Mother

(Day 146: Friday Night)

Doug glances over the soda cans before sitting next to Ben, "You're stressed."

"I'm going to Mal's tonight."

"Another movie date?" Doug questions.

"No," Ben's frown deepens.

"You're not giving her heat or making out or anything," he makes sure.

It takes a minute for Ben to whisper, "I don't know." before he shakes his head. "What if she does want to? How am I supposed to say no?"

"By saying no," Doug easily asserts. "If she doesn't like it, just leave."

"I've tried to say no before," Ben faces him, "but I have no real reason and I'm running out of… well… excuses."

"So, you're not afraid she might hurt you again?" he inquires.

Ben hesitates, "You mean when she…" and Doug nods. "No. I don't think she'll go that far again, and if she does I can talk English now. Better, at least."

"Then what is the problem?"

Ben faces him before glancing off, "I want her."

"Okay." Doug slowly repeats, "So, what's the problem, then?" He notices Ben's face change to a pained expression, before he frowns in realization. "You mean… you want her."

"I want all of her," he whispers, before he looks down at the table. "I want her clothes off. I want my teeth to press into her neck." He feels his heart beat faster, "I want all of her." before he meets Doug's eyes. "Is this some sick power thing? I shouldn't be thinking about having sex with her and, and eating her at the same time. Those don't go together."

Doug adjusts his glasses, "Actually, couples take food to the bedroom all the time."

"But they don't think about killing them," he seethes, and when Doug fails to jump in response he continues, "And I'm not even… I want to do it. I really want to do it."

"Ben," Doug carefully comments, "I need you to understand that this… It's not you. It's your primal, or, uh, animal instinct." He pauses, "But that can be controlled."

"How am I even going to be able to get close to her?" Ben worries. "Even if she just tries to kiss me." He shakes his head, "I'm going to go for her neck, and I won't stop. I can feel it."

"You're just hungry," Doug frowns. "It would be easier for you to ignore that instinct if you were eating."

"That's what you want me to do?" Ben disbelieves. "Is eat?"

Doug looks at him for a minute, "No. I'm saying that maybe we should curb your cravings before you meet her." before he pulls up his shirt to reveal the big circle. "It scabbed over." Ben slowly reaches for the scab, before he moves a nail under the healed portion. Fairy Godmother told him to just say no. He pulls his hand away. She told him to tell Doug his worries, set boundaries, and make rules. Ben faces him. If he tells him, though, then he won't be able to identify that taste he had been too out-of-control to think about last time. "It's okay." Ben looks back down at the scab, before he brings Doug's arm closer and carefully pulls the scab off. He gulps at the sight of flowing red, and he moves in to taste it. He likes it. He knows that, but what is that taste? It's not metal. It never tastes like metal. It's almost sweet, but it's rich in a flavor he can't comprehend. He keeps sucking the blood too fast, and when the flow ceases he bites deeper. He cuts deeper and deeper, until he breaks into a fast flow; however, all he can think about is getting more. He won't be able to identify the taste this time either, and he starts to shake with incoming tears as he helplessly loses control once again. "It's okay," he hears Doug say again, his other hand placed onto his back for comfort, but it's not okay. He isn't okay.

Ben looks around the room, "So. Evie's at the sleepover."

Mal smiles as she walks forward, before she tugs on his tie, "You're all mine."

"So, ah." He clears his throat, "What will we be doing?"

"Well," Mal slowly answers as she undoes his tie, "If you're okay with it, I was thinking we could spend some time together.

Ben feels the tie get pulled out of his collar, and he holds his hands over hers as their eyes meet, "Can we do something less… together?"

Mal frowns, "Like what?"

He shakes his head, "What do you do for fun?"

"I don't know," she mumbles before looking over him. "What about you?"

Ben glances down, "I don't know." They look about the room, before he breaks the long silence. "What about chess?"

"The board game?" Mal inquires.

"Yeah." Ben uneasily smiles, "What do you think?"

Mal nods, "Okay."

"Light blue looks so good on you," Evie notices as she paints Jane's nails.

"Really?" she enthuses.

"Totally," Evie smiles, before she puts the brush back into the bottle and twists it shut.

"Okay," Audrey happily sings, and the four girls turn towards her. It's time to change into our pajamas. "Everyone got them?" They chime yes, and Audrey claps her hands together, "Good. Then—" She faces Evie, and a shade of discontent can be seen in her expression. "You. You'll have to change in the bathroom."

"Oh." Evie tenses to keep her smile, "Yeah." before she half laughs. "Of course."

Audrey struts over to the bathroom door, opening it and gesturing a hand to the inside, "Now." Evie stands from the pink beanbag chair and slowly walks over to Audrey, and when she pauses Audrey narrows her eyes at her, "Don't come out until we're finished."

Evie nods and then walks into the bathroom, but then she hears the slamming door and spins around. She walks over to it to test the doorknob, but it's not working. She tries it again, but it still won't budge. She widens her eyes as her breathing quickens, and she slaps the door with her hands, "Let me out." She does it harder and faster, "Get me out of here." but it's useless. She's trapped. Again. She feels the tears sting her eyes, before she leans her arms and forehead against the door, crying out, "Mother." She sobs a couple times before twisting around, sliding her back down the bathroom wall, before she pulls her knees up to her and wraps her arms around them as she rests her forehead on them.

After another minute of her crying Audrey opens the door, "Hey." and Evie looks up at her, trying to wipe the tears away. "It was just a joke."

Evie stands as she hurries past her, and after she runs out of the room Lonnie gives Audrey a look, "How could you do that?"

"It's because of people like her mother that our parents were kept in towers," Audrey reasons. "She should know how it feels."

"But her mother wasn't even one of the villains that locked people up," she disbelieves.

"We don't know that," Audrey asserts as she steps forward. "And Mal is off-limits thanks to you, Ruby's new boyfriend, and Ben."

"You think Ben isn't going to get upset about what you did to Evie?" Jane voices, and when Audrey turns to her she notices her serious, doubtful expression.

"I'm not stupid." Audrey looks over her, "No one's perfect. Get a mirror and you'll see."

When Mal notices Evie enter the room in tears she stands from the bed, "Eves." before Evie immediately rushes over to wrap her arms around her. "What happened?"

"She—" Evie cries into her shoulder, "She locked me in the bathroom. Audrey. She—"

"Audrey did what?" Ben angrily questions, before stands to his feet.

Mal sighs as he marches to the door, "What are you doing?"

"I'm going to talk to her," Ben firmly answers, before he exits the room and strides down to Audrey's door, giving it a loud knock.

When she opens it she frowns, "Ben."

"You locked Evie in the bathroom?" he grits his teeth.

"Just held the doorknob," she excuses.

"Same thing," Ben nearly yells. "What were you thinking?"

"I was thinking," Audrey stands straighter, "that it's about time those villains got a taste of their own medicine."

"But they're not," Ben outstretches an arm in disbelief. "They're not their parents."

"Might as well be," she counters. "What do you think villains teach their kids?"

"What do I think," he laughs in stress, before he points a hand to his chest, "What do I think? I think that the little time your mother had with Mal's mother is nothing as bad as what they had to live through every day."

"You're just saying that, because you don't understand," Audrey disagrees. "My mother was held up in a tower, powerless. You can't understand that."

"I can't understand that?" Ben's mouth gapes, before he lets out a sad huff, "My father had my mother locked in the tower for a month." He looks over her, "You know that. I told you."

Audrey quiets, "No, Ben. You didn't."

Ben runs a hand over his mouth, "Well, it doesn't matter." before he reaches for the back of his head. "It happened a long time ago."

"Ben," she sadly begins.

"My point is," he stresses, "Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos— they're not their parents." He nods. "Trust me. When you're the child of the kind of person that locks people in towers," he sternly looks into her eyes as he shakes his head, "you're not treated any better."

The tears shimmer in her eyes, "Ben."

"And if you do anything like this to any of them again," he takes half a step forward, "then I will rip your neck out."

Ruby protectively places a hand on Audrey's shoulder, "You can't do that."

He growls at her, before his eyes pierce into her, "Want to try me?" She fails to respond, a shocked look apparent in her features, before he turns back to Audrey. "If you hurt them, I hurt you. Am I clear?"

"Yes," Audrey whispers, but after he starts to walk away she says, "Ben." and he turns around. "You're not your father. You're good. I know you are."

Ben glances down, "Yeah." before he frowns back at her. "I used to think that too."

After he walks away Ruby turns Audrey around, "Are you okay?"

She wipes the tears from her face, "Yeah. I'm fine."

"We should report him," Ruby thinks. "Tell Fairy Godmother what happened, and—"

"Ruby," Audrey breathes. "I don't need a lawyer right now."

She hesitates, "The sooner you report it, the more seriously you will be taken."

"I'm not reporting anything," Audrey quietly states. "He's in pain. Can't you see? Please. Just let him be."

Ruby sighs before hugging her, "Whatever you need, I'm here for you."

-Next Up: Ben is sent to see the headmistress— again.