Hey guys! Back again with another update for you. Hopefully you haven't had to wait too long. Let's get started with the reviews!

Hershey201214: I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter! We get to see the Auradon gang in action in this chapter, implementing their secret plan. ;) I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much.

Carmine DeVil: Yes, they are on their way to friends again. Carlos may have forgiven Jay, but it's not something he'll be able to forget as easily. But for the time being, everyone is happy, lol. I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy!

Gracfully: Thank you for the review! You'll find out soon enough, haha. I hope you enjoy this new chapter.

theNiceDevil: Yep, the AKs are finally starting to get their act together, though they have a lot to learn. I hope you'll continue to follow along and enjoy! :)

starflight34: Thank you, I'm glad you liked it. I hope you'll like this one just as much!

bookgirl111: Haha, well I'm glad you like Aziz at least. I briefly introduced Nikki earlier in the story, but I'll give you a proper introduction soon, I promise. And you're like the fifth person to mention my Once Upon a Time crossover, lol. When I finish with this, I'll probably convert one of the one shots into a full story. I'll put a poll up and let you guys decide. ;)

Krestal: Well, Jay does know that Carlos joined the Auradon kids, but a more in depth discussion will definitely be coming soon.

GenderqueerWriter: Haha, yep, the AKs are finding out, and we get a fun little intervention scene here too. I hope you'll enjoy where I go with this, though, lol. We'll see. ;) And by all means, go right ahead! I'm flattered that you're enjoying it that much. I honestly didn't know what to expect when I took on this story, but I'd be honored if you did a little spin off of your own based on this. And I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy! :)

Infinity galaxies infinity star: Well there might not be any infirmary meetings, but there will definitely be some paranoia sinking in. I definitely think Mal especially out of the four has attachment issues, and I'll be playing with those ideas more in future chapters, so don't you worry. :) I hope you'll continue to read along and enjoy!

Tiredandlazy: Well I'm glad my story was able to cheer you up in however small away. You're definitely one of the best reviewers I've ever had on a story, too, if that's any added consolation, lol.

Yes, the AKs are finally getting their act together, and we get a little more from them here, as well as some more Aziz 'bonding' with the rest of the group. ;)

Don't worry, this fic is still going strong, I've got a lot planned! And I'm glad you approve of my OC and the ship, lol. Nikki makes a proper appearance later on, too, so hopefully that'll satisfy.

I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy, and I look forward to hearing what you think!

manticore-gurl071134: Thank you for the review! I'm glad you're enjoying my story so far. And don't worry, there will definitely be some friendships for Mal. She just has to work on being more 'friendly' with people, lol. I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy!

HeirOftheHowlingWolves: Welcome to the story, thanks for leaving a review! I appreciate all of your ramblings, so no worries, haha! ;) I'm glad you're liking everything I'm doing, and yes, I agree, Audrey was just too stereotypical High School b*tch for me, too, so I'm glad you liked those changes. And Chad is still a jerk, but I've got plans for him too, don't you worry.

In terms or romances/pairings, I'm sticking with the canon pairings regarding the girls, but putting my own little spin on things. If I ever did a sequel, then I might flesh out more romantic pairings, but for right now, I'm just letting the characters control the story at their own pace, and if they want a romance, then they'll get it, lol.

I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy! :)

sleepysadkid: Thank you for leaving a review! I'm glad you're enjoying this story. You know, I never watched Code Black but now I think I'm going to have to if only for that one Cameron Boyce cameo, lol. I hope you'll continue to enjoy what I come up with.

Kris68: Hey, it's great to hear from you again! Glad to see you're still following along! I'm sorry things haven't been so good for you, but hopefully this update can help cheer you up. :)

Thank you for your kind words as well, I'm glad you're enjoying my portrayal of the characters and yes, Carlos making friends is adorable. Mal will definitely continue being overprotective for a while, but don't worry, we'll get more of Mal and Evie. I realized too that I was neglecting their POVs…one of those 'author works out own issues through writing' things, haha. But regardless, I hope you'll continue to read along and enjoy!

ScarletAvengerLauren: Welcome to the story, thanks for leaving a review! I'm glad you're enjoying it so much, and don't worry, we do get some more of Mal and Evie here, too. Yes, the AKs did take a while, and I'm chalking it up to the fact that such a thing would be so foreign to them that they wouldn't even understand what they were seeing until too late. But, it's not all angst, and I hope you'll continue to follow along and enjoy. :)

MakeItShineDiamondKat31111: Hey, thanks for catching that, I'll make sure to go back and fix it. :)

I'm glad you enjoyed the chapter, and I'm excited that you're excited, lol. We'll find out in bits and pieces just how bad things were for our VKs. I've been hinting in flashback form, but when things do finally come out, well…we'll see. And I have seen the newest trailers of course! I've been obsessively following every bit of info I can get, lol. And yes, I've seen the arm wrestling match, that was fun! And Mal's HAIR!

Haha, but I hope you'll continue to read and enjoy! :)

tigerladygamer: *retrieves defibrillator and restarts heart* Clear! You can't die on me, I have given you the gift of a new chapter!

Winter Fury: Welcome to the story and thanks for leaving a review! I'm glad you're enjoying the story so far! And I have thought about making the POV changes bold, but I can't stand the sight of it, how it breaks up the smoothness of the page, lol. It's a stupid little quirk of mine, but I'm sure I can push past it if you think it would be easier to read and follow the transitions. I appreciate your suggestion and I hope you'll continue to follow along and enjoy! :)

Author's Notes:

Ok guys, buckle up, because I've got a nice long chapter for you! The standard warnings apply, Language, and references of child abuse.

***Slight trigger warning! (Maybe? You decide) But warning nonetheless for some more in depth referencing of psychological abuse and anxiety/panic attacks.***

Also angst. Angst and feels like crap.

I hope you all enjoy and I can't wait to hear what you think!

- Raven

Mal

"Alright Mal," her mother said lowly, a wicked smile playing at her lips. "Today is a very special day, do you know why?"

Mal frowned, chewing her lip in concentration. It wasn't Mother's Day, she knew that much. Her mother made sure she remembered that particular occasion. And it wasn't her birthday, or Mal's birthday…not that the girl even knew when that was…. But if it was none of those days then…

Mal sank, bracing herself for her mother's disappointment as she shook her head, her blond hair falling into her face at her movement. Maleficent sighed, and the disappointment was so strong Mal could practically feel it, and she shivered in spite of herself as her mother stalked closer.

"It's a special day," Maleficent growled. "Because today I am going to start teaching you how to be evil."

"Like you?" Mal cried, straightening in excitement, a small smile making its way across her face.

"That's right, my little dragon," her mother said, her own smile growing. "Just like me."

"Yes!" Mal cheered, and she couldn't help but bounce slightly on her toes.

She was finally going to learn how to be evil! After so long of being told she wasn't old enough, or wasn't ready to harness all the powers of Hell itself or something like that…after all her time practicing terrorizing the Villagers; her mother was finally going to teach her. And she was going to grow up and be big and super scary and evil just like her mother, and never have to worry about the other bad people on the Isle ever again. Cuz she'd be the fiercest dragon of them all and they'd all be scared of her.

"Now then, four is rather young for such a big step as this," her mother hummed thoughtfully. "But I think you can manage it, right Mal?"

Her mother's eyes narrowed, glowing a dark green, and Mal nodded quickly, understanding instantly.

"Right," she agreed, just a little more cautious and less excited than before.

"Good," Maleficent crooned, and the smile on her face was much more relaxed, and Mal smiled back, tugging at the overly large blue shirt that hung almost like a dress on her small frame.

Her mother gestured her over to the one small table in the center of the 'kitchen,' and Mal bounced her way across the room, not noticing the way her mother scowled at her enthusiasm and cheer. Mal saw that there were two big books on the table, and a tiny round machine of some kind. One of the books was a dark purple color just like her mother's horns, and Mal felt a heavy tug of curiosity grip her as she stared at it. She glanced over her shoulder to see her mother was looking through one of the cabinets and muttering to herself, and so Mal leaned over and stretched as far as she could for the book.

"Don't you dare touch that!" Maleficent shrieked, and Mal was flung back into her chair by a rough push, her mother's hand connecting with her face a moment after.

Mal whimpered, and her mother snarled, another blow catching her across the cheek.

"Enough of that," her mother growled. "Dragons do not cry, Mal. Stop being such an embarrassment."

Mal nodded, gulping down her sobs and tugging the edge of her shirt up to wipe her face roughly. She could still hear her mother's disgusted sigh though, and Mal bit her lip, trying to control herself as she stared up at her mother's towering form.

"Now then," Maleficent snapped sharply. "If you're done being weak..." her lip curled, and Mal ducked her head, guilt churning inside at the thought of making her mother angry with her.

"I'm sorry, mama," she whispered, glancing up to see her mother's lip curl further, her eyes hard.

"It's alright," her mother said coldly, her fingers stiff as she patted Mal's head. "You'll make it up to me."

Mal nodded again, and her mother's fingers lifted from her hair to drift over the purple book.

"This is my spell book," she said slowly, her voice still hard and serious. "It contains all of the spells that I have learned and mastered over the years; spells that I have created and spells that have been passed down throughout my family. The blood of dragons runs through this book, Mal; magic."

Mal gasped softly, her earlier pain forgotten in the face of this exciting and new (and dangerous) book. And besides, a part of her reasoned maturely. She'd deserved it for making her mother upset. For being so weak.

"I have magic too?" the girl asked in awe, eyes wide as she stared at the spell book.

"You do," her mother said slowly. "Though time will tell just how much those royal bastards have ruined my chance for a true legacy."

"What do you…?"

"It's not for you to worry about," Maleficent said quickly with a sharp shake of her head. "What you need to worry about are these."

She motions to the other book, and the tiny round machine.

"What is it?" Mal asked, leaning over and frowning at the items.

"This, Mal, is called a clock," her mother explained. "It's how we tell what time it is. And this is just a simple rhyme book, but I've modified the rhymes over time to become minor spells."

"My own spell book!" Mal cried gleefully, grabbing for the book even more enthusiastically than before.

"No, Mal, it's not a true spell book," Maleficent rumbled with a shake of her head and a smile that Mal knew even at four meant 'not-a-real-smile.' "True spell books are earned, they are not just given."

"Oh," Mal said, slumping back down into her chair. "Like my name."

"Yes, exactly like your name," her mother agreed. "You will earn it in time, but you have to prove to me that you are worthy."

"I will," Mal promised, her eyes widening as she looked up at her mother- her idol. "I'll be just as evil as you!"

"We shall see," her mother said simply, before teaching Mal the basics of spell casting and time telling.

Though it would be a very long time indeed before Mal realized that she would never earn anything but her mother's disappointment.

Evie

It had only been a day since 'the Incident,' as Mal had been referring to it; that morning when Carlos had 'chosen Auradon over them.' But even with that length of time between them, there was still a tenseness to the way Mal and Carlos interacted with each other, a sort of fragile circling that the tiniest change could cause an explosion.

Said explosion came in the form of Jay, which Evie didn't actually didn't find all that surprising.

It was Friday, and with no early classes or evil teachers to worry about, Evie could finally stop and take stock of the fact that they had somehow survived their first week in Auradon. Well, granted, it wouldn't officially have been a full week till the end of the day, but still…it was huge.

Which is why that particular morning found Evie sitting cross legged on her bed with her small collection of fabrics to be assembled into outfits of some kind, with Mal once more hanging over her own bed with her spell book, muttering the various curses under her breath. Carlos lay on his back at the foot of Evie's bed, Doug's puzzle cube twisting this way and that in his hands.

It would have been a peaceful and even amusing thing to see, but Evie could feel the tension even now, and it didn't help that Mal's muttered curses occasionally came with a flash of sparks.

"…open without a crash," Mal whispers lowly, and her eyes glowed a faint green, and the bedroom door creaked faintly, before slamming shut with a loud bang.

Carlos yelps, rolling off the side of the bed with a thud, and Evie leaned over when he didn't immediately resurface.

"Carlos?" She calls carefully, and a small whimper is all she hears, along with a slight shuffle of movement which tells her that he'd retreated under the bed.

"Way to go Mal," Evie chides, shooting the other girl a look.

"Not my fault he freaked," Mal mutters, but Evie can still see the slightly guilty look in her eyes.

"Carlos, it was just the door, you can come out," Evie says, bending down and picking up the puzzle from where it had fallen. "Besides your game is up here, anyway."

Carlos is silent a moment, before her bed creaks and the top of his white head is visible, his eyes narrow and cautious as he peers over the edge. Mal snorts from the other bed, and Carlos growls quietly, but scrambles the rest of the way up, snatching the cube from Evie's hand and darting back down to the floor.

Evie sighs, shaking her head as she returns to her sewing, pinning together a few pieces into an outline of a shirt. She didn't have much in the way of fabric; even with her status on the Isle as the Evil Queen's daughter, it hadn't earned her many favors and charm could only go so far. But what she did have she cherished, and made more than good use of. If her design held, the metallic looking thing in front of her would become a shirt for Carlos.

A knock on the door startles her out of her musings, and Mal's book shuts with a sharp snap as she straightens and rises to her feet. Carlos tenses, and scoots backwards to hide back under the bed, while Evie carefully pulls her sewing scissors from her bag.

"Who is it?" Mal demands, eyeing the room in a quick sweep and closing in on the open window. Evie doubted it would come to that, but just in case, she nudges Carlos gently with her foot; tapping his back twice before pausing and tapping again- their signal for 'alert and ready to run.'

"It's Ben," comes the voice from the other side of the door, and Evie relaxes, while Mal just stiffens further.

"What do you want?" Mal hisses, and Evie clicks her tongue in disapproval.

"You can come in Ben," she calls, and Carlos shuffles out from under the bed as the door opens and Ben steps in.

"Hey guys," he greets, smiling at her and Carlos before offering Mal a tentative wave.

"Hi," Mal says stiffly, before turning her back and picking up her book again, careful to keep the cover hidden as she resumes where she'd left off.

Ben, for his part, only looks mildly amused by Mal's dismissal of him, and manages to keep smiling as he talks. "I just wanted stop by and see how you were all doing, and you know…say congratulations."

"For w-w-hat?" Carlos drawls carefully, and Ben offers him another brief smile.

"For completing a full week here in Auradon of course," he says brightly, and Evie chuckles softly at his enthusiasm.

"Of course," Mal repeats in a deadpan. "Congrats for making it this long, you mean."

"Well, yes," Ben says, not seeming to notice the heavy sarcasm in Mal's voice. "It's kind of a big deal, and the rest of us…uh, me and some of the others…have a little something planned for you. To celebrate."

Evie can't help the butterflies that drift through her stomach when Ben smiles at her again. He's so sweet and soft and boyishly handsome; not to mention his royal status. And yet he's also entirely taken, and while Evie may have been desperate for a Prince, she wasn't quite at the 'man-stealing' level yet.

"We don't do 'celebrating,'" Mal says abruptly, her eyes hard and cautious as she glares at Ben. "But thanks anyway."

"Aw come on M-ma-mal!" Carlos is the one who protests, rising to his feet so he was level with her. "It could be…."

"Fun?" she finishes challengingly, and Carlos winces at her tone, but manages to hold her gaze.

"It could be," he replies, and Evie bites her lip anxiously as she glances between the two.

"I get that everything is still so new," Ben cuts in slowly. "And you don't have to agree to anything right away. I figured you would like to know ahead of time so it wasn't too big of a surprise…it'll be later today around lunch time, in the gardens."

"That's very…nice…of you," Mal says carefully, the foreign word twisting awkwardly around her tongue.

"W-we'll think about it," Carlos promises, and there's a hopeful, eager look on his face as he turns to Evie.

"No promises," Mal snaps, but Evie finds herself nodding anyway.

"No, but we'll think about it," she says, and Ben brightens again.

"Great," he says. "You're free to do what you want with the day; explore the grounds, maybe check out some of the extracurriculars we have. Doug is in on it so if you decide you want to come, just let him know and he'll show you the way."

"Great," Mal mutters unenthusiastically. "We'll totally do that."

Ben grins again and clasps his hands together enthusiastically. "Well I'll let you guys go, but like I said before, if you need anything…I'm here."

"Noted," Mal murmurs, and Ben nods in farewell before leaving, closing the door behind him.

"Well that was…."

"Mal puh-puh-please can we go?" Carlos bursts out, cutting across Evie in his excitement.

"Why do you even want to go?" Mal retorts incredulously, and even Evie is surprised at just how animated the younger boy was. "Socializing isn't usually your thing."

"But it's fffor us!" Carlos cries, his fingers fidgeting with his dog tail. "I-i-it'd be cool."

"Yeah, until it turns out to be a set up," Mal counters sharply. "Some prank or twisted joke."

"But this is Auradon," Evie broaches carefully. "Who knows, it could be…."

"Ssee?" Carlos says, lifting his brows at Mal. "Wwe can go!"

"Without Jay?" Mal counters, lifting a brow. "You'd actually do that?"

"Mal don't be mean," Evie scolds, before realizing what she'd said and falling silent.

"We're not going," Mal says, ignoring Carlos' strangled cry of protest. "We have other things to focus on, remember?"

"But-"

A knock on the door interrupts Carlos' continued whimpering, and Mal growls sharply in frustration.

"I swear, it's like we're some kind of attraction," she mutters darkly, stalking over to the door and yanking it open.

"What?" she hisses, and Evie looks over at a familiar laugh.

"Is that any way to treat someone who's bringing you presents?"

"Az-ziz," Carlos manages jerkily, though no less happily, offering the older boy a shy smile as she strolls past Mal into the room.

"Hey there Freckles," Aziz greets Carlos, grinning back broadly before turning and offering Evie a wink.

"M'lady," he drawls, and Evie ducks her head back to her sewing to hide her slight blush.

"What does everybody have against us?" Mal grumbles, crossing her arms and glaring at Aziz's back.

"I have no clue what you're talking about," Aziz replies, shaking his head. "But I do know that there's this wicked party we're throwing for you and…."

"Yeah, we know," Mal replies shortly.

"Oh, cool," Aziz says, unaffected by her attitude. "Ooh, but I do seriously have surprises for you."

He turns and darts back to the door, swinging his body through it as he opens it and calling out into the hallway.

"You coming or what?"

There's a muffled answer of some kind, and Aziz swings back through the doorway with a flourish of his hands as a figure shuffles into the room, the door creaking closed behind it. Evie straightens as the familiar figure stops just in the doorway, and Mal curses softly while Carlos leaps to his feet.

"Jay!" the smaller boy cries, and though there's obvious delight in his eyes, he just stops himself from rushing forward.

"Dude I saw you, like, yesterday," Jay snorts, shifting his weight on the crutch under his arm. "Chill."

"Well fuck me," Mal mutters, but Evie can hear the relief in her voice. "If it isn't the bane of my existence."

"I couldn't just leave you all to wander around unsupervised and unprotected," Jay scoffs, his eyes twinkling as his lips curl into that familiar grin. "What kind of person would I be if I did that?"

"Like pretty much everyone back home?" Mal offers with a shrug, but she's definitely smiling now, and Evie has almost forgotten Aziz was still there until he cleared his throat.

"I guess things got pretty crazy then, huh?" the other boy says with a strange look on his face. "Not that I'm not a sucker for emotional reunions," he says quickly. "But that just sounds…unsafe."

"Right I forgot," Jay grumbles, shoving Aziz away with the edge of his crutch. "You might be cool, but you're still Auradon."

"Agrabah, originally," Aziz corrects with faux haughtiness, straightening his blazer. "And I'll thank you not to insult either of my countries."

Jay rolls his eyes, and even Mal scoffs, though she's focused back on her spell book.

"Anyway," Jay continues. "Define safe, and maybe I can help put your innocent mind to rest. Or scar you for life."

"Jay," Evie scolds, though she feels an anxious thrill go through her at his words. Mal says nothing, but she's pursed her lips tightly and Evie can tell she's just as displeased as she is.

"Well really just everything you just said, but the opposite," Aziz says with a short laugh that sounds anything but amused.

"What, constant supervision and hovering?" Jay retorts, rolling his eyes while his free hand slowly works its way around Carlos' shoulder. "Sounds like Fairy Godmother's classes."

"You mean caring?" Aziz replies, his eyes intent as he focuses on Jay, though his mouth curls somewhat at the mention of Fairy Godmother.

"Oh, you're doing that again," Jay sighs, shaking his head as his hand inches a little further, stealthily plucking the puzzle cube from Carlos' hands.

Evie shakes her own head, but she can't help but laugh as Carlos blinks, glancing down at his hands in stunned confusion. She watches as the smaller boy's head comes up, and the glare he gives Jay when he sees the cube balanced on Jay's fingers is priceless. Jay laughs with glee, lifting his arm and silently taunting Carlos.

"Um, what thing?" Aziz asks, feigning offense. "If you mean my concern about your wellbeing then shoot me."

"Huh?" Mal frowns, and Evie narrows her eyes at the other boy. Even Carlos forgets about his puzzle for a moment and stops, nervous and uncertain.

"What?" Aziz replies, his own face furrowing in confusion. "What'd I say?"

"Shoot you?" Jay says, his head cocked slightly to the left. "Why would…."

And then Aziz laughs, a short, quick snort of amusement that does nothing to put Evie at ease.

"Oh wow, you guys really are out of touch," he chuckles. "It's a saying, an expression you know? Like, when you use a saying to…say something...without really saying…."

He trails off hopelessly, and Evie narrows her eyes at him, frowning despite the pang of anxiety it gives her about wrinkles.

"If you want to say something then why don't you just say it?" she accuses, and Aziz tries for a laugh but it falters somewhat in the face of her glare.

"You got me there," he murmurs with a slight shrug. "How about we just label it as a weird thing we do in Auradon and call it a day?"

"It's not even noon," Mal snaps, and Evie silently thanks her mother's lessons on facial expressions, as she's able to expertly school her face to hide her cruel amusement.

Mal makes no such effort, her lips twisting into a triumphant leer, her eyes flashing brightly with laughter as Aziz splutters and attempts to defend himself.

"Ok, but in all seriousness," Aziz finally says, and Evie finds herself straightening at his serious tone. "The whole lack of supervision thing…that was really a norm for you guys? I mean, you really didn't have anyone looking out for you?"

"It's a trap," Jay hisses with a scoff, and though Mal rolls her eyes, Evie can tell by the slight stiffening of her shoulders that the other girl is very much wary and alert.

"The only people looking out for you on the Isle is yourself," Mal says coldly, her eyes dark with danger. "No one is going to come to save you so you have to be the one to save yourself."

Something falters across Aziz's expression at that, and Evie finds herself holding her breath, waiting for it to turn into anger or something equally dangerous. But the other boy doesn't even raise his voice, seeming almost unsure as he glances carefully around the room at them.

"But…what about you guys?" he asks, his voice reflecting the uncertainty in his eyes. "You're all really close…you look out for each other."

"We're like, the rare exception," Jay mutters, rubbing at his jaw self-consciously. "We came together because we had to…to survive."

"And anyway," Mal continues. "We only all came together like we are now a few months ago. Before that, we were just allies."

"Allies?"

"There are no relationships on the Isle," Evie finds herself putting in, though she keeps her eyes on her needles as she idly pokes at the fabric. "Just those you use to get what you want, and allies to help you get it."

"Oh," Aziz says, and Mal snorts derisively.

"That it, Agrabah?" she snaps challengingly. "Or do you want to ask even more probing questions?"

"Well," Aziz says slowly, his eyes on the floor as he shuffles his weight. "I do have one more…."

"Here it comes," Jay grumbles, eyes narrowing at the other boy.

Aziz makes a face at Jay, who flips him off in response, but neither Mal or Evie if fully relaxed. Tense and suspicious, Evie purses her lips as she waits for the other boy to speak. After a brief stare down between he and Jay, Aziz finally speaks, turning back to them with a glint in his eyes that is all too reminiscent of trouble.

"So like, who did your hair? Because I'm obsessed with those colors, seriously."

Evie blinks, and Mal is so caught off guard she lets out an undignified snort.

"Wait, what?" she says with a laugh, tugging at a purple lock, while Evie combs her fingers self-consciously through her own blue-stained curls.

It occurs to her that she hadn't actually combed or styled her hair at all that week, and the thought sends a sharp twist through her stomach. She can practically hear her mother's voice, chiding her for her lack of hygiene; the threats and promises that 'how could any boy want you when you look like you just crawled out of the gutter?'

The thought of it is enough to make her sick, her breath catching tightly in her throat and she almost doesn't register the voices in the background until she hears her name.

"…don't know about Carlos," Mal is saying, the other girl's voice still wary and incredulous. "But Evie and I got our colors from some of the dyes that Uma made on the Isle. Well, that and uh…magic, a bit."

"Magic?" Aziz repeats, his eyebrows lifting in surprise. "And who's Uma? Someone I should know?"

"Not particularly," Mal growls, and Evie exchanges a nervous look with Jay and Carlos. They knew all too well the animosity the two girls had for each other.

"She's Ursula's daughter," Evie cuts in quickly, deciding after a moment of Mal's ensuing curses that it would be better if she provided the information. "She mostly stayed by the docks, but every now and then she would make her way into town and sell the dyes she made."

"And start another turf war," Mal snarls, so viciously that Aziz starts, blinking in shock.

"War?" he questions meekly, and Evie straightens, while Jay and Carlos shake their head rapidly, eyes wide.

"N-n-n-no," Carlos murmurs. "Don't get her sstarted."

Aziz takes a look at Mal's seething face and, wisely, in Evie's opinion- doesn't press. Instead, he shifts his attention back to Evie, though he glances warily out of the corner of his eye to Mal.

"So uh, you said…magic?"

"Yeah," Mal answers, and Evie deflates slightly as his attention turns back to the other girl. "I used to be blonde when I was a kid, and then it got darker as I got older. The dye helped, but really, it was um…"

"The colors are really a manifestation of our magic," Evie finishes for her, when Mal hesitates too much for her liking.

"The hell, E?" Mal snaps, clearly reading Evie's intentions. Evie shrugs, her lips twitching in amusement.

"You weren't finishing the sentence anytime soon," she replies smugly. "Poor guy was going grey waiting."

"Al-already grey," Carlos mumbles cheekily, his eyes flickering shyly over to Aziz, who makes a show of combing his scalp for hair while Jay rolls his eyes.

"Fine, so on the Isle, all magic is useless and nonexistent, right?" Evie says briskly, and Aziz nods, easily returning to seriousness. "Well despite not being able to use it, the magic is still in our blood, but with no way to harness or release it, the magic sort of did its own thing."

"Cool," Aziz says, nodding his head slightly. "So Jay, you just decided you'd rebel and be cool without the color?"

"You shitting me?" Jay scoffs. "I wouldn't be caught dead with that gunk in my hair."

"Yeah, but, if it's magic then wouldn't you…?"

Evie couldn't stifle her own snort fast enough, but it was mercifully covered by the rest of her group's laughter, Carlos dropping his puzzle he was laughing so hard.

"Jay? W-w-with magic?"

"I wish," Jay agrees ruefully. "Nah, the magic gene seems to have skipped this generation."

"But wasn't Jafar a genie?" Aziz questions, lifting a brow. "You'd think at least something would've come from that."

"Yeah," Jay mutters, though his voice had pitched lower, his eyes dark and clouded. "You'd think. It was one of his favorite things to…complain about."

Evie doesn't miss the inflection in his words, or the slight stiffening of his shoulders. She sees the flicker in his face and remembers all those times she'd found him in the alley behind his father's house; or the few moments he'd ended up at her window; or that one time in particular….

"Somehow that doesn't surprise me," Aziz chuckles, but even he seems to have noticed the shift in Jay's voice, and Evie silently thanks the other boy when he turns to Carlos with an easy smile.

"So Freckles," he says, and Carlos bites his lip, something lighting in his eyes that Evie can't quite interpret. "You got some secret magic you've been hiding?"

"A-as if," Carlos laughs, shaking his head. "It gro-ows that way."

"What? Nu-uh," Aziz says, his eyes crinkling with laughter in the corners. "So like, what…just like your mom's? Her hair really is half black and white?"

Carlos flinches at the mention of Cruella, and Evie bites her lip anxiously, while Mal bristles and Jay grimaces. But Carlos doesn't retreat, or even lash out like Evie expects him to. Instead he simply makes a face, a sort of twisted half-smile, and even manages a short laugh, though Evie can tell right away that it's fake.

"Y-yeah," he mutters lowly. "It's a pppain to brush every morning, but…you kn-know." He shrugs lightly, and Aziz chuckles a bit, the tension fading with the sound.

"Yeah, well, as much as I'd love to stay and chat, I've got a class, and preparations for your lunch. Though I could always just skip class…."

"Now you sound like one of us," Jay scoffs, shoving Aziz with a shoulder. "And you're not cool enough to hang like one of us just yet."

"Pfft," Aziz snorts, but he's smiling again, not the least bit offended by Jay's teased insults. "Whatever. I'll see you around."

"Sssee ya," Carlos offers, and Evie smiles, waving a farewell as Aziz turns to go.

"Good riddance," is all Mal tosses out, but he was gone by that point, the door clicking closed behind him.

Jay snaps the lock into place a moment after, and it's only a breath of time after that that Carlos launches himself forward, pressing as close to Jay as he can get without knocking him over. Mal tosses her spell book aside, and Evie is already on her feet, her sewing forgotten as she crosses the room to stand by Jay's other side.

It's only when she's that close that she realizes Carlos is shaking, though his expression seems neutral enough. But the smaller boy was all but clinging to Jay, and the other boy grimaces as he attempts to shuffle further into the room.

"Ok, ok, I get it," he grumbles, maneuvering around Carlos' hovering form. "I was gone for like, two days, though…chill."

"Three," Carlos mumbles, his hand fidgeting anxiously at his sides, though Evie can tell by the look on his face that he'd much rather have them around Jay.

Jay seems to sense this, and adjusts his weight on the crutch before reaching out with his other hand and roughly mussing Carlos' hair. Something hits the floor with a thump, and Evie casts her eyes down to the oval shaped, black bag by Jay's foot as Carlos starts yelping protests.

"Aw, did my little puppy miss me?" Jay croons teasingly, shuffling around to continue wrestling the other boy into submission. "Was I gone for so long that my little Carlos was getting all depressed and lonely without me?"

"Jay get off!" Carlos whimpers, digging his elbows into Jay's side and wincing when it only makes Jay grab him tighter. "Mmal!"

"What's that bag?" Mal asks, completely ignoring Carlos' cries for help, and Evie huffs a sigh when Carlos yelps again.

"Your own fault for standing too close," she mutters, but she pries him loose anyway, ignoring Jay's grumbles curses.

"That bag?" Jay finally says, as Carlos scrambles for the opposite bed. "Oh, it's nothing…just my latest, and dare I say greatest, score!"

He beds down and lifts the bag easily, plopping it down onto Evie's bed with a flourish. Evie exchanges a wary look with Mal, as they both know by now not to trust anything Jay brings home. But curiosity gets the better of her, and Evie tugs the zipper open anyway, her mouth falling open in shock.

"Holy…."

"You son of a bitch," Mal cuts across her, vaulting around Carlos and grabbing the bag. "Where the hell…?"

"I just so happened to come across a map of the school grounds while I was in the infirmary," Jay brags easily, his usual swagger evident even with the crutch. "And with nothing better to do, what do I do but study my surroundings? And I just so happened to memorize where the kitchens were, so that the first thing I did when I got out was a proper raid."

"Have I told you that I love you yet?" Mal says, digging through the bag and coming up with a handful of packages food.

Carlos ducks under her reaching arms and practically buries himself in the bag, shoving a pastry into his mouth while grabbing three more packages with his other hands. He mumbles something through the food, and Evie grimaces at the lack of proper etiquette. But all things considered, she could forgive him this time.

"Yeah yeah, you can thank me later," Jay brushes her off, though he smirks proudly anyway. "We have to sort through this now, though, and I can restock when we need it."

"Ok," Evie says, happily taking charge. "We should eat any of the unwrapped stuff now. All the packaged food can stay in the bag, and if there's any fruit, we can sort it by when it should be eaten and go from there."

Carlos whimpers, but drops the packages he'd grabbed back into the bag, pastry crumbs falling down his chin. Mal tosses her own stash back as well, though Evie doesn't miss the smaller package that she slips into her pocket.

"M," Evie snaps, and Mal blinks at her. "Come on."

"Leader gets first pick," Mal replies simply, though there's a stubborn, unyielding tone to her voice that Evie knows she won't win against.

"Ugh, fine," she huffs, rolling her eyes. "It doesn't look like there's anything in here that will go bad; not that that really matters but…I think we'll be good with this for a good week or so."

"So I did good?" Jay asks, his brow furrowed in a rare gesture on uncertainty.

"Oh yeah," Evie confirms with a smile.

"At this rate, all we need now is a solid plan for the wand and we can take Auradon by storm," Mal crows, and even Carlos manages a wicked smile, his eyes sparkling mischievously as he chews the rest of his pastry.

"And I might have an idea of where to start," Jay adds slyly.

"Why do I have the feeling this won't end well?" Evie mutters, though she can't help but grin as well, the excitement of their goal contagious.

"For Auradon, maybe," Mal retorts. "They won't know what hit them."

Jane

"Ok guys, our first intervention slash rescue plan for the VKs has officially begun."

Jane picks anxiously at the bow attached to her dress, Ben's greeting doing nothing to calm her nerves. What was she doing here? What did they think they were doing?

"Rescue? Rescue from what? If anything it's Auradon that needs to be protected from them."

"Chad, we've discussed this," Ben (rather patiently, in Jane's opinion) says. "You're more than welcome to stay and be a part of this. But if you don't have anything positive to contribute, then at least don't contribute at all."

Chad huffs darkly, but says nothing, and Jane chews her lip, eyeing the rest of the group gathered in the library. Doug sat just to Chad's right; Lonnie was beside him; Aziz sat in the lounge chair to Lonnie's right, with Nikki standing behind him, his hands resting on the back of his boyfriend's chair. Audrey sat to Jane's left, and Ben stood in the center of their little circle, shuffling slowly around as he spoke.

"I called you all together because, as I'm sure you've all noticed in some degree, there's something wrong with the VKs, and we need to find out what."

"Seriously, Ben?" Chad hisses sharply. "It took you a whole week to figure that out? I could have told you from day one when those two freaks attacked me with a knife!"

"Dagger," Lonnie cut in with equal ferocity, glaring at the blond prince. "How many times do I have to tell you guys? There's a difference!"

"Yeah, we get it, Lonnie; you're the weapons expert," Chad retorts, rolling his eyes. "Knife, dagger…it was sharp and pointy, that's all that really matters."

Lonnie grits her jaw and glares, but doesn't say anything back. Jane knows better though, than to take it as a sign of defeat. Rather, she was pretty sure her roommate was restraining herself from physically responding to Chad.

"Ok, weapon specifics aside," Ben cuts in before it could come to that. "Something is wrong, and before I say what I think, I want to hear what you've all seen for yourselves. We'll start from day one and go from there, so…Chad?"

Ben winces as he says Chad's name, as though bracing himself for the outburst that is sure to come.

"Where do you want me to start, Ben? Before or after I was attacked?"

"To be fair, you did start it," Lonnie cuts in before Ben can respond, and Jane is surprised at the cold look in her eyes as she stares the blond boy down. "Honestly, I'd probably have done the same in their position."

"Not. Helping," Chad grumbles, his left hand curling protectively around his bandaged right.

"Ok guys," Ben says quickly. "That's enough. Chad, regardless of who started what…did you notice anything about Jay or Carlos that was…I don't know, concerning?"

"You mean aside from the fact Carlos had a knife that he just carried around all over? I mean, seriously, how is that not concerning?"

"Ok," Ben drawls slowly, pointedly ignoring Lonnie's furious swearing. "That is one thing I worried about, too. More specifically, it was just how well Carlos handled that knife…dagger," he amends hastily, offering Lonnie a sheepish look. "Audrey, I know you had some concerns."

Jane glances over to the other girl, who nods slowly, her eyes on her hands as she spoke. "I do," she says. "From the moment they got here I noticed that none of them made any eye contact, aside from Jay, but he was glaring more than simply looking at people. Not to mention the bruises…."

She trails off, and Jane finds herself starting, surprised. She hadn't noticed any bruises on them, or at least, not on Carlos. But she hadn't really been looking at them closely at the time…too afraid to get too close. And now look how close she was.

"Jay had a black eye," Doug recalls hesitantly, and Ben nods, pressing his lips tightly together.

"I talked with Fairy Godmother and she said she'd done a brief magical examination to see how badly they were hurt and heal them. And aside from Jay's black eye, Evie had some bruised ribs. For whatever reason, Mal and Carlos were relatively ok, but she said there were a lot of broken bones on all of them; past injuries that the magic picked up on, some of which hadn't healed right."

"Probably fought a lot on the Isle, too," Chad says, but his tone is strangely subdued, and not as venomous.

"Then there's the food issues," Ben continues. "It's been drawn to my attention that the Isle really only gets our garbage, so it's no wonder they're starving."

Jane bites her lip at that. She had known, of course, that the Isle had received their cast-offs, but at the time she hadn't seen it as a problem. Just something that was done, and what did it matter what villains ate? She was embarrassed to think that way now, knowing what she did, but still.

"And Jane's been around Carlos enough to catch something," Doug adds, and Jane suddenly finds the attention of the room turned to her.

"I…uh…um…," Jane stammers wordlessly, her fingers slowly unraveling the bow attached to her dress.

"It's alright, Jane," Ben reassures. "No one's going to judge you for saying what you think."

Maybe not right now, Jane thinks warily. But there's no way it wouldn't come back and haunt her in some shape or form.

"I ran into Carlos first," she finally says. "In one of the forges, after class. I still don't know what he was doing, but he was terrified that he was in some kind of trouble. It was…weird…"

She trails off, frowning as she recalled his particular mannerisms in that moment, how every move and gesture and flicker of the eyes all seemed to convey a trapped and terrified animal.

"What was weird?" Ben asks gently.

"He was," Jane says, realizing only after how blunt and terrible that sounded. "Sorry, not like…um, it took him a while to realize I wasn't a threat to him, but he was really on edge, watching everything I did, and if it seemed like I was getting too close, he'd flinch away like he thought I was going to attack him or something."

Ben nods, but it's more to himself than anything else, as though confirming something in his head.

"But once he opened up, he was the exact opposite," Jane continues slowly. "And even later, in the infirmary, I got him to laugh and we talked for a while."

And then she remembers, and a gasp slips involuntarily past her lips.

"Jane?" Lonnie asks, concerned, but Jane shakes her head, holding up a hand.

"I'm fine," she says quickly. "It's just…I remembered something he said about his mom. About Cruella."

A shiver passes through the group, a wave of unease at the mention of the villainess. Jane pushes past it, and manages to continue.

"He mentioned that Cruella…wasn't exactly 'stable,' how she would forget things a lot, even him."

"That's terrible," Audrey gasps, and even Chad looks unsettled, though it's quickly covered up by a bored expression before Jane can comment on it.

"I was just in the girls' room," Aziz says, crossing his arms. "They were all there together. Side note; they don't like being away from each other for long."

"Yeah, I noticed that," Ben murmurs. "I don't think Mal was very happy that I took Carlos away from them for breakfast the other day."

"Yeah," Aziz drawls, shaking his head before continuing. "Anyway, I did some probing. Turns out there's not a lot of parental care or supervision in general. Everyone pretty much is left to fend for themselves, and that's how they all came together."

"Right, so, we have some information, now what are we going to do with it?"

It's Doug who redirects the conversation, and Jane blinks up at him in surprise. "If we really are looking for signs of abuse….."

Jane flinches, and Chad looks up sharply, his brow pulling down into severe frown.

"Wait, what?" he snaps, and Ben fixes him with a careful look.

"There's clearly something more going on that we're not seeing," Ben say slowly. "My decree brought the VKs here, but they could just as easily go back at the end of the school year. If it comes down to it, I want to know what I'm sending them back to."

"Yeah, ok," Chad mutters dazedly. "But…but really Ben? Abuse?"

There's something tight and pained in his voice, and Jane is suddenly reminded just how close a subject this was for Chad. His own mother had been subject to the abuses of her step-family her whole life. Even now, it was rumored she was still affected by it. Cruel, vicious rumors, to be sure; meant to find ways to discredit Cinderella's royal status. But the truth of behind the rumors remained.

Jane feels a pang of sympathy for the other boy. Despite Chad's…faults…it couldn't be easy for him. Ben seems to understand and feel the same, as he offers the other boy a tiny, sad smile.

"I know, it's kind of a big deal for your family, and I'm sorry about that. Really. But the people on the Isle of the Lost are my responsibility, too and I'm not just going to deny that for the sake of feeling comfortable."

"No, please," Chad says, shrugging slightly and gesturing with a hand. "Don't let my deep, personal experiences get in the way of your precious villains."

"Chad," Ben starts, but the other boy shakes his head, standing from his chair a little too abruptly.

"No, I get it," Chad cuts in sharply, a waver in his voice that he's not quick enough to hide. "Got to preserve Auradon's reputation and all that; show that you care."

"Chad," Jane tries, but he's already heading out the door, his hands trembling in fists at his sides.

"Leave it, Janey," Lonnie says quietly. "Just let him be bitter for a while."

"But-"

"No, Lonnie's right," Ben sighs. "He just needs some time for himself. It's only fair…half his family is on the Isle and Auradon never did do much for Cinderella except try to disinherit her."

"You'd think it would at least make him a little sympathetic," Audrey offers. "But I'll check on him later."

"Yeah, ok," Ben concedes softly. "And in the mean-time, we'll keep an eye on the four and make sure they continue settling in without any added problems."

"Careful, you'll jinx it," Aziz teases, though it's not as light given the atmosphere of Chad's exit.

Jane just hoped things would settle from here. Despite the VKs dangerous heritage and the chaos of their arrival, they'd all managed to make it a week in Auradon. They could get through one lunch party, right?

Chad

He wasn't running away. He wasn't running he wasn't running away dammit!

"Dammit."

The word spills from his lips in a quick, low hiss, his fists clenching in anxious need; that need to react, to break, to do…something…to ease the tightness in his chest. He settles for shoving someone brutally aside, though their outraged yelp is lost as he stumbles messily into the nearest men's room, closing and locking the door firmly behind him before losing himself in a scream.

He brings his fist up to his mouth and bites down on his knuckle until the pain is almost as great as the one is his left hand, his scream stifling and hot and raw as it tears past his lips, spilling over his fingers and out into the air.

But it's not quite enough to release the pressure and he whirls, blindly, kicking at the nearest stall door and letting the slamming echo deep inside. He kicks the next door, and the next, then pivots again and beats at the wall until he can't feel his fingers at all anymore.

Only then does Chad finally stop, his chest heaving and eyes stinging painfully. And it all hurts, now that he's aware of himself; his knuckles bruised and bloody where the skin has peeled off, a twinge in his leg that he recognizes as a cramp of some kind.

He straightens, drawing a slow breath and crossing to the sink. He washes his hand awkwardly, trying to avoid getting the bandages around his left hand wet. The stark white contrasts with the diluted red, and he tries to focus on the colors, but the pain and the bandages and the screaming still remind him of the freaks who did this to him….

But he can't even think that anymore, can he? Not after hearing all that in the library. His body shudders, a long, slow shiver that pulls Chad deeper into his head.

He hadn't run away, though. Not because of that. Chad Charming didn't run from anything, especially not some villains who had no place being in his kingdom in the first place.

But he can't think that, because damn it….

He almost wants to punch the wall again, but his now throbbing hand discourages that idea. Abuse. The word alone is enough to make him feel sick, and he hates that everyone knows; hates the pain and the sadness and the fucking pity that reflected in everyone's eyes when they looked at him. At Ben's tone; all 'understanding' and condescending all at once.

"I know it's kind of a big deal for your family."

Like it was just some 'thing' that could be easily dismissed. Like his family wasn't torn apart because of it. Like it was something to be 'observed' or 'remembered' like a holiday or something exclusive and foreign and unique only to the Charmings.

"You have no idea, Ben," Chad spits at the mirror, his usually fine features contorting into something painful and bitter. "You have no idea what my family has been through."

Or just how much Auradon had screwed them over.

The Charmings had joined with Auradon when Chad was only five, but even then, he had sensed the shift their presence had brought. Or more specifically, his mother's presence. He had noticed the whispering, the rumors, the looks. But he'd only fully understood when he was seven, after two years of unsuccessful friendships and taunts; and his father had finally taken the time to explain to him just why it was that everyone was so bothered by them.

Because not only was his mother not of royal blood, she was also…different. Scandalously so, by Auradon standards.

Chad remembered once, when he was about six, watching his mother clean the castle. He'd toddled after, eyes wide and confused, as she'd let all the servants go, and insisted that she would make sure everything was clean; that it was her job, and that it would all be fine if she could just reach that chandelier….

His father had been angry at first, but then it had turned into a weary, wary sadness when his mother had suddenly collapsed against him, tears streaming down her face as she uttered barely audible apologies; pleas and promises to do better, to make sure she was doing enough for him; that she would make sure he wouldn't regret taking some worthless girl off the streets as his wife; that she was sorry, sorry, sorry.

Chad grits his jaw to keep the lump from rising in his throat, his fists clenching again as the anger at it all slowly started coming back. The worst of it was over, just memories and nightmares from childhood. But the effects were still there, even now…even now Chad would sometimes hear people whispering and laughing about his mother's 'cleaning routines.'

They didn't know that it was only because of his father's tireless work and added comfort and contact on Chad's part that the routine even existed. They didn't know that it was the only thing, strangely, painfully, that would help calm his mother's lingering anxieties. That if they didn't let the servants have a day off every season change: didn't let his mother clean the castle as she wished from top to bottom, that the resulting breakdown would be far more catastrophic.

It was just how they managed. How she coped. Who were they to point and laugh and whisper? To fight to deny Cinderella a place on the council; to question Chad's own legitimacy as a Prince and worthy of the titles it would grant him?

Who were they to pity, to say "I get that it's a big deal."

Chad forces his hand to uncurl from its fist, hissing another curse at the responding twinge of pain. But his head is finally clear, at least, though he's pretty sure he's going to need even more bandages for his other hand, and damn these VKs for coming here and forcing him to face his own problems. It was so much easier to ignore it, to ignore her, then to face it and accept it, to accept everyone's silent ridicule.

But despite the pressure in his head easing, his chest is still all too tight, and Chad's finds himself shaking for an entirely different reason as his hands slip into his pocket and pull out his phone. The tiled walls replay each ring back to him, and his throat goes dry so that by the time the voice sounds at the other end, Chad can barely croak out his own words.

"H-Hi Dad," he says, and there are tears in his eyes but for once, he'll let them fall. "Is Mom there?"

Hey guys, I did a thing. I made you feel something for Chad.