Before I knew it it was the next evening, and I had just finished cooking our meal for the evening; I had decided to make Spaghetti Bolognese and garlic bread. I was now staring at myself in our bathroom mirror after just getting changed; I was feeling really nervous about what me and Ben were going to suggest to Evie and Doug. I didn't know how they were about to react; I just didn't hope that it wasn't going to make things awkward between us all.
"Mal" I heard Ben say breaking me out of my train of thought.
"Aha?" I replied as I looked over to Ben to see him standing in the doorway of our bathroom.
"Is everything ok?" he questioned.
"Yeah" I said. "I guess I am just nervous" I admitted. "I don't want them thinking that we are taking over" I advised. This was the truth; I didn't want them to think this. I didn't want to take over, I just wanted to help them have the family that they deserved.
"They won't think that" he answered as he walked up to me. "We are only making a suggestion; they don't have to accept" he reminded me.
"Yeah" I repeated.
"MAL! BEN!" I heard Adam shout.
"YES?" we both shouted back.
"Evie and Doug are here!" he called.
"OK!" we both shouted back again.
"Well here goes" Ben said as he slid his right hand into mine and we both walked out of our bathroom. We then both made our way into our living room; and as we walked into the room we watched as Evie and Doug walked into our suite.
"Hey you two!" Ben called out to them.
"Hey!" I said as I dropped Ben's hand and I walked up to Evie and pulled her into a tight hug. As we dropped our arms from each other I then smiled as I pulled Doug into a hug as Ben hugged Evie; as me and Doug pulled away from the hug I then smiled as I watched as Ben and Doug fist pumped.
"So what have you made us?" Evie asked me eagerly, causing me to look over to her back.
"Spaghetti Bolognese and garlic bread" I advised.
"Oh I see" he nodded.
"Yes I have been playing with the recipe" I explained happily.
"I can't wait to try it" Doug smiled as we all started to walk towards our dining room; where the table was already set - all I needed to do was to serve. The four of us walked slowly and quietly past Edward and Isabelle's rooms; but I could help but smile as I saw that they were both sleeping peacefully in their beds - my perfect little Beast and Dragon pup.
"There is actually something me and Mal wanted to talk to you both about-" Ben began after we had finished eating our meal.
"Oh" Doug muttered.
"Yes" Ben replied. "Mal do you want to-" he started and we both shared a look.
"Yes" I decided. "It was my idea after all" I shrugged and when I looked over to Evie and Doug and saw them share a confused look before they looked over to me and Ben. "I don't want you to think that I-" I stated but stopped and took a couple of deep breaths to steady myself. "That we are acting out of turn; I'm sorry if you think that" I offered.
"M whatever this is you are probably worrying about this far too much" Evie answered with a warm smile. "Just say what is on both of our minds" she added.
"Ok" I said and I couldn't believe how nervous I was to offer being a Surrogate for them. My mouth suddenly went dry; part of me wanted to back pedal and forget about it. But I was then driven by the fact that I could give them both something that they had longed for for so long. "There is something that me and Ben want to help you both with" I admitted.
"Ok" Evie said.
"What?" Doug asked in confusion. I then looked over to Ben and he smiled at me and I nodded at him before looking back at Evie and Doug; and was met with even more confusion.
"How about we help you have a baby?" I quickly blurted out before I could stop myself.
"What!" they both exclaimed.
"What exactly are you suggesting?" Evie fired at me. "That you have sex with Doug?" she quickly asked and I noticed that something changed in her eyes. It looked like she was envious of me suggesting this; however I think that this was currently down to the fact that she thought I wanted to sleep with her husband.
"No" I answered as I shook my head. "What I am suggesting is that I get artificially inseminated with your egg and sperm" I clarified. "So it won't be our baby; it would be yours" I urged. "I would only be carrying your baby for you" I finished.
"M!" she gasped. "Are you sure that you want to do this?" she questioned in disbelief.
"Yes" I confirmed. "Me and Ben have been talking about it for a while; we both wanted to be on the same page before we suggested this to you" I explained as I smiled at Ben and I slid my right hand into his left under the table. "You don't have to accept" I advised. "We just thought that if we can help that we should" I finished.
"Won't this make a scandal?" Doug asked as he wrapped his right arm around Evie's shoulder.
"What do you mean?" Ben questioned.
"If Mal is pregnant; they will think the baby is yours" Doug replied and I couldn't help but nod at this. Me and Ben had discussed this a number of times; but we had decided that we would be very open with the Kingdom so there was no doubt that the children I was carrying was in fact Evie and Doug's. After being in Auradon all of these years I knew how the press could be; and I knew that I could deal with anything as I knew that I had Ben by my side.
"Well that is why me and Ben thought that we would make a public statement explaining everything" Ben explained. "Oh and we have a proposed contract!" he quickly advised.
"Wow!" Evie exclaimed. "You two have been busy" she laughed.
"Yes" I nodded. "We just wanted to be prepared" I added. "You don't have to accept this" I repeated. I needed them to know this; I didn't want them to think that they had to accept mine and Ben's proposal - they always had the option to say that they didn't want to have me as a Surrogate. Me and Ben had talked about how this could make the four of us feel; and I would respect their decision - whatever this may be.
"We know that you will need to talk about this" Ben added as he squeezed my hand under the table.
"Yes" Evie nodded. "This is a lot to think about" she advised.
"Yes" Doug agreed.
"You probably want to read over this" Ben said as he stood up and dropped my hand; before going to the side cabinet and he picked up the contact that I read the night before. He then walked back towards us and as he sat down he handed the proposed contract to Evie and she took it from him.
"Is this the official one?" she asked as Ben slid his hand back into mine under the table.
"No" Ben answered. "It's not official until you both say it is ok; you might want to add your own stipulations" he added.
"Yes" Doug agreed as Evie started to read the contract.
"You don't want us to look at-" she started. "Wow!" she exclaimed.
"Yes" I nodded.
"Well that is understandable" she advised as she threw me a nervous look. "And when the baby is born you don't want to hold the baby, why?" she asked in confusion and I could see a slither of hurt start to enter her eyes.
"Because that is how the baby bonds with their mother" I explained. "When your baby is born they will need to be put onto your bare chest Evie not mine; because they won't bond with you" I advised. "And they need to" I urged. "You will be their mother" I smiled at her and she smiled warmly back at me. "I would just be carrying them until full term" I finished.
"I see" Doug nodded as he read the contact over Evie's shoulder. "We don't have to give you an answer now do we?" he asked as he looked over to us both.
"No!" me and Ben exclaimed together.
"You have plenty of time to talk about it" Ben smiled at them.
"I don't know what to say M" Evie said as she handed the contact over to Doug as she looked over to me. "This is quite a big deal" she stated.
"I know" I replied. "But I know how much you both want children; if I can carry your baby to full term I would do that for you. As I know you would do the same for me" I advised happily.
"Oh Mal" she replied as her eyes started to water; she then quickly stood up, walked around the table and pulled me into a tight hug. I started to feel tears run down my neck and I just held Evie tightly as she did this; yes I still didn't know whether that was something that Evie and Doug wanted to do - but if me of all people could be a mother then I couldn't see why they couldn't be parents as well.