Thanks to everyone who had followed, favorited, and reviewed on the last chapter. Now I believe there will be one more chapter of this before I age the characters up nine years. This is unless you don't want me too. Tell me what you think I should do next in a review or PM me. Thank you to Bal-Breelice09121994 for the idea I used in this chapter and for letting me use your OCs Belle and Adam. Other than that, here you go.
Chapter 2
Ben and Evie wanted to fully know that Mal was gone, and although they knew a magic mirror wouldn't lie, they went to Jane to see. Jane was the new Fairy Godmother, so she made cast a spell to find Mal, it was to no avail.
"I'm sorry Ben, I know you miss her." Jane apologized.
"It's not your fault Jane, I just have no idea what I'm going to tell the kids. It's not easy to tell three year olds and a seven year old that their mom has left." Ben assured.
"If you need any help, like taking them somewhere of anything, I'm just one phone call away." Jane promised.
"Thanks," Ben gave a sad smile. When he got home he felt bad. He sat his kids down in the living room to tell them the news. "Okay, kids," Ben began. The tears started to fill his eyes. He never thought that he would have to tell them something as terrible as this.
"Is everything okay, Dad?" Rayner questioned. Worry was all the young boy could think of. Rayner couldn't remember anytime that his dad was this upset about something.
"No, Rayner, not everything is okay." Ben told his son. "Guys," Ben took a deep breath. "Mom left. I'm sorry."
"Mommy's not here?" Adam asked.
"Yes," Ben answered.
"You mean left as in like she's at the store?" Rayner inquired. He knew what he asked wasn't true, his dad wouldn't get so sad over his mom going to the store but hope had to remain somehow.
"No Buddy," Ben cried.
Two days later, after Ben took Rayner to school, the king came back to the castle for a meeting with the council of elders. Belle, on the other hand, had other plans. "Daddy! Please don't go! The three year old whined, holding on to Ben's leg.
"Sweetheart, I have to go." Ben told her.
"Daddy, please," the Princess begged.
"Why don't you want me to go?" Ben asked.
"You'll go away like Mommy." Belle answered.
Ben sighed. "Of course that's what this is about. She thinks I'll leave like Mal. Oh, Mal, why did you have to go? I can't bare to see her like this." Ben thought.
"How about you come with me then?" Ben suggested.
"Yay!" Belle cheered. Ben got to the council room with no time to spare. He sat Belle down and told her not to move. When the council came in, they took their seats.
Leah looked at Ben and saw his young daughter behind him. "King Ben, why is there a child in this room during this meeting? You know she's not allowed in here."
"Belle is my daughter and she can be where I want her to be and under the current circumstances she is certainly allowed in here." Ben told the former Queen.
"And what would those circumstances be?" Leah questioned. Ben stood there. "Go on King Ben."
"Be quiet mother, whatever is going on is King Ben's business, he doesn't have to share it with you." Aurora stood up.
"It's okay Queen Aurora, I would like to tell her what's going on so she will understand." Aurora sat down as Ben took a deep breath. "What's going on is that three days ago I woke up and Mal was gone. She has left her position as Queen and her role as a mother. We have no way of finding where she is and the reason why Belle is in here today, is she fears if she lets me out of her sight than I will disappear as well." Ben explained.
Ben didn't miss the sad looks on the councils faces. "I am so sorry to hear that King Ben," Elsa said. Lots of them nodded. Then there was a quick knock at the door.
"Lumiere can you get that please?" Ben asked
"Right away, Sire," Lumiere responded, opening the door.
What no one expected was Rayner to come running through the door. "Dad! Dad!"
"Rayner, Buddy, breath." Ben instructed his oldest child.
Rayner caught his breath and continued. "I found this in the dining room." Rayner held out a note. "It's from Mom." Ben took it and read it.
Dear Ben,
I'm sorry for all the trouble I cause by leaving but I just can't handle it anymore. Being Queen and being a mother has become to stressful for me. Where I'm going I do not know and you will not be able to find me. Tell the kids that I will always love them. Goodbye.
Mal
It was what Ben expected. He wasn't angry at Mal for leaving but was angry at himself for not seeing it sooner. Now his wife was gone and there was nothing he could do.
"I'm very sorry but I have to end this meeting. I hope you all understand."Ben said turning to the council. No one argued with him.
"Rayner, go take Belle somewhere else." Ben told Rayner.
Rayner listened, taking his sisters hand and leading her away. In the council room, with the door closed, Ben sat in his chair and cried. He let everything he was keeping bottled up inside out. This was hard for him too. He couldn't help but feel abandoned, lost and alone. He now had three children depending on him for everything, instead of him and Mal. Through his sadness he texted Evie to tell her to get all their friends and meet him at the castle.
15 minutes later, Evie, Doug, Lonnie, Jay, Carlos and Jane were all at the castle. "Thank you all for coming, now Evie, Doug, and Jane all know about this, but for the rest of you, I've got to tell you some bad news.
"What is it Ben?" Lonnie questioned.
Ben sighed. "Three days ago, Mal left. We can't find her."
If you said shock was all that was on the threes faces was shock, you'd be far wrong. "How could this happen?" Jay inquired. "It doesn't sound like Mal at all."
"I'm afraid it is. Rayner found a note from her today." Ben informed his group of friends. Evie payed more attention to this because it was something she hadn't heard of yet. "It says she was too stressed with her life. She said we will never find her, that she was sorry for all the trouble she will cause, and that she wants me to till the kids that she loves them."
"I will be Rayner and the twins mother figure Ben," Evie said.
"And we'll all be here to help you." Carlos added.
"No, don't worry yourselves with my problems." Ben told the group.
"Ben, you're always there for us, let us be there for us now." Jane continued. Ben knew he would not win this battle and wisely gave in.
"Okay, Guys, thank you so much for your help and support." Ben thanked.
"Any time Ben," Doug replied.
