"You know, just because you don't know about lightning and thunder doesn't mean you're not smart," Ben sighs from the doorway as Mal clicks through the twenty tabs she has open on her computer. "You just know other things. Who cares if Zach knows what the plant is called - you know whether or not it's edible."
"Great," Mal snaps irritably. "You and he can talk about electricity and... reactions in the atmosphere and I'll tell him where best to stab a man so he dies." She snaps the lid of her laptop shut with her eyes closed and lets out a ragged, ashamed breath. "I can't tell him things like that," she moans. "He already knows you're smarter than I am and I'm scarier than you. If I tell him things like that, he'll think I'm a monster."
"He's not going to think you're a monster," Ben sighs, pinching his fingertips to the bridge of his nose. He already knows he doesn't have much chance of convincing her, though. They've been having this discussion for almost two years now.
"Why is he growing up?" Mal groans, burying her face in her hands. "I can't deal with him getting bigger and all these things... Tyler still can't read by himself and he's almost four now!"
"Zach's a special case," Ben sighs. He's not sure how to console her - is there any consolation for a mom who feels like her baby is growing up too fast? And all she says is true - Zach amazes everyone who meets him. He's somewhere in between a third and a fifth-grade level as far as his knowledge goes, but his rationing is beyond even some adults Ben knows in the courts. Most of what he knows is from reading or Ben and Mal talking with him. They called in a tutor a while ago, and Zach was nice enough to her, but he simply learned too fast for her to be able to develop lessons for him. The local school kind of shook their heads and said that it would be a waste of his potential to have him sit in with even the sixth graders, who need things to be taught more than once whereas he remembers everything, and the only premiere school for kids his age is five hours away, so the only schooling he's done has been online and at-home activities. Now that Tyler is almost to kindergarten age and he's being grouped in with the rest of his age group, he and Mal are starting to understand exactly where a child of Zach's age should be. And it's not sitting upside down in the armchair in the library reading Einstein's theory of special relativity for fun. (He couldn't understand it, but he keeps track of words and phrases and that's how he figures things out)
"Is this good for him?" Mal sighs, tugging on her hair a little. "He's not around any other kids except for his brother and his cousins. and he's moving so fast... what happens when he levels out?"
Ben shrugs. It's going to be a long time before Zach levels out. And he's not too concerned with Zach's friends. Sure, the crown prince doesn't get out much, but he's kind and amicable and gets along well with everyone. He's not a very temperamental child, even when pestered by Zach or Jay's kids.
"We need something he can focus on learning that he won't master the moment it's out of someone's mouth," Mal sighs. "Preferably something with other children." She glances over at Ben with a soft, pleading sigh. "For my sanity and his sake."
"I don't think there's a problem," Ben sighs, sitting down beside her. "But it might be good for him to know what it's like to not learn something right off the bat."
"I was thinking of putting Tyler in dance," Mal sighs. "The other moms at the school have some of his friends in a class together. It's like a tumbling, gymnastics program. After school... let out some of his energy."
"Well, it's not like he can go battle pirates for fun like you used to," Ben snorts, nudging her side even as Mal frowns. "That sounds good. Are you going to put Zach in one?"
"Well, then I'd have to drive out there and back and then there again to drop him off and pick him up. Tyler can walk with his friends. One of the moms works in the building," Mal sighs, brushing her hair out of her eyes. "It would be better to have something I can take him to when I drop Tyler off at school."
Ben puts his hands on her shoulders and rubs his fingertips into her shoulders. "Maybe... music?" He suggests, and then a new plane of understanding opens to his eyes. "Actually... that's a great idea. Learning an instrument helps make connections in kid's brains. He'll have to practice to get good at it and train the muscles in his fingers to-"
"Oh my gosh, you're just like him!" Mal groans. "Why did I marry someone smart? This was a horrible idea!"
Ben laughs. He can't help it. He kisses her cheek and mumbles an apology against her skin. "I'll talk to him and ask what sounds cool," He tells her. "And then I'll get back to you, okay?"
Thus, Zach begins taking guitar at age five. They pick a studio two buildings away from the public library, so for an hour and fifteen minutes Zach does guitar, then he goes to the library for weekly crafts lessons that other homeschooled kids participate in, and then waits the last hour or so before Mal or Ben picks Tyler up from school. He doesn't mind the wait since he gets to read, but he does mind the lessons themselves. Guitar, it turns out, is hard for him. He gets annoyed, but never angry. Sometimes he asks Mal if he can not go, but he doesn't argue when she disagrees. Once he kicks the empty guitar case, but their oldest child isn't very explosive or hot-headed. Ben's proud of him. After all, it isn't easy to struggle with something, and after learning everything else so easily, it's hard to have to practice something as simple as plucking strings in the right order.
For the first time, he progresses at the same rate as the other kids taking it with him, and Ben sees all of Mal's nerves relax one by one. It's still hard for her to see him move so fast in other subjects, but so long as she can listen to him complain about disliking guitar and how much the strings hurt his fingers, she's convinced that he'll still come to her for advice and comfort and she can keep trying to be a good mom.
For several months, Ben listens to his eldest mutter in the family room as he plucks and presses and then strums on his instrument. Sometimes he has to close his eyes when an out-of-tone note vibrates in his ear or when he hears Zach growl in the little way that reminds Ben a.) his son is struggling and b.) the Beast curse definitely still lives on in their family. Then, one day, he walks through the room and listens to Zach play 'Twinkle Twinkle Little Star' without any pauses and on all the right keys. And then Zach sets down the guitar with a proud smile and looks up for approval. And at the moment, man, wow. He's been proud of Mal before, but never like this.
The idea that the kids would one day have questions about Mal's childhood had occurred to him, but he'd always brushed it aside because they hadn't started asking questions yet. He assumes Mal has been thinking the same way. "It's not a problem yet, so let's not talk about it." But the inevitable fault in that plan is that they're both completely thrown off when they finally do ask.
"Dad," Zach asks in the car from the backseat as he balances a book strategically so Tyler can't romp his action figure over it. "The evil fairy in Sleeping Beauty is Grandma, right?"
Mal chokes on her coffee and Ben whips his head around before she seizes the wheel to ensure they don't veer into a new lane. The car next to them honks unpleasantly as their morning commute is interrupted.
Tyler falls out of his seat and onto the floor, where he whines a little before getting back up and sitting down. He sulks in disappointment - he told them he was buckled up and now his cover has been blown. Ben pulls to the side of the road and since he's the better composed of the two adults, he turns around to buckle Tyler up with a firm expression and put a hand on Zach's leg. Zach's face is white.
"Sorry guys," Ben breathes, still holding a hand on Zach's leg. "We, uh, weren't expecting you to ask about Grandma." He exhales and turns to Mal, who is as white-faced as Zach is as she stares stone-faced out the windshield. "Yes, Grandma was the Evil Fairy. Kinda like how Grandpa Adam was the Beast a long time ago."
"So she's dead?" Zach asks quietly. Mal recoils next to Ben like someone threatened to hit her. Ben's a bit wary too. Zach is seven, so it's not exactly strange that he knows the Beauty and the Beast stories and Sleeping Beauty. It's not strange either that he's asking about death and can understand that concept. Poor Mal looks like she'll be sick though. How many deaths had she witnessed(or participated in) by the time she was his age?
"No," Ben replies simply. He hopes Zach won't ask any more questions. He's not sure Mal can handle him explaining how she's alive and on the Isle in human form with her powers bound and how Mal hasn't gone to see her since before she got pregnant. He doesn't even want to explain why his dad thought it would be a good idea to bring back all the villains who had died to punish them further. It's easier to let Zach believe she never died in the first place, like it's easier to let him believe in Santa Claus rather than risk him explaining it to one of his friends.
"Is it a bad thing to talk about?" Zach asks, biting his lip the way Mal does when she's nervous. Ben hides a small, anxious laugh.
"No," he assures his son. "No, you can ask about Grandma. We just weren't expecting you to and you surprised us." He pats Zach's leg to reassure him and then turns with a shaky breath to Mal to see if she has anything to add or clarify. Slowly, she turns back to try and face Zach.
"Mommy doesn't really talk to Grandma anymore," She whispers. "Grandma wasn't a very good mom to me. That's why she doesn't come and see us like Grandma Belle and your Grandpas do."
"You have a mom?" Zach shouts, kicking his legs out and falling back into his chair like he's gone boneless from the shock.
Mal cracks a smile as Zach shifts a few inches away from his loud little brother and rolls his eyes. "Yes, Beastie. Daddy has a mom, why wouldn't Mommy?"
"Because Mommy's tough," Tyler yells, taking his dragon action figure and flying it in circles in front of him. "And Daddy's a big softie!"
Mal bursts into laughter as Ben glares a little from his seat. Zach tilts his book into a shield as Tyler's dragon soars into his airspace and whispers: "I think Dad's tough too." Ben looks up through the rearview mirror to check for cars coming up behind them and also to glance at Zach as he leans against the window with his book mostly hiding his face. The title, which he can read even in the mirror, is 'Auradon History - Updated version with King Benjamin and Queen Maleficent.' He exhales slowly.
They make it to the school without another almost-crash and Mal unbuckles her seat belt to climb out and come around to help Tyler jump out. Zach lowers his book to glance out the window in interest at the other children who are bustling around the elementary school, but then ultimately returns to his stories. When Mal opens the door, Tyler pounces out and jumps into her chest in a way that makes her laugh but almost knocks her over. She squeezes him tightly and kisses his head before he's trying to struggle to the ground. She juggles him down as she also tries to reach in to grab his backpack, and when she turns around, he's already dashed away to his friends. Mal sighs and shuts the door as Ben chuckles softly. As soon as she's gone, Ben turns around to Zach.
"Hey, bud?" He calls, and Zach looks up from his book. Ben nods to it. "Who are you reading about?"
"Grandma and Grandpa," Zach replies, glancing back down to his place. "This is talking about them getting married."
"Okay," Ben nods and then glances out to make sure Mal isn't returning yet. She's not. She and Tyler are easily recognizable from twenty feet away, where the two purplettes exchange a hug before the bell rings inside and Mal waves goodbye to him. Other parents and teachers stand around, glancing cautiously at the queen as her vibrant-haired son romps inside with his friends. "Listen, bud, if you have any questions about Grandma Maleficent or Grandpa Hades, it might be better to ask Dad first alone and I can answer it or tell you if Mom would be better to answer it."
Zach looks a little caught-in-the-headlights as he stares at Ben sheepishly. Ben smiles to comfort him as he sees Mal start to make her way back to the car. "You're okay to ask questions. We're not going to hide things from you. But it can be a bit hard for mom to remember, okay?"
"Okay," Zach nods.
Mal opens the door and gets in with a little exhale. She buckles her seatbelt and then smiles at the two of them, completely unaware. Zach looks back down at his book as Ben leans over and squeezes her hand. "Ready for guitar?" Mal asks Zach.
"Yeah," Zach responds carelessly, then looks over the top of his book at her. "Mom?" He calls, and Ben glances in the rearview mirror at him automatically to make sure that he's not about to ask another Maleficent question. Mal turns to show Zach that she heard and the book goes down a little more to reveal more of Zach's face, which Ben thinks looks more like Mal's and less like his every day. "I love you," he tells her.
A smile blooms across Mal's face. It's the same sort of thing that she used to do when he'd make her blush as teens. "I love you too, baby," she whispers.
Zach furrows his brow. "How come I get to be called baby and Tyler gets to be called Beastie?" He asks.
Mal laughs. "Well, when I first learned I was going to have a baby, I didn't know if you'd be a boy or a girl or what your name would be, so I just called you 'Baby'. And then you became Baby when you were born. But then Tyler came along and I had to come up with another nickname for him. I couldn't give him yours."
"I think you should come up with a new one, mom," Zach recommends. "I could be dragon. Or something else that's cool."
"Hmm," Mal makes a face as if she's considering it, but Ben knows she'll never change his nickname. Zach changed her life and he's always going to stay small enough to fit in her hands in her head. Even when he's fifty, he's always going to be her baby. "We'll see."
She turns to watch the road with him and he tangles their fingers together around the shift of the car as he drives. The radio plays softly and he can hear Zach turning pages, about one every twenty-eight seconds, in the back. Mal finally closes her eyes and leans her head back into the seat in this way that makes her seem young and careless and makes his heart start thudding in his chest. They're just turning into Zach's Guitar studio when they hear him unbuckle and lean up into the front with his index finger on a term he has a question on. "Mom, dad?" He calls.
"Hmm?" Mal asks, turning her head to listen to him.
"What's the Isle of the Lost?"
There's a beat of silence where Mal opens her eyes and stares at the page, uncomprehending. Ben barely has time to park the car before she's withdrawing into herself, clapping a hand over her mouth and leaning back into the seat with tears filling her eyes. Ben unclicks his seat belt, leans across Zach, and pulls her head against his chest before she can start crying. Ben gives Zach a shaky smile as Mal starts to gasp and shake into his shoulder. "I'll tell you later, bud. Have a nice time at guitar."