Core Values

(Day 56: Saturday Afternoon)

"What's that? Beef jerky?"

Mal watches Ben enter the room, "Yeah. Jay smuggled it in for me." as Ben makes his way around the bed and sits in the chair next to her.

He attempts to smile, "I wish I'd thought of that."

"Don't worry about it," Mal tries to smile back. "You're promising me a steak dinner."

"Which requires you to win this trial." Mal looks down, pushing the strips of plastic back over the stick of meat. "The lawyer said you seemed a little doubtful about things."

"Ben," she begins.

He takes her hand, and then she looks up at him. "When you're at trial Monday you can't have any doubts. You have to believe that you have a life worth fighting for— people and relationships worth fighting for. You're not going to win if you don't."

She glances down before commenting, "I know."

"So, tell me." She looks back up at him, noticing his sad, hazel-green eyes. "What exactly is it that you're doubting here? What… Why do you doubt us? Do you somehow feel unworthy? Because, if that's the case, then you need to know you're perfect just as you are."

"You hardly even know me," Mal softly counters.

"And I could say the same for you," Ben easily responds, "but that's the point, isn't it? That I have things I want to tell you and that eventually you will want to confide in me too, but that's never going to happen if we can't even trust in each other."

It takes a minute for Mal to respond, "I know Evie already tried to explain this to you, but I need you to understand." She gauges his even expression. "We weren't best friends when the whole heat thing started. That came afterwards, after I started to trust her." He doesn't say anything. "I could have chosen some loser of a guy, but I didn't. I chose the shy girl. She wasn't there out of convenience. School was in session. I could have had anyone."

Ben opens his mouth before hesitantly questioning, "Do you find her attractive?"

"I don't not find her attractive." He slowly nods, letting go of her hand to take his own. "Do you hate me?"

He quickly looks back at her, "No. Why would I hate you?"

"Because it's a sin," she answers as she pictures Audrey, but then Ben gives her a look. "I don't know why, but even you think it's wrong. I know you do. I could tell by the way you were acting before, by the way you were talking about it."

He lets out a breath, "If you're talking about yesterday, then you really need to know I was mostly just iterating what I thought the judge would think. I don't care about your heritage or that you've kissed girls before. I care about you." He makes a noise as he shuts his eyes for a second, "And okay. I may have found it a little… unsettling, but you were just acting on your feelings." He slightly nods, "And some people might find that kind of personality as dangerous, but I don't. Not really, anyway… You know, it's just that since you've acted on those feelings that now I know it's not just guys I need to be concerned with. It's everyone."

Mal half laughs, "I'm not attracted to everyone."

"No. Of course, not," he accepts.

"And age is also a thing," she reminds him.

He smiles at the realization, "Yes. It is." before he shakes his head. "It's just… you've made me the happiest I've ever been." He takes her hand again, "I don't want to lose you. To anyone or anything."

She looks down for a second, "Ben. I'm not perfect."

It takes him a minute to answer, "Neither am I, but we've been good for each other." He pauses before continuing unsurely, "Haven't we?"

"Yes," Mal confirms. "We've been very good for each other. It's just—" She shakes her head, "I don't know. This all still just feels like a dream." before observing him intently. "Even with all of the bad stuff that's happened… I keep waiting for it to end, or get worse, or break. I keep thinking that nothing can be this good, and what if I'm wrong?" It takes her a moment to add on, "Even about you?"

"You think I might turn on you?" Ben worries.

"I know it sounds ridiculous." Mal looks down and squeezes his hand, "You've done nothing wrong." before she faces his concerned expression. "It's not about you… It's me. And I know that that's just some lame thing people say when they just want an excuse to leave someone, but what I really need is a way to be convinced that it's going to be okay. Because, I really do like you, and I want to be able to stay with you."

"That ring I gave you," Ben looks down and touches where it should have been. "It's not like those engagement rings guys give girls to show ownership. When I gave it to you to wear, I was pledging myself to you. I would do anything for you, and I'd never betray you. You have to know that. I love you, and when you get that ring back you will be reminded of that every day."

"That's sweet," Mal frowns in response, "but it gives me that same feeling I felt when you first gave me that ring. On that ride to the coronation, just how oblivious you were to everything." She sadly looks at him, "How can you make such a grand gesture, when you're not even sure this thing we have will last."

"Because, I am sure." Mal falls silent. "I wouldn't have given you an item with my family's crest on it if I wasn't." He brings his hand to her cheek, "You are the light that shines my world. I'd be lost without you."

Mal shakes her head, "I'm going to feel stupid if this is just residue from that love potion." and his hand falls from her face.

"It's not," he reassures. "I've felt that way since the moment I saw you. When I saw you there was just this connection, something I felt that I never had with anyone else before. You—" He wets his lips, as he tries to find the words, "You make me feel whole."

Mal lets out a breath, "That doesn't make any sense."

"It does if I have something in common with you that I don't have with anyone else," he counters, before she offers a questioning look. "To my knowledge, I've never met another hybrid before. No one land based anyway…"

"I thought you said your mother insists that you're not actually a hybrid," Mal remembers. "That you were only documented as one."

"She's probably in denial," Ben negates. "And if she somehow actually believes that, then I know something she doesn't."

"What?" Mal prompts.

He scratches the back of his head, "Well. You already heard this little rumor, but I can growl. Apparently."

"Growl?" she smiles.

"Yeah. A couple friends of mine were trying to tell me, but I didn't really believe them. Not until I, uh, kind of growled at the receptionist to let me see you when you were first brought here."

Mal laughs, "You growled at the desk person?" but he can only answer with a look. "That's great. How did she react?"

"Pretty calm, actually," Ben notes. "Just complemented me on my vocal cords, as though her king was just some singer and not a beast hybrid."

"So, you really are a hybrid."

"Well, you know what they say," Ben responds in stress. "If it looks like a beast and roars like a beast, then it's a beast."

"Duck," Mal corrects. "The expression is duck, and you don't look like a beast." She watches as he grows quiet, "Is that something you worry about, that the actual curse was passed down to you and not just some weird side effects?"

"I wasn't able to growl before," Ben answers, "but then again I haven't gotten as upset or angry as much as I have been lately." He eyes her, "You know, if you had told me about what you were earlier… I probably would have believed you when you told me that you'd be there for me if the beast thing ever became an issue."

Mal lets out a long breath, "I know. I shouldn't have left you hanging like that, not when I suspected that you were having some similar problems of your own."

"Then why did you?"

Mal glances down for a moment, "The reason why I didn't tell you is the same reason why I told you that having beast-like qualities wouldn't change anything for you… and that reason is because there is so much more to a person than just their biology."

"So, it's not because you didn't trust me enough?" Ben worries, before she looks back up at him. "I just thought that maybe you were scared or something, like how I was scared back when I admitted to those— Well. Those qualities."

She shakes her head, "It wasn't you, Ben… Or, at least, not just you." It's quiet for a second. "If I had it my way, then no one would have ever known." She laughs, "Which is great, right? Now that Chad outed me to the entire world."

"Sorry about that," Ben begins.

"Don't apologize," Mal interrupts, "especially for someone else. If I didn't know it was meaningless before, then I sure do now." She uses a hand to get a curl out of her face, "I just wish I could have lasted a little longer without anyone knowing about me."

"Why?" he questions. "You're beautiful and powerful, and people already knew you had fairy magic. Why wouldn't you want anyone to know that you were a hybrid too?"

She attempts to smile, "Maybe because not all hybrids are equal?" and she glances down, messing with the plastic of the beef stick, before further explaining. "I'm sure you already understand this with your reluctance to tell anyone what you've been going through." She looks up and notices his eyelids lower in thought. "But things like dragons and beasts aren't compared with things like mermaids or centaurs. They are seen as beautiful and majestic. We—" Mal's smile turns into a pained grin as she laughs, "We would be seen as nothing other than some dangerous monster." Ben looks back up at her. "Which is why I really hope that this beast thing you have won't turn into anything more than it already has. Your life will be a lot easier if you don't have to have everyone know about it."

Ben looks down and clasps his hands, circling his thumbs over his palms, "Audrey knows." before he eyes her again, seeing her somewhat confused expression. "She had this petition to tag hybrids at the school with some necklace. I thought that if I had let her know that anyone can be a hybrid, even those you care about, then she'd let go and stop it."

Mal lets out a breath, "At least tell me she did, that you didn't tell someone this just for them to tell someone else."

Ben lifts his thumbs up, "I don't know." before he shakes his head. "I… I practically ambushed her. I threatened her. Fairy Godmother called it harassment." He lets out a solemn breath, "For all I know, she could hate hybrids even more than she did before."

"When was this?" Mal quietly inquires.

"Earlier this week."

Mal half laughs in relief, "Okay. Good. That means she's not going to tell anyone."

"She probably just doesn't want her friends to know that she dated an animal," Ben mumbles.

Mal gives him a look, "You're not an animal, not any more of one than a human anyway. You're perfectly normal."

"I can roar," Ben counters. "That's not normal. And what if something else happens, like if I get all hairy or something?"

"Yeah," Mal slowly nods. "It's called puberty." She glances over him, "Seriously, do you like not even shave or anything? Your face always looks so bare and smooth."

Ben almost laughs, "Funny thing, actually. Kind of weird, but I only really have to shave once or twice a week."

"Depending on the weather?" Mal jokes.

"It probably has more to do with stress," Ben answers. "But, yeah. Something like that." Mal partly smiles. "Seriously, though," he goes to grab her hand again. "I need to know that you will believe in us enough to want to get through the trial. There's no reason for you to believe that this won't work. Okay? I will be here for you no matter what."

"You can't say that," Mal frowns in seriousness.

"Yes, I can," Ben insists. "There's nothing you could say that would scare me off."

"What if I told you that I've made out with hundreds of people," Mal tests out, and when he doesn't flinch she continues. "I've been to prostitutes." Ben laughs. "What?"

He smiles at her, "I figured as much." before he reaches for her cheek. "You're so cute when you're annoyed."

"So. That's it. You don't care."

Ben drops his hand, "Believe it or not, Auradon has a sex work industry too." before he gestures. "It's probably more up to code than what you have on the island, but we still have it and given your situation I'm really not surprised that you've been to one."

"So, you don't care?" Mal responds again, this time less intensely.

"I don't see why it would be an issue. I mean, unless the workers weren't being properly screened and you contracted some disease." His mouth drops at the realization, "You didn't—"

"Highly unlikely," Mal interrupts. "I've only had sex once, and I don't really do oral. Soo, yeah. Not likely."

"You don't do oral?" Ben slowly questions.

She partly smiles in unsureness, "I mean, if you wanted to try it out eventually, then we could. But you should probably know by now that my saliva…" She purses her lips before explaining, "It has a paralyzing aspect to it. If I were to do something like that, then at some point it would go numb. The person probably wouldn't be able to feel it."

"Yeah. That sounds pretty scary," Ben uneasily comments. "I'd just rather have you bite my head off." He widens his eyes and quickly explains, "The neck. Not the—"

"I got it," Mal reassures. "Don't worry."

Ben lifts his hand up and down from his knee, "Nice one month dating conversation we're having, isn't it?"

Mal offers a look, "If you were from the Isle, you'd have asked for sex already. And not just the oral stuff. You would have been expecting the whole thing."

"Really?"

She slightly nods, "Yeah. You're sixteen. You probably would have had it by now." He doesn't speak, only looking towards the floor. "Hey. Ben." She takes his hand and he looks back up, "I'm glad you're not one of those guys."

"So, my lack of… experience doesn't bother you?" he insecurely questions.

She shakes her head, "Not at all. I like that our relationship is more than just physical."

Ben nearly smiles, "That's good to hear."

"And do me a favor." He watches as she looks him up and down. "Don't turn into one of those guys. I really don't need another one of those in my life."

He slightly shakes his head, "And what kind of guy is that?"

She looks away from him, unable to speak for a minute, before she turns back to him and softly says, "The kind of guy who thinks he can have whatever he wants, just because he wants it. The kind of guy who can twist things to make him the victim of the story and fit his agenda."

Ben looks intently at her, "Was Harry Hook one of those guys?" but then she lets go of his hand, and he watches as her eyes flash bright green before she shuts them. "Mal?"

"Don't say his name," Mal blinks before she gulps. "He's pure evil. You got that?"

"Aren't all villains supposed to be evil?" Ben uneasily questions.

"No," Mal stresses. "Not at all. So called villains, they do things out of revenge. They seek justice for things they feel they've been wronged for. They have a moral code, a line they won't cross." Mal shakes her head, "But Hook." She looks down for a moment. "He's not any of those things. There's nothing more to him than just being the guy that takes whatever he wants whenever he wants it without any thought to the people he destroys. He's exactly what you people think of when you think of a villain— but worse. Way worse." Ben fails to speak, so she continues. "And he's not here. Okay? So, there's no reason why we need to talk about him."

Ben frowns as he eventually says, "Okay." and then Mal looks down, taking a couple breaths. "I would like to know, though…" She looks back up at him. "What did he do to you?"

It takes Mal a minute to respond, "Evie would like to know that too." as she observes him for a moment. "I'm going to give you the same answer I gave her." He waits for her to speak. "Hook isn't rotten to the core. He has no core… And that's all you need to know."

"Rotten to the core?" Ben questions.

"It's a band," Mal explains. "Being rotten to the core is considered a good thing."

"But Hoo—" Ben wets his lips, "He doesn't have a core… as in core values?"

Mal shakes her head, "No. He doesn't."

It takes a moment for Ben to respond, "That doesn't seem like much of an answer."

"It's not," Mal accepts. "But it's the one I'm giving."

- Does anyone else remember what happened 54 chapters ago in "The Cure"? Yeah... I almost didn't either. Luckily, I remembered. This could have gotten very contradictory very fast.

- As far as the actual chapter goes... I'm sure there's a way for Ben and Mal to get around the whole saliva issue. Let's say, you know, if they were some of the select few people who actually use protection for oral. Also, pretty sure lesbians have rubbers too, so if Mal and Evie were to ever get together like that then that also wouldn't be an issue... although, she might have to go back to the Isle to buy those, since Auradon apparently has an unspoken law against gay people and probably wouldn't carry anything like that in their stores... One other thing, it's getting to the point where I'm starting to think that Ben is just so stupid for not catching on to what happened to Mal. But then again, Auradon is supposed to be a paradise with low crime rates, so maybe he's just that innocent and doesn't assume the worst as the worst thing that could have happened to her... Maybe manipulation or forced illegal work, but rape? Nah... Or maybe it has crossed his mind for a split second and he just doesn't want to believe it. Who knows... Call this plot convenience if you want. I'm sure I'm more than guilty of that by this point, since anyone who has finished a full semester of intro to law and into to psychology could probably figure it out just by knowing where she came from and observing her behavior... Especially with all of those required classes everyone took to recognize abuse and all that stuff... Yeah. With everything he was told he should be more than aware of the fact by now... I may just have to turn this into a case of denial... Poll: Let me know what you think. Is it plausible that Ben really just doesn't know or does he for sure know by now?