared at him blankly, then blinked as though he just remembered something. "I'm Evie's friend."

"Oh." At some point, Chad needed to figure out who all of those were so he could stop being surprised like this. "In that case, I think it went well! I took her to a Hanoven restaurant and then on a carriage ride through the park and she let me hold her hand, so…" He smiled, hoping this would make new guy smile too. "It was good. Did- did she say otherwise?"

"No, she wouldn't say anything," new guy groused. "She wanted to keep it a secret. But she was smiling afterwards, so you must have done something right."

"Really?" Chad perked up. It wasn't like he'd expected Mal to lie to him, just, it was nice having such things verified from an outside source. "That's great!"

Ben and Aziz wandered over, both in various stages of undress. "What's great?" Ben asked, his smile warm and comforting and everything a prince's smile should be. Audrey said this quite frequently, so Chad knew it was true.

"Chad's date with Evie went well," new guy explained, his brows quirked in an amused sort of slant.

"Wait." Aziz held up a hand. "You're dating Evie? You blew off like, most of the princesses in the school, but you'll date her?"

Chad froze, anxiety gripping the base of his skull, threatening to claim the rest of his body, but then new guy was scoffing. "Dude, he blew them off because he was afraid of disappointing them. That is like, the most Auradon thing ever."

"Lonnie said Audrey told him to do it," the other new kid whispered, and Chad had less of an idea why he was on the team, because he didn't seem very good at Tourney. Or like, excited to be there.

Chad could relate.

Ben frowned, his gaze narrowing in on Chad. "Audrey told you to do that?"

True fact, while Chad did not like the attention of very pretty girls, he also didn't like the combined attention of a bunch of his classmates, which probably did not mean great things for Sardinia in the future. "Um… yeah?" He wasn't sure if that was supposed to be a secret. "I mean, it worked."

"It made you look like an asshole," Aziz pointed out.

"Audrey told him it was better to be that than weird," small new kid pointed out.

Lonnie really was like, the biggest gossip.

Also, Chad really needed to learn their names. He was pretty sure he'd been introduced to both of them at one point. He'd eaten lunch with them. He could be real dumb sometimes.

"I don't…" Ben shook his head, seeming to refuse to believe this. "Maybe you misunderstood."

It wasn't an unfair accusation. Chad was good with academics but bad at just about everything else, but he hadn't missed that.

"I um… I don't think I did," Chad said, hastily changing back into his cloths. "But that's okay. The point is, I'm dating Evie, and she's super nice and talented and pretty."

"And she let you hold her hand," Tall new kid said.

Chad grinned. "Right. It was super nice. I'm hoping she'll let me do that again on our next date."

"I mean…" Aziz blinked, still seeming blindsided by the conversation. "You could just kiss her."

One thing at a time.

Chad could feel himself blushing. "When she's um- ready, we'll do that. But until then, I'm super good with the handholding."

Tall guy slumped back against the locker with a laugh. "Auradon."

"Yeah," small new kid huffed. "You're telling me."

Chad didn't get their criticisms, but he decided not to worry about it. Evie had been happy with their date, which meant Mal would also be happy, which meant Chad had made two people happy. What a life.

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Chapter 2 – Ben cheating reaction drama

Notes: For the hottest of seconds, I considered having Ben figure out about the whole 'crew pampering crew' thing from someone else – like Lonnie, and perceiving it in Auradon terms, which would be cheating. I never got farther than this reaction scene because when I actually started integrating Ben into their relationship, I realized that as much as they sucked at communicating certain things, Chad would be too worried of potentially hurting Ben to not inform him of their arrangement, which was why this was ultimately cut.

Warning – gets a bit angsty at the end.

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"I mean," Ben said sometime later, when they were successfully holed up in his room. "What she said wasn't true, right? You guys aren't actually cheating on me?"

"I mean, not technically," Chad said, running his fingers through the other prince's hair, because that was a thing he could do now.

Which was why he noticed when Ben suddenly tensed. "…define technically."

"Oh." Yeah, that was a fair question. "Okay, so… um. Isle culture is different from Auradon culture, right?"

"Right," Ben allowed after a few moments.

So far so good. "Okay, so Auradon usually operates with like, two people relationships, but on the Isle, they don't really have relationships, they just have crews." That had been how Carlos had explained it to Chad. "And your crew is your everything. So Mal's in charge of her crew, which is why everyone defers to her."

"That makes sense," Ben said to show he was listening. He was such a good listener.

"Right, so…" Chad trailed off, trying to think how best to put this. "Your crew is your family, but your crew are also your friends and coworkers and everything in between. So like… what belongs to one of them belongs to all of them."

"I guess that also makes sense," Ben allowed. "Since resources are limited on the Isle."

"Right." Chad flushed. "But um… that also includes people."

Ben gave him an appropriately befuddled stare.

"So…" Chad continued. "When Evie agreed to date me, that meant I um- also belonged to the rest of her crew, because that's how the Isle works. And when you started dating us, you also got claimed by the rest of Mal's crew."

"O…kay…" Ben said.

"So like-" Chad cleared his throat awkwardly. "If you kiss someone else in the crew it isn't cheating, because they're crew. They're basically you, and you are basically them… assuming I understood that correctly."

"Are you saying you've kissed one of the other Isle students?" Ben asked, staring at Chad with an incomprehensible look.

Chad felt himself blush. "Um… yeah. I mean, I was really worried about kissing you, because I've never kissed a guy before, so Jay offered to help me practice. And I was worried about kissing girls, so Mal helped me practice with that. But I didn't go outside the crew, so it isn't technically cheating."

"Chad," Ben said after a long beat. "That is definitely cheating."

"What?" Chad felt his pulse begin to race. "No, it isn't. I didn't go outside the crew."

"But you went outside the people you are dating," Ben stressed.

"Yeah but- they don't have dating on the Isle," Chad tried to explain. "They just have crews-"

"We're not on the Isle, Chad," Ben said, pulling away from him with a wounded look. "And you guys have been going behind my back-"

"I'm sorry, Ben," Chad said, rushing to follow him. "We didn't- I'm not sure why we didn't explain it earlier, but that- that means you can kiss them too, you know, if you wanted. They just thought you wouldn't want to-"

"What you're talking about is lunacy," Ben snapped, gesturing for Chad to keep his distance with a broad wave of his hand. "You can't- no one likes that many people."

"I mean, by Auradon standards, sure-"

"We're in Auradon, Chad!" Ben looked so very hurt, and Chad ached for him, wished they'd just come out and explained this earlier. "Did you even think about how this would hurt me? Am I not enough for you?"

"Of course, Ben," Chad pressed, because how could he other prince doubt that. "It's just- I don't- I don't know why you like me in the first place, we never really talked to each other-"

"That didn't mean I didn't see you," Ben snapped. "…and I thought you saw me."

"I did, Ben," Chad said, feeling like the world was falling down around him. "I do."

"No." Ben shook his head, stubborn and hurt. "You don't. And I don't think you ever did."

With that, he retreated into his office, the lock clicking shut with a definite sound, making Chad feel even smaller than before.

Yeah, this seemed right. Things had been going too well for him, and he'd known it. It had always been too good to be true.

And now Chad didn't even know if he was crew anymore.

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ALTERNATE STORYLINE – D2 – Comforting Frustrated Mal

Notes: Okay, so when I was writing this bad boy I had an idea for a beginning and an idea for an ending and it took me a very long time to realize the two things I'd written did not, in fact, match up. Originally I had plans for this to be a strictly Chad/Evie story with kissing practicing with Mal behind Evie's back, focusing less on crew dynamics and disregarding the potential for the established Core Four OT4.

Ultimately, I decided that the lighthearted beginning I had written didn't line up with the second half of the story I had, so I canned the end and re-wrote it. Unfortunately, I don't really have anything in the tank for writing a different beginning to this alternate story path, so I figured I'd share it here.

In this version of the story, Mal is with Ben while Chad is with Evie, though Chad and Mal are seemingly BFFs. They care about each other a lot since they have essentially been secretly dating without either of them really knowing the label for it. So when Mal's frustrated and overwhelmed from the events of the beginning of D2, Chad swoops in to help her, because she was his first and most important friend. Cue Evie strolling in near the end of this and realizing that Chad and Mal are a lot tighter than she expected, leading to new tension between Mal and Evie, mostly in regards to Mal taking more than her due as leader would allow her to. This is what prompts her to actually leave for the Isle in this verse, rather than just the failed date with Ben.

PS – totally forgot that Chad was a seamstress in this version of the story, but he totally is :)

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With the way things were going, Chad wasn't surprised to receive a visit from a frustrated Mal, who more or less stormed into his room like she owned the joint.

"I fucked up my date with Ben," Mal groaned, flopping down on Chad's bed as though totally surrendering her will to stand. Chad shared a look with Doug, who'd been working at his desk across the room, and then the dwarf-kin nodded, packing up his bag quickly and vacating to the library. They had a system for when Mal got like this, and Chad was always very grateful for Doug's understanding and patience.

With that settled, Chad perched on the edge of his bed near Mal, patting a comforting hand on her shoulder. "No, you didn't."

Mal looked up from his pillow to shoot him a pissy look. "You didn't even know what happened."

"I know there's nothing you could have done that would make Ben like, super unhappy," Chad said. Short of actually killing someone, and Mal wasn't going to do that. She'd pledged to be good, and Mal didn't go back on her pledges, and aside from that, Ben was super forgiving.

Mal's expression fell. "He found my spellbook. He's mad that I'm still using magic."

"Then he's dumb," Chad declared. "I can talk to him, if you want. But you're like, part-fairy. You should use magic, it's in your blood."

"You are like, the only person that believes that," Mal sniffed, but a small grin was tugging at her lips, so Chad considered it a win.

"Then I guess I get to be the smart person about something for once," Chad said, offering her a bright smile. "Look, why don't I run you a bath and you can rant to me about all the stuff that's been bothering you, because clearly-" he added before she could protest. "Something has been bothering you, so just- let's do that. Let's be unproductive people for an afternoon. We've earned it."

"I haven't," Mal grumbled, turning back into Chad's pillow.

"Yes," Chad pressed. "You have. You've been touring nonstop and giving tons of interviews and doing a great job for someone who was not raised to do this. So you definitely have earned some pampering, and I will hear no arguments on the subject."

"Alright, Mr. James," Mal giggled, turning that rare smile on him again. "If you insist."

"I do." Chad grinned, and then he left her to rest for a few minutes while he started up a bubble bath, using those salts that Evie had gotten him because they were seriously the best and Mal deserved that right now. He even lit a few scented candles, because ultimate pampering should include pretty, vanilla smells. "Let me know when you're settled," he said, waving her into the bathroom.

"Such a gentleman," Mal drawled, but she still offered him a smile, albeit a weary one. He tried not to think of the way it made him feel as he dug through his mini fridge, grabbing one of those strawberry spritzers Mal loved so much. He slid a straw into the glass bottle and set it on the floating tub tray he kept for such occasions, deciding to go for broke and add a small bowl of chocolate covered strawberries as well. Mal needed to know she wasn't a failure, and while Ben would probably tell her that himself later (he was good like that), Chad wanted to be sure she knew it now.

"I'm ready," Mal called through the door, and Chad grabbed up his sleep mask, perching it on the top of his head while he balanced the bath tray in one hand. He kept his gaze mostly on the floor as he passed the tray over (even if the bubbles mostly covered Mal, he wanted to play it safe, he was a gentleman).

"Chad," Mal sighed when she saw what he brought her, but Chad ignored it, setting his back to the tub and sliding the sleep mask in place. There, now there was no fear of accidental peekings.

"You deserve it," Chad insisted, breathing in the warm scent of vanilla. Scented candles were the best.

"Ben doesn't think so," Mal grumbled, likely slouching into the warm waters. "Evie doesn't think so."

"Have you talked to them?" Chad asked. "Like, really talked to them? Your magic's a part of you, and it isn't fair of them to ask you to give that up cold turkey."

"They think it's a crutch," Mal said, biting into a strawberry by the sounds of things. "That I'm cheating."

"You are doing something you've never done before," Chad said. "Something that's never been asked of you. You deserve a crutch, I think."

"It's just…" Mal sighed. "I tried to wipe Ben's memory."

Chad startled. "Mal."

"Just a few minutes!" Mal pressed. "Things were going so well, and then he found my spellbook and got mad-"

"I'm all for you using magic," Chad said. "But you can't do stuff like that, even when you're panicking."

"But he was all… beastly," Mal said, a shudder in her voice. "I've never seen him that mad before."

"Then he'll probably feel super bad about it," Chad said. "You should talk to him. You should talk to him about all this stuff. He's not going to be mad if you tell him you feel overwhelmed. Ben probably feels overwhelmed, and he's been raised for this stuff, so he would understand."

"I don't think he would," Mal murmured. "I feel like he wants me to be this perfect princess, and he's finally starting to realize that's not what I am and he's… he's disappointed."

"You could never be disappointing," Chad said, because even if he'd been scared of Mal in the beginning, he knew that much. "Mal, Ben doesn't love you because you're a princess, he loves you because you're brave and funny and strong and have a vicious need to win. Those are all wonderful Mal qualities that Ben appreciates, that we all appreciate."

That Chad appreciated, especially, with a need he couldn't properly articulate, so much so it made his chest hurt.

"…you really think Ben loves me?" Mal asked, her voice sounding small.

Chad hadn't realized that was a doubt of hers. "Of course he does," he explained. "You don't see the way he looks at you, but the rest of us do. It's really goofy and dumb and Carlos takes pictures of it all the time. He looks at you and he's like, 'wow, I got this feisty, awesome lady to like me, go me', he looks at you like you're one of the most important people in the whole world." Because for Ben, she was. "Don't… don't doubt that, okay? Even if everything else is crazy, don't doubt that."

"Sometimes…" Mal's voice was soft, her nails clicking against the glass of the bottle. "…sometimes I think he looks at Evie like that."

Chad froze, unable to help himself, because he'd never noticed such a thing. "You… you do?"

"Yeah," Mal admitted. "Sometimes he looks at her and I want to scratch his eyes out, but I don't because it's Ben and he's looking at Evie and it's Evie, who's- who's-"

"The best?" Chad supplied, marveling over the thought process he tread every day. To this point, he still didn't know why Evie had asked him out in the first place, and though he was grateful, he often didn't feel worthy of her.

Ben was worthy of her though.

"Exactly," Mal sighed. "I can't be mad at her. I can't be mad at either of them."

"Do…" Chad's heart was beating frantically against his ribcage. "Do you think… does Evie look at Ben too? Like that?"

There was a pause, and Chad felt his stomach drop. "Yeah," Mal admitted. "But, I mean, she stares at you too, don't doubt that-"

"But I can't compete with Ben," Chad said, feeling so very small.

"Don't say that," Mal snapped, the sloshing water indicating that she was shifting closer to his side of the tub. "Because if you think that, there's no way I could compete with Evie-"

"That's not fair," Chad said, frowning. "You and Evie bring completely different things to the table. It doesn't mean you aren't both wonderful."

"You are like, biologically inclined to say that," Mal scoffed, and she was probably rolling her eyes too. "You have to be nice to everyone-"

"Mal," Chad pressed, feeling both flattered and a little hurt that she would think that. "You're brave and resilient and- and wonderful, and you have a cute bunny nose and this awesome glare and I could probably spend all day listing your good qualities, but I won't because you wouldn't believe me anyway, because you're too humble or, I don't know, scared to think you could be-"

"Scared?" Mal cut in, voice harder because Chad had challenged her composure. "You think I'm scared?"

"A little," Chad admitted, turning to lean against the tub. He could feel that Mal was close, though the sleep mask kept him from seeing anything, kept him a gentleman as he struggled to find the right words. "I think it's easier for you to think you can't do this or to think that Evie's better than you than it is for you to admit you love Ben, and that you're scared of failing him-"

"And what about you?" Mal cut in, her wet hands settling on Chad's forearms, feeling warm from the bath. "What are you scared of?"

"Um…" Chad's pulse had yet to calm down, though he didn't know why. "I guess losing you-"

'Guys' was going to be the following word, because Chad would hate to lose the bounty of friends he had gained over the past few months, but the bathroom door slid open before he could finish talking, dragging Chad's attention towards it.

"…Evie," Mal said, answering Chad's question as to who it could be.

"Hey, Mal," Evie said, her voice sounding tight. "What are you guys doing?"

"Mal's ranting," Chad said, easing into a smile because it was Evie, and he always liked having her around. "I'm listening."

"Listening…" Evie echoed. "In the bathroom?"

"That's why I've got a mask!" Chad said, pointing to it. "Because I am a gentleman. I wouldn't- I mean, I wouldn't do that to you or Mal, so I…" Right, he was beginning to sound stupid, now. "Did you um- need anything? Are there any dresses that needed last-minute adjustments?"

"Actually, could you give the dresses one last look over?" Evie asked, her voice carefully neutral. "I want to make sure I didn't miss anything. I can keep Mal company."

"Oh." That made sense, they were best friends after all. "Okay. Sure thing, Evie. Anything I can do to help."

"Right," Evie said, her tone all weird, and Chad tried not to look into it. He was pretty sure Evie would tell him if he'd messed up, Audrey always had.

Chad pulled away from the tub slowly, likely startling Mal, who still had her hands on his forearms. She pulled them away quickly, and while Chad was sorry for the loss, he had to stay focused. He didn't want to slip and fall in front of his girlfriend, so he kept his head down as he walked out blindly.

"I'll see you later, Chad," Evie said, giving his shoulder a few pats before he shuffled into his room. She even kissed him on the cheek, so things must not have been that bad.

"Okay, Evie," he said, grinning. "Bye, Mal."

"…bye," Mal murmured, and it wasn't until later that Chad would realize that was the last he'd hear from her, and he'd hate himself all the more for it.

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ALTERNATE STORYLINE – Chad Chasing Mal to the Isle

Notes: SO. So, I had plans for Chad finding Mal's note and chasing after her himself, without the forethought of contacting the others. Like, he does enough planning to grab one of Jay's outfits so he can blend in, but that's where his planning ends. I honestly don't remember how he was supposed to track her down aside from Mal giving him a super detailed description of the Isle that Chad committed to memory.

Of course when confronted with the sweet prince that chased her down to the Isle, Mal does the super well-adjusted thing and runs him off by breaking his heart, trying to bring a brutal end to their relationship so he won't risk his neck hunting her down again. So mild warning, this scene ends with Chad crying, feeling a bit broken hearted.

Warning – the scene does end with Harry and Gil capturing him, and Harry is very much himself, sort of manic and menacing and unconcerned with Chad's personal boundaries.

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To say that Chad was anxious when he approached the Isle was an understatement, but this was for Mal. He had to be strong for her because she was his best friend, whether she knew it or not. He hated the idea of her leaving because she thought she was failing to live up to Auradon expectations. Mal didn't need Auradon standards, she just needed to be herself. But more importantly, she needed to be free- she deserved to be free, and if Chad didn't do his best to try and make her see that, he would never forgive himself.

He parked the car in the shadows of a few decaying buildings, heart pounding in his chest as he activated the vehicle's camouflage. He had Mal's explanations of the Isle committed to memory, but even that didn't seem to do justice to how genuinely rundown the place was. He couldn't help but ache at the thought of Mal and Evie growing up here, at the children who were still trapped here, but he had to push that aside. The Isle was dangerous, and he was on a mission.

He just wished Jay would wear sleeves. As comfortable as Chad was in his Swords and Shields uniform, being in this unfamiliar place with his arms bared made Chad feel even more uneasy. He wasn't that much of a showoff, but it didn't matter. Jay looked the part so Chad looked the part and now he needed to go find Mal and try to bring her back.

Chad did his best to copy the way Mal walked as he cut his way towards her hideout. He kept his shoulders back and chin up, walking like he owned the place instead of cowering in the shadows like he wanted to. Mal had said there were two ways to operate on the Isle. Either you were in control, or you kept your head down, and Chad wasn't dressed to keep his head down.

He walked.

It was a relief to finally see the sign Mal had told him about, and he made short work of snatching up a rock and chucking it at the trigger mechanism that lifted the gate. He waited for it to be open just enough before he ducked under, prepared to go into the Dragon's Den.

That was what Mal had called it, the Dragon's Den. Chad had always thought it appropriate, which- obviously, because Mal had named it, but still. Her explanations didn't do the place justice when he eased himself inside, because the walls were lined with Mal's graffiti art, beautiful murals that took shabby wallpaper and made them masterpieces.

Chad lost a few seconds to staring, because this was the Mal he wanted to come back with him, this was the Mal that should be making Auradon prettier and sharing her gift for the world to see.

He heard the familiar sound of spray paint a second before he saw her, and it was such a relief to know she was in one piece that he didn't immediately realize her hair was back to its usual purple until he drew in closer.

"Mal!" he greeted, unable to hold back a grin. "You um… you look good. I mean, you always look good-"

"Chad?" she turned to view him with wide eyes, as though she couldn't believe he would follow her, and then she was throwing down her spray can and marching across the room. "What are you doing here? And why are you dressed like that?"

"I needed to blend in," Chad explained, and he couldn't stop smiling because it was Mal. Mal. She was safe. "I… I found your note in Evie's room, and I know it wasn't addressed to me but after what happened yesterday-" She tensed and he hated it, hated it, because he didn't even know what had gone wrong yesterday. "I read it, and I'm glad I did because you can't leave Auradon, Mal. Or, I mean, you don't have to. If you're feeling overwhelmed because of all the Lady of the Court stuff-"

"I'm not made for Auradon, Chad," Mal spat, her expression twisted into a scowl. "I don't belong there. I belong here."

"No, you don't." The words came in a rush, and Chad was surprised he didn't stumble over them in his haste to explain this. "Look at what you create," he said, motioning to the art around them. "This doesn't belong on the Isle. None of the children belong on the Isle, and just because you're used to people telling you that- they're wrong. You deserve Auradon, Mal. You deserve sunshine and bubble baths and strawberries-" She flinched away at the last part and he hated it, hated how he wasn't making things better. "Mal."

"Don't be stupid, Chad," Mal hissed, her eyes narrowed furiously. "I'm the daughter of the mistress of evil. If anyone should be here, it's me." She stomped away with her shoulders pulled back and head held high, because even in her anger, she was strong. "I'm staying."

Okay. Okay, this wasn't going how Chad expected it to go, but it was Mal. She was always so stubborn and sure of herself. Of course she knew what she wanted, even if she was wrong. At least, wrong about why she should be here. It was possible that Chad never would have been able to create an argument good enough to get her to come back with him, because he was only Chad, only dumb and awkward and nitpicky, and who was he to compare to the might of Mal?

So he adapted the only way he knew how, committing the first words that came out of his mouth.

"Then I'll stay with you," he said, and realized, with a shock, that this did not terrify him. The Isle terrified him, that went without question, but if he was with Mal, then it was all worth it.

Mal froze in place, staring at him with a wide-eyed shock that Chad didn't know how to process until her breaths started to come faster, her pretty lashes fluttering rapidly in an effort to focus herself.

"I'll stay with you," Chad repeated, feeling more confident about the idea. "I'll help you scavenge for anything you need and we can stay here in the Dragon's Den. And you'll make art and I'll… I'll support you, and we can-"

"Don't be stupid, Chad," she snapped, and that time when she looked at him, there was only fury in her features. "You can't stay here; you have to run a kingdom someday!"

"But I'm a bad prince!" He must be, if his father never spoke to him. "And I'd probably be a bad king, too. I bet whoever's next in line for the throne would do a better job, so really-"

"What about Evie?"

"She'll understand," Chad said, hoping the words were true. "She wouldn't want you to be alone either." Maybe… Maybe Evie would start dating Ben the way she should be, because if Mal wasn't Ben's Lady of the Court, Evie was the perfect choice, because she was so poised and intelligent and regal.

"Have you ever thought that maybe I want to be alone?!" Mal snarled, unleashing a level of anger Chad hadn't seen aimed at him since their first meeting. Like she was really mad. "Sweet evil, Chad – how can you be this stupid? I wasn't just running from Auradon, I was running from you."

"W…What?" Chad felt like the ground had been pulled out from under him, because just yesterday things had been fine, Mal had been smiling like Chad meant something and Chad had been a perfect gentleman-

"The only reason I helped you was for Evie," Mal continued, pacing a furious path away from Chad. "And- and the only reason I accepted your help was because you owed me. But don't think that there was- there was anything else there, you dumb shit. You were just an end to a means."

"M-Mal…" It couldn't be true. It couldn't be true but Mal seemed so sure.

It made Chad feel small, or worse, broken, because he'd managed to misread the situation so very badly and now he couldn't even do it like a man, the way his grandfather wanted him to. No, instead he could feel this hopeless sort of heat build behind his eyes, emotion clogging his throat like he was going to start crying any second now, like he was a baby.

"Get out of here," Mal snarled, picking up a water-damaged paperback and hurling it at Chad's head. He managed to duck out of the way just in time, though he was still in shock that she'd thrown something at all. "You prissy little prince. Why would you think that we're friends? That I'd want to spend my life with someone like you? You're so- so uptight and needy – now take your stupid dumbass face and go back to Auradon. Go back to Evie and Ben, and I swear, if you don't take care of them, I will hunt you down and gut you myself."

"I…" Chad was crying now, couldn't help it for the hatred being aimed his way, shared by someone he cared about so very deeply. "I'm- I'm sorry…"

"Go," Mal snapped, and Chad-

He left.

He might be stupid and he might be a nuisance but he could follow orders if that would make Mal happy. Even if she hated him, he'd cared for her, so much so that his heart seemed to be shattering. He'd failed Mal and Evie and now he'd even failed himself, because he'd thought he'd had a true friend and she'd just been using him the whole time.

It was awful, and he knew he shouldn't walk through the streets of the Isle with tears pouring down his face, but he couldn't help it. He needed to get home. He needed to apologize to Evie and do something right so he could try to forget Mal's cruel words.

He was making good headway until a body seemed to force itself directly into his path, and when Chad looked up, it was to see some guy in a red coat and eyeliner menacing towards him with a threatening smile.

"Well, well, well," he drawled in a DunBroch accent, one hand lifted to reveal a tarnished hook. "What have we got here?"

Oh, that must be um- Harry Hook, Chad remembered. Mal had talked about the rival crews on the Isle, and Harry was the lieutenant for the pirates, working under Ursula's daughter or something like that.

"Looks like he belongs to Jay," another voice said, this one directly behind Chad. The prince had enough time to startle before he found his arms dragged behind his back by a large blond teen. He was also dressed like a pirate, though unlike Harry his grin seemed sunny and genuine. "I mean, look at his clothes."

"So the rumors are true, then?" Harry said, swaying forward to trace his hook against Chad's cheek. "Did dear ole' Mal really return to the Isle, then? I mean, she must have," he continued without waiting for Chad's response as he dragged his eyes over the prince's body. "If Jay boy is sending out his claimed flesh to go after her."

"What should we do, Harry?" the other teen asked, confirming that Chad had at least gotten the name right. "Do you think Jay's nearby?"

"If he's not now, he will be," Harry said, petting the tear stains on Chad's cheeks. "Auradon must be making him real soft if he's claiming a weeping child like this one. Though…." He leaned forward until there were only a few inches between him and Chad, his fingers falling to caress Chad's lips. "-perhaps the sex makes up for it."

"He is real pretty," the other teen said, though Chad was too busy trying to remember how to breathe, remember how to move because he should be able to break out of this hold but the other teen's hands were like iron vices, immoveable, or maybe Chad was just weak.

"We're taking him," Harry declared, just as Chad's pulse skyrocketed. "Captain will want a look at this, either way."

"W-Wait-" Chad gasped, and that was all he was able to get out before there was a sharp blow to the back of his head.

And then there was nothing.

-:-:-:-:-:-

ALTERNATE STORYLINE – Sea Three Hostage

Notes: Normally I don't include stuff in the deleted scenes chapter if they require heavy warnings. It's just a personal preference, mostly because you've just had a nice happy ending and probably don't need to drag that down with the super angst that didn't make the cut. That said, because the ending of this version of the story is entirely finished, for those of you who would like to bring on that angst, I present Chad's hostage experience with the pirates

WARNING – Non-con touching, dub-con kissing (via Harry), non-sexual bondage, mild internalized slutshaming, non-sexual exhibitionism/humiliation – Because Uma is a mad lady, and Harry is doing his very best to be off-putting and threatening.

Like, it all ends happily, of course – love confessions and rescues all around, but if you're not comfortable with the stuff mentioned above, go ahead and peace out on this one. Hold onto the nice, actually canon happy ending that contains significantly less pirates ;)

-:-:-:-:-:-

When Chad struggled towards coherence, his head felt stuffy, his nose clogged with the scent of rotting wood. He tried to wipe at his nose as though to urge the offending smell away, but he realized belatedly that his wrists were pinned above his head somehow.

He also realized he was lying down, though the mattress he was on was old and lumpy. He wasn't in Auradon Prep, then. Maybe it was a summer cottage? The one his grandfather had sent Chad away to over the break had mattresses that hadn't been great, but it was still better than this one.

There was a pressure against his cheek, wet and flat, and when Chad blinked his eyes open, it was to see Harry Hook licking at his tear tracks.

The events that led to his capture came back to him in a rush, and Harry sat back, as though delighting in his onslaught of horror. It didn't help that Chad realized he was shirtless, his borrowed gloves and hat gone as well, so that his upper body was entirely bare and pressed against the old mattress.

"Look who decided to rejoin us," the pirate drawled, brushing at Chad's other cheek to urge a few more tears out, these inspired by a genuine and warranted fear. "What did I tell you, Captain? He is a pretty one."

"Suppose Jay wouldn't settle for anything less," a new voice drawled, and when Chad looked up it was to see a thin, dark skinned teen with long, aqua dreadlocks posed by the foot of his bed, her legs spread in a wide brace and arms folded over her chest, and on anyone else that might be defensive, but on her she just seemed bored. "Now tell me, why are you on the Isle?"

"I…" Chad's voice felt shaky, and it didn't help that Harry kept touching him, random caresses that seemed entirely predatory. "I um. I came to get Mal."

"Oh?" The captain quirked a brow at him. "You did, did you? And how did that go?"

"Badly, I'm guessing," Harry cackled, swiping at Chad's cheeks. "He was half lost to tears when we found him. And not a one of Mal's crew in sight."

"She thinks she owns everything," the captain growled, and clearly Mal hadn't been underselling how vicious their rivalry was. "Whatever, we'll just need to send her a little reminder. That turf isn't hers anymore, it's mine."

"And is this ours, too?" Harry asked with a grin, petting down Chad's stomach. "I mean, look," he said, caressing Chad's neck and pectorals. "There's not a claiming mark on him. They didn't even bother."

"Probably wanted to keep him pretty," Uma declared with a roll of her eyes. "You know how Jay gets with pretty things."

"I'm just saying, if he treated him this good, they'd probably want him back," Harry continued, deciding to pet his hand lower against Chad's trembling abdomen. "We should bargain for him. The others have been spotted on the Isle; we could arrange a trade."

The captain perked up, sliding into a smile that was tinged with genuine affection and mischievousness. "I like that idea. We could trade Jay's fuckboy for the wand, and they'd probably give it too, if they cared enough to dress him up like this."

"But we could still keep him, right?" a new voice – the blond from earlier – spoke up. Chad hadn't realized he was there because he'd been in the prince's blind spot, but now he was approaching the bed with another soft smile, tracing his hands across Chad's torso in aimless sorts of pets. "You know, just say we're going to give him back but actually not?"

"Gilly," the captain began with a roll of her eyes. "Once we drop the barrier you'll have your pick of all the pretty boys."

"But I like this one," Gilly pouted, toying with Chad's belt for a moment before he decided to undo it. "He was Jay's, which means he must have been the best."

"Or the worst," Harry drawled. "If they sent him first without any kind of backup. Maybe they wanted him to get kidnapped. Maybe he was a present," Harry continued, moving to help Gilly until they were easing Chad's pants down his legs. "To appease you, Captain."

"No," the captain scoffed. "Mal's not that thoughtful or generous. They fucked up, and now we get to benefit from it."

"Yeah, we do," Gilly chirped, feeling at Chad's bare legs while Harry got to work undoing Chad's boots. "He doesn't even have scars here either. He's so smooth."

"Smooth for Jay," Harry drawled as he tugged off the first boot and scoff. "Tell me, blondie, do ye spend every day dolling yourself up for him?" He leaned forward with a conspiratorial wink. "Do ye prepare for him?"

"I…" Chad didn't know what to say, a lot of things were happening and they kept touching him and he didn't know why they thought he belonged to Jay when he was Evie's and he wasn't sure if pointing that out would make things worse. "I don't- we haven't…"

The lieutenant froze, a wide grin splitting across his face as he stared at Chad with a look of wonder. "Ye hear that, captain?" he began with a delighted cackle. "Jay hasn't even fucked him yet. No wonder he doesn't have any claim marks!"

Now the captain's look seemed genuine as she prowled forward, getting close enough to thread her fingers into Chad's curls with a possessive grip. "He must have been saving you for a special occasion."

"And we all know Jay doesn't do patience," Harry giggled, doing away with Chad's other boot and sock and jerking his pants off in rough movements. "If he decided wait, that must mean you're something special."

"Do you think he loves him?" Gilly asked, breathless with wonderment. "Like in the fairytales, Uma? Do you think Jay found his prince charming?"

It wasn't intentional, but Chad still flinched, hating the nickname he'd been given from birth, the one his father had earned that Chad just got stuck with.

"What's this?" Harry grinned, leaning in close. "Are you a prince, blondie?"

Chad was trembling now, though he wasn't sure if he'd ever stopped, fresh tears leaking from the corners of his eyes because he was so scared. He didn't know what to say, felt paralyzed, at least until the captain yanked on his curls, pulling his head back.

"Hey," she drawled, deadpanned and threatening. "Harry asked you a question."

"Y-Yes," Chad gasped, squeezing his eyes shut. "I'm a- a p-prince."

"Sweet evil," Harry hissed, and then came that wet warmth again, Harry licking up his tears as Chad cried them. "No wonder Jay waited. I bet he really does love him, the dumb shit."

"Then we'll definitely be able to bargain for the wand," the captain said, and when Chad opened his eyes she was grinning, a victorious thing.

"Can I fuck him?" Harry asked, seeming to vibrate with excitement. "Please, Uma. I bet he makes the best noises-"

"Not yet," the captain said, sending a wave of panic through Chad because she said 'yet', as in it could still happen later- "We need him in one piece to make the trade. But I tell you what, if Jay tries to get snippy with me, you could give him a taste of what's to befall his precious love should he not comply."

Harry released a truly evil laugh. "You're too good to me, captain."

"You got that right," the captain drawled, but then she was reaching over to cup Harry's cheek, a sort of softness in her eyes Chad only saw on Mal, saw on someone who was so used to being strong that she had to make a dedicated effort to be kind to those she loved so very much, and it hurt, that hurt, because Harry the psycho Hook was getting that and Chad had gotten nothing, because he really was useless.

"Now, let's get to work," the captain continued, and just like that, the moment was over. "Harry, you're with me. Gil, you watch the prince, and no touching."

"What about petting?" Gilly- Gil? Asked, a little pout on his lips. "Could I do that? I promise I won't bruise him."

"Gilly," Harry growled, a low warning for the other teen not to push his luck.

The captain gave him a considering look. "On second thought, Harry, you're with the prince."

Both of the other pirates began to protest. "But-"

"No, Gil," the captain said with a sigh. "I know you'll be careful, but we can't risk bruising his majesty if you get excited." The blond had the decency to look ashamed. "And you, Hook-"

"Come on," Harry groaned, packing Chad's clothes into a satchel. "I gotta stare at him for who knows how long and not even get to touch him?"

"I said you can't leave any marks," the captain repeated, making a slow sort of realization take over Harry's face. "You gonna be able to retrain yourself?"

"For you, captain?" the first mate began with a flirtatious drawl. "Anything."

"Then make it happen," the captain said, and with that, she was gone, Gil following on her heels until it was just Chad and Harry, the first mate content to run his hands up and down Chad's mostly bare body.

"Looks like it's just you and me, blondie," Harry murmured, pressing his lips against Chad's shoulder. "And I think I wanna get me a taste."

"P-Please," Chad gasped, his mind struggling to stay coherent over the rising panic. "D-Don't-"

"Ah, now he speaks," Harry cackled, and then he proceeded to ignore Chad, licking a stripe down his chest that made Chad shiver.

He sort of lost track of things, after that.

-:-:-:-:-:-

At some point, Harry eased off Chad's underwear, though he took his time caressing the soft fabric, doting Chad with compliments about how the color brought out his eyes and normally Chad would be preening under the comments but as a hostage, he couldn't stop shaking. Harry felt everything. Every inch covered by the material. He traced the curves of Chad's rear, he cupped his groin, he eased the briefs down slowly until he could pack them in the bag with the rest of Chad's clothing. The bag got left out in the hallway, 'for pickup' Harry had said, but the small, rational part of Chad that remained suspected it was for proof of his capture, and confirmation of his compliance. It was harder to escape without clothes.

Harry's face lit up in delight when he saw Chad's well-maintained pubic hair, though the prince done that for Evie and Mal- Mal who hated him, and that hurt, as did Harry's teasing.

The first mate spent a lot of time licking up Chad's tears.

"Ye just keep going," Harry marveled, splayed out on the bed beside Chad. "Pretty little damsel, you are. No wonder Jay snagged ye."

Chad said nothing, and Harry continued to lick him in random patterns. He seemed mostly fixated on Chad's neck, which was a bit of a relief, even if his hands like to stray down to caress Chad's sides.

"I'm gonna fuck ye," Harry promised, caressing Chad's hip as he pressed fresh kisses to his shoulder. "If Jay's a second late I'm gonna force ye down onto the deck and fuck ye in front of the entire crew."

Chad trembled, new tears flowing because Jay wasn't going to come, and Chad's first time was going to be in front of a bunch of strangers laughing at him while a different stranger used him for the only thing he was likely good for. It was times like this that made Chad wonder why Evie had wanted to date him in the first place. Maybe she'd been expecting some sort of prowess because of Chad's dumb nickname, and the only reason he had that was because of Mal.

"Do ye like that?" Harry breathed into Chad's ear, like they were um- colluding together.

"N-No," Chad whispered, his voice sounding so very weak.

Harry's grin got a little tighter. "Oh? Ye don't? Ye think you're too good for us?"

"N-No." Chad shook his head, swallowing roughly. "I don't- they'd be s-strangers and I- I haven't- I've never…"

Harry stilled, and then his smile pulled so wide it looked like it hurt. "Are ye a virgin?"

Maybe Chad shouldn't have told him that, but he just- he felt so scared, it was difficult to think rationally. It was difficult to be composed when he felt so very helpless.

Chad nodded his head weakly, and immediately Harry buried his face in Chad's shoulder, smothering a laugh.

"I can't believe it," Harry giggled against Chad's skin. "A real virgin prince here in the captain's quarters. Forget me fucking ye, Captain will do the honors herself."

"P-Please," Chad squeezed his eyes shut, wishing he could be better. "Please. They're not- they're not g-going to come."

"Oh?" Harry's cocked his head to the side in interest. "Ye really think that?" He shifted a hand forward to cup Chad's cheek. "Ye think they sacrificed ye?"

"T-They… they didn't know I c-came," Chad whispered. "I w-wasn't supposed to be h-here."

"Well, clearly," Harry laughed, mouthing at Chad's neck. "Pretty thing like you should be locked in a castle keeping those lovely legs shut until Jay comes to part them. Bet he got off on how bashful ye are. Makes me wonder…" he drawled, voice dropping to a low pitch. "…how often do ye think he munked off to ye? To his pretty little prince."

"He d-didn't," Chad gasped, shaking his head. "Jay d-doesn't-"

"No more of that now," Harry soothed, pressing a finger to Chad's lips. "Tell me, did ye at least get to kissing?"

With a swallow, Chad nodded his head, his chest feeling so very tight.

Harry grinned. "Then let's test that out now," he murmured, cupping Chad's cheek. "If ye cooperate, it won't hurt. Do ye understand?"

The next nod was even shakier than the first, accompanied by a new wave of tears.

"That's the spirit," Harry drawled, and then he was leaning forward, pulling Chad into a kiss.

-:-:-:-:-:-

It could probably have been worse.

Chad and Harry passed a lot of time sort of lazily making out. It seemed enough for Harry, who otherwise kept his hand engaged petting down Chad's stomach, though he never went lower than the pubic hair he loved to run his fingers through, marveling at its neat, even cut.

Chad wasn't sure how much time had passed before Uma and Gil returned; grins triumphant as they settled on the edge of the bed.

"They took the bait," Uma said, her smirk vicious. "They're coming noon tomorrow with Fairy Godmother's wand."

"And ye thought they wouldn't come," Harry scoffed, caressing Chad's side.

Chad didn't know what to say, he was still shocked that the others would come at all. Maybe it was out of obligation? If Ben was with them, that would certainly be the case, since Chad was supposed to be part of his council one day.

There was also the fact they were going to trade over the wand for Chad. Chad, whose uselessness would lead to the barrier falling, and he couldn't- they couldn't do that.

Uma raised a brow at him. "Blondie got a low opinion of himself?"

"Seems that way," Harry cackled. "Perhaps because he's a virgin."

"What?" Gil perked up. "What's that?"

"Someone who hasn't had sex, baby," Uma said, petting Gil almost absently, though her gaze was entirely focused on Chad. "That does change things."

"Think the price went up?" Harry asked with a grin before Chad could stumble through asking her himself. "Our freedom for an untouched blond seems like a pretty good deal."

"Yeah, but there's plenty who would pay a pretty penny for untainted royal flesh," Uma said, pressing a hand to Chad's chest, just above his heart. "The Queen of Hearts would probably like him for her daughters, but…" she trailed off with a smirk. "I do like the idea of holding onto him myself as a status symbol."

"What are ye thinking?" Harry said, perking up.

Uma considered her options. "His virginity's only worth something if we're stuck on the Isle. If the plan fails, if they try to deceive us, we hold onto blondie. Least that way we'll get something out of this."

"Sounds like a plan," Harry drawled, offering her a smirk.

Uma rolled her eyes. "Go grab some food and rest up. Gilly and I can take over watching him from here."

"Ye got it, captain," Harry said, though he swooped in to steal one last kiss from Chad, who did his best to comply under the circumstances. When Harry pulled back, he shot the captain a wink. "Taught him that new trick while ye were gone."

"It's a good one," Uma mused, settling into Harry's vacated position. "Gilly, you want to try kissing the prince?"

"Yes, please," Gil chirped, and he ducked in with eager lips, skin chapped a little rough but seeming, for whatever reason, very eager.

"…my boys," Uma mused when Gil moved to splay out on Chad's other side, and it was a bit of a tight fit, the three of them having to squeeze together on the bed, but for whatever reason that, of all things, seemed more fond and comforting than anything else Uma had said. "Enjoy the evening, Gil. Tomorrow, we ride with the tide."

"Yes, captain," Gil whispered, and then he went back to kissing Chad.

Perhaps it was something Chad should get used to, because the others definitely couldn't trade the wand for him. Not for Chadwick James, not for someone so very unremarkable.

Maybe this was his destiny after all.

-:-:-:-:-:-

The next day passed in a blur. Gil helped Chad take care of his basic needs, offering slices of a brown, splotchy apple that Chad took carefully. He um, relieved himself in a bucket, and while Chad's arms were no longer bound (they hurt a lot from being contorted in that same position all night) Gil was always sure to have a hand on him, sort of as a looming threat because Chad already knew how strong he was.

Chad wasn't sure what time it was when Uma urged them up onto the deck, and Chad couldn't help but huddle, embarrassed by his lack of clothing. Uma's pirate crew was already scattered around the deck, all of them leering at his nakedness while Harry cackled loudly, delighted by Chad's humiliated blush.

It got a little better though, because Gil decided to sit down on a storage crate and pull Chad into his lap. At least it guarded his backside, though Gil was sure to urge Chad's legs wide, petting at the inside of his thighs in random, teasing patterns.

Chad had never felt this exposed, though he supposed he deserved it for being so very stupid.

"Tick-tock, tick-tock," Harry would giggle every time he passed them. "Your time's running out, blondie."

"It's not noon yet, Harry," Uma drawled, her bored gaze on the horizon. "They'll come." Her eyes drifted over to Chad. "For him, they'll come."

"I'd come all over him, if you'd let me," one of the more daring crewmates cackled, a laugh that only intensified when Uma hurled a knife in his direction, the pirate just managing to skitter out of the way.

"Fuck off, Jonas," Uma said, but there was a smile tugging at her lips.

Pirates were weird.

The closer it got to noon, the more Chad shook. On top of feeling so terribly exposed, he was anxious for what was to come. In stories, the dashing prince was the one who always managed the rescues, or at the very least he helped, but Chad had been useless in this endeavor. He'd spent most of it tied up and the other half captive in Gil's embrace, and he hadn't even tried to run. He was pretty sure Flynn Rider would have attempted that much. His father had searched an entire kingdom, and Chad was just Chad. Hopeless.

"Hey," Gil whispered, nuzzling Chad's cheek. "It'll be okay. If they don't come, we'll take real good care of you, I promise." He pressed a kiss to Chad's cheek. "Captain doesn't abandon what's hers, okay? And I know she and Harry seem scary now, but they're really the best, you'll see. You'll be our prince, and no one else will dare mess with you. You'll never be lonely again."

Chad shivered at that, proving how very stupid he was that such a thing could be tempting. Chad didn't want to be alone, and Gil didn't know. Chad was a novelty because he was a prince, but even Mal had grown sick of Chad in the end. The pirates likely would too, and then they'd- he didn't know, sell him, or something.

It made Chad shake harder.

"No, no, it's okay," Gil soothed, cuddling Chad close. "I know it seems too good to be true, but Uma kept me around all these years and I'm an awful pirate. That's how loyalty works."

Chad was pretty sure Uma was also in love with Gil, but he lacked the ability to articulate that, choosing to keep his mouth shut while Gil aimlessly pet him, until at last there was movement on the docks.

"Uma!" It was Mal – Mal in all her fury, holding onto Fairy Godmother's wand and Chad could feel his vision going white at the edges, because this couldn't be happening. They couldn't give the wand to Uma. Chad agreed that the pirates shouldn't be on the Isle, but if she let the barrier down everyone could get off, including the worst of the villains – the ones with power that could torture civilians like Jafar and Queen Grimhilde and Dr. Facilier and Shuriki. The kids would get out, but they would escape too, and it couldn't happen, not for Chad.

"Well, well, well," Uma drawled, approaching the gangplank with a slow prowl. "Look who decided to show up."

"Where is he?" Mal snapped, and beyond her, Chad could see the rest of the transfer students, could see Evie, and there was Lonnie and Ben for whatever reason, all armed with swords and watching the ship with worried eyes. "We brought the wand, Uma."

"How do I know it's real?"

"How do I know you actually have Chad?" Mal snarled back, and they stood at a tense impasse before Uma jerked her head towards Gil.

The blond pirate stood easily, guiding Chad onto his feet and forcing him forward, to the growing catcalls of the crew. They didn't stop until they were beside Uma, Chad's head hung with shame at how far he had fallen. Part of him still couldn't believe that she had come, but it must have been for Ben.

"You fucking shit," Mal hissed, tone latent with fury. "If you laid a single hand on him-"

"Relax, poser," Uma said, rolling her eyes. "We figured Jay would like his boy toy in one piece. He's still the pretty little virgin he was yesterday."

"Though he won't stay that way forever," Harry said, swooping in to wrap an arm around Chad's waist and mouthing at the curve of his neck. "Ye try anything fishy and I'll fuck 'im against these boards while you watch."

"Do that and you'll choke on blood before it's over," Mal snarled, Jay curling a hand around her shoulder to hold her back.

"Huh." Uma cocked her head to the side. "You seem awfully attached to something that belongs to Jay."

"What's Jay's is mine, Uma, you know that," Mal snapped.

"Then why'd you send him off all by himself?" Uma pressed. "Why'd you leave him in tears and throw him to the wolves?"

"Do you want the wand or what?" Mal hissed, offering up the small rod. "I don't have all day."

She couldn't- they couldn't do this.

"Don't," Chad burst, almost as surprised by his own volume as the others were that he'd finally broken his silence. "Don't, Mal – please. T-Take the wand and go."

Harry pulled in close, pressing the tip of his hook against Chad's throat. "Trying to play the self-sacrifice card, blondie?" he murmured, the words low and threatening in Chad's ears. "Ye think we deserve the Isle that much?"

"N-Not you," Chad said, shaking his head as much as the hook would allow. "N-Not the kids. Or the p-petty crim-criminals. B-But the- the big villains-"

"Our parents," Uma said, her gaze narrowed.

Chad nodded. "Y-You haven't done an-anything wrong, but they- they might- they could h-hurt someone-"

"Like how we've hurt ye," Harry hissed.

Chad shook his head. "Y-You did the b-best with what you had. It's w-what you always do, b-because that's all you can do."

Harry considered him for a hard moment, then tore his hook away with a scowl. "Unbelievable." He shook his head roughly, as though trying to clear it, then refocused on Chad with narrowed eyes. "And with all your goodness, would ye forgive us too?"

There were some murmurs from the crew, but Chad ignored them, distracted by the breeze sweeping through his curls. "It depends if you were s-sorry," he said. "I would, if you w-were."

"Captain." It was Ben, regal and respectful and kind, standing tall beside Mal and Jay as he addressed the pirate captain. "Things don't have to go this way. The goal was always to get more kids off the Isle. The fact that it hasn't happened yet is on me, because I've been adjusting to my crown, but we could change that today. Come with us to Auradon. Come with us and help be a part of the solution to fix the Isle."

There was a tense silence while Uma considered Ben's proposal, moments where Mal was scowling furiously, likely only holding her silence due to the hand Jay had on her shoulder.

"…my full crew's coming," Uma said after a beat. "And I'm not giving blondie back until we're off this garbage heap."

"So long as he stays unharmed," Ben said, to Evie and Mal's joint ire. "And um… you give him some clothes."

"Fine," Uma said, and then there was a flurry of motion, pirates moving to pack their bags. Uma left a few on deck to guard the gangplank in case of an attack, but Chad found himself bundled downstairs, taken into Gil's quarters while the blond hastily packed a worn satchel and gave Chad a spare set of his clothes. He didn't have underwear, but Chad was grateful for anything, even if it did make him look like a bit of a pirate.

Uma smiled at him when she saw him next, looking him over with a pleased grin before she kissed him, and Chad – helpless for what else to do, reciprocated.

He didn't know what was happening. Well, he did, he just didn't know how to feel about it.

He knew even less when the pirates finally abandoned the ship, Gil keeping Chad safely tucked between himself and Harry, who bared his teeth at anyone who so much as glanced their way.

Ben, with an unfair sort of casualness, walked beside Uma, Mal on his other side. "We've got a limo," he explained. "It will be a tight fit, but we should be able to manage."

Chad cleared his throat. "Um… if you have my um- clothes, I hid the remote for my car in a secret pocket in my boot."

For whatever reason, that took all of them by surprise. Which shouldn't be the case, because Ben knew Chad had come before him.

The king furrowed his brows. "You… you didn't come with Mal?"

"What? No, I read the note," Chad said. "And um… appropriated one of the cars from the garage."

He left out the part where Doug helped, because that had very much been done under duress.

That surprised Ben too and made Mal's expression go all tight before the king decided to move on. "It'll be less of a squeeze, then," he said, turning his attention back to Uma. "Carlos and Lonnie will take one car, and Jay can drive the other."

"We're going half and half," Uma said, her gaze narrowed. "No way am I putting my entire crew in one car."

"That's fair," Ben said, nodding. "But I promise when we get to Auradon, I'll claim all of you as refugees."

"I'll believe that when I see it," Uma said with a roll of her eyes.

They ended up with Carlos and Lonnie driving the majority of Uma's crew, while Jay drove Ben, Mal, Evie, Chad, Uma, Harry, and Gil. They likely wanted more time to talk to each other in private before they got to the mainland, but mostly Chad just felt better to be sitting next to Evie, even if she seemed so very awkward for some reason. Gil and Harry ended up in the driver's section with Jay, though the tall teen assured them he would be fine, which left the rest of them sort of hovering awkwardly in the back seat.

It sort of got worse when Mal climbed over Ben so she could pull Chad into a hug. A hug he didn't entirely understand the purpose of since she hated him, but he fell into it nonetheless, because he was so very greedy.

"You piece of shit, you fucking piece of shit," she was chanting under her breath as she rose up onto her knees, her position allowing her to press kisses against Chad's curls as she cradled him close. "Why the fuck would you follow me to the Isle, you asshole."

"I- I'm sorry," Chad whispered, hopelessly lost. "I thought we were friends-"

"You're dating Evie," Mal said, as if one had anything to do with the other.

Chad blinked up at her. "…yes?"

"So," Mal hissed. "You can't offer to abandon everything in Auradon – including her – to spend your life with me!"

"I mean," Chad sniffed, realizing they were picking up the conversation he had thought was finished. "Sure, I can. Because you abandoned everything too, which meant Evie still had all that and you didn't have anything except yourself. So I had to offer." He knew it was likely unwelcome, but he slid himself close anyway, tucking his head against her shoulder. "…I love you, Mal. And you deserve good things."

Evie breathed in a sharp gasp beside him, and Chad fumbled for her hand, turning to look at her. "That doesn't mean I don't love you too. Sorry, sorry, I should have said that. Just-"

"Both of us," Evie said, but she was smiling like this was a wonderous thing, and not in fact the worst.

Chad relaxed. "…yeah."

In the next moment, he found himself getting tackle hugged by Evie, the princess doing her best to wrap herself around Chad and Mal. "I knew you were perfect," she whispered, nuzzling into his shoulder. "Mal, I'm so sorry I got mad-"

"You were right to be angry," Mal said. "I was toeing the line for what I could take as a friend and what I could take as your leader. And that… that wasn't fair."

"You didn't think you could have us both," Evie said, and Chad didn't know what that meant. "But you can, Mal."

"Mal…" Ben said, his tone so hesitant. "Do you… do you need to-"

"Ben." Mal turned to face the king, still very much holding onto Chad and Evie. "I've been struggling for a while, and yeah, part of that is because of all the court stuff, but mostly…" she trailed off with a nuzzle, brushing against Chad's curls. "It's because the balance was wrong. These two are mine, and if you want me, you're gonna have to take them too."

Chad was- she wanted Chad?

"Deal," Ben said, not hesitating so much as a moment as he broke into a smile. "I'll um- have to file some more paperwork to make you my people of the court, but that is- yes, Mal, we can do that."

"Wait," Chad said, hating to push his luck but needing to understand. "Does that- does that mean you don't hate me?"

Mal's expression fell. "Chad," she said, tugging him close. "No. I just said all that shit so you'd leave me behind and go back to Evie. It was like, the only thing I could do for her."

"Because you didn't expect him to follow you," Evie said, staring at Mal with a hard gaze. "You didn't expect me to follow you-"

"You seemed so well adjusted!"

"You would have been too," Evie pressed, her gaze hard. "If you'd just talked to us."

"Fine," Mal sighed, a dramatic, over the top thing. "You were right."

"Don't strain yourself," Ben said, smiling.

"Um…" Chad blinked sort of dumbly. "What… what's happening?"

"We're merging our relationships," Mal explained, petting both Chad and Evie's hair. "So that we are all dating. Because you three make me better, and going on without you and Evie has been awful."

"And um…" Ben spoke up, a growing blush apparent in the rear-view mirror. "I like you guys a lot too. More than I should, I know, so… this works out."

Chad could feel himself staring dumbly. "…you like me?"

"Blondie," Uma said, choosing to speak up for the first time since this conversation started. "I like you, and I've known you for like, a day."

"Yeah," Chad sniffed. "But not in my natural habitat. I'm like…"

"Sweet," Evie offered.

"Caring," Mal said.

"Funny?" Ben tried with a hopeful grin.

Chad blushed. "I was going to say the worst, but-"

"Not true," Mal growled, curling low to pepper Chad's face with kisses. "Taken advantage of, maybe. Neglected, definitely, but not the worst. Nothing of mine is the worst, I only take the best."

"It's a point of pride for her," Uma said, rolling her eyes.

Mal tensed for a moment, then sighed. "…if we are being all touching and shit, I'm sorry for dumping a bucket of shrimp on you all those years ago," Mal said, which- what. "I was worried you might get better street cred than me. My mom talked about you a lot."

Uma tensed, then- "Damn right, she did," the captain huffed. "But that was shitty of you. We could have run the Isle."

"Well," Mal began. "We could rule Auradon. Does that work for you?"

Uma considered this for a moment. "I suppose it will have to do."

Ben laughed – one of those free ones that seemed to take him by surprise, one that he couldn't contain to ensure he maintained a mask of professionalism.

And strangely enough, Uma laughed too. "You guys up for double dating? If we're going to Auradon, I want to take my boys out for a night on the town."

Mal rolled her eyes. "You're just saying that 'cuz you hope we'll share."

"Obviously," Uma said. "But I'd share too."

"We'll consider it," Evie said, ever the diplomatic, and while Chad didn't know what was going on-

He did know that he was happy. Things had turned out okay after all, and he had Mal and Evie- and they both liked him. Ben too, and that was-

It was wild, really. But in the best possible way.

-:-:-:-:-:-

Endnotes:

And that was all she wrote :)

Until next time