A/N Sorry I took so long to update. I finally got a computer though! No more struggling to write and update through a phone! This fic is almost at its end :( One more chapter I think. If anyone wants me to write a short something for the story, send me a prompt in the reviews!

I'm not sure what I am going to write next. I love crossovers and ocs. I was thinking of writing a story with the Mad Hatter and the Avengers or a Harry Potter and... well I'm not sure. SOMEONE GIVE ME AN IDEA! Give me something Disney or Harry Potter!

Chapter Nine- Undesirable

Theodore woke up feeling warm. It was a new a welcomed feeling. He had slept in a great number of places before. Cold floors, alleys, empty boxes and trash cans, closets, and most recently, bathtubs. But even with his coat covering him, he had never woken up warm.

His body felt heavy and sore under the thick blankets placed on him. Though he did feel a few jolts of pain, they were minor. It made him curious as to who had found him and where he was. To be honest, Theo didn't even care that he had woken to an unfamiliar room. Just curious. He couldn't care less of what happened to him now. The pain in his body was nothing compared to the pain he felt in his heart.

No one wanted him around. Not his parents and certainly not his friends. It seemed as though he was destined to remain unloved. Theodore didn't expect things to go the way they did. He didn't think Mal or the others would turn their backs on him like they did or how Evie didn't speak up at least once during the confrontation. The girl had promised that everything would be fine.

Theo choked back a sob, his chest heaving as he threw himself off the side of the bed. He couldn't do this. He couldn't handle the pain and the rejection. Those three were all he had and it took one night, one secret to mess it all up.

Theodore saw something move from the corner of his eye; A pair of legs but he didn't look up. He felt the stranger kneel beside him and pull him into a warm embrace, rocking him gently.

"There, there, child," a gentle, elderly voice soothed. "Dry your tears." Theodore buried his face on the woman's shoulder, his tears staining the silky fabric.

"Mom?" Another voice called a little ways away from the distraught teen.

"Can you get the stuff please, Chip?" The woman called, still rocking Theo on the ground. "It seems as our guest has finally awoken."

It took a few minutes for Theodore to calm down while the elder woman continued to hold and sing to him. The singing was a bit weird but Theo found her voice to be soothing. When he had quieted down, the woman unfortunately moved away from him, making him feel cold. Theo didn't move or say anything; He just sat on the floor with his head down. He heard a whispered conversation above him but didn't bother to listen. It didn't matter.

Suddenly, Theodore was lifted from the floor. The sudden movement shocked him as he threw his head up and locked eyes with a young blond man. Instinctively, Theo threw his arms around the man's neck with a gasp. The older man only chuckled but readjusted his hold and set him down gently on the large bed.

"There," he said with a smile. "Better than sitting on the floor." Theodore shrugged, his attention back to his hands as his face burned a bright scarlet from being picked up so easily; and like a child to boot.

"Oh, Chip," the woman admonished the man while slapping his shoulder. "You startled him."

"Aw come on, ma," Chip whined rubbing his 'wound.' "I was just trying to help."

"I taught you better manners."

"That you did." he laughed, turning his to wink at Theo to show his amusement. "I apologize for man handling you onto the bed." Almost immediately after saying that, Chip's face turned a deep red. Theo cocked his head to the side, clearly confused as to why the man looked embarrassed all of the sudden.

"I-I didn't mean it like that! I— j-just— You're not my type," he chuckled nervously before giving him a terrified glance. "Not- Not that there's anything w-wrong with you! I'm sure that your an amazing person. Very cute too! I-I would never— I d-didn't— What I mean to say—"

"Just stop, hun," The woman giggled. "He's a bit young for you, don't you think?"

"MOM!" Chip cried. "I—" The man was cut off by Theodore's snort of laughter. A small smile played on his lips as he watched the mother and son banter. The elder woman and Chip glanced down at him, eyes wide before grinning. Though the boy's eyes were still red and puffy from his cry, his smile helped ease some of their concerns.

"Now will you look at that, Chip," the woman said. Chip nodded and sat on the corner of the bed, his eyes trained on the teen.

"You gave my mother and I quite a scare. How are you feeling?" Theodore tried to speak but he could only cough. His throat felt extremely dry. The woman gasped and quickly walked over to the bedside table. She picked up a glass of water and handed it to the teen. Theo nodded gratefully and sipped the cool water carefully.

"I'm ok, thank you," Theo whispered. Chip sighed and shared a look with his mother but didn't press for more.

"Well I'm Chip and this is my mother, ," he introduced with a friendly smile. "She was the one who found you a few days ago. Called me up at around three in the morning to help bring you here."

"Days ago?" Theodore questioned, his eyes wide.

"Oh yes," confirmed. "You have been asleep for almost three days. We were getting a bit worried. If you had not woken up when you did, I would have had Chip here run you to the hospital."

"Why didn't you just leave me? I'm not your responsibility. I'm a stranger."

"A stranger you are but I am not one to leave someone in need, dear."

"I— Thank you," the teen said with a small smile.

"So what's your name, kiddo?" Chip asked.

"Uh, Theodore. But most people just call me Teddy nowadays." He whispered after taking another sip of water.

"Teddy," Chip repeated with a small nod. "Well Ted, do you have someone we can call? Your parents maybe? I'm sure they are awfully worried about you." The innocent question and pure concern written on the man's face was more than enough to set Teddy off again.

Theodore never was one to cry so often. Crying was just not done on the Isle. It was the sign of ultimate weakness. But with all that happened, he couldn't hold the tears in anymore. He felt broken and alone. His heart felt as though it were going to rip in two. Living on the Isle makes one accustomed to pain but this hurt was like no other. On the inside, Teddy kicked himself for being so pathetic; Crying over his friends in the midst of two strangers. Living in Auradon for nearly two weeks must have made him go soft.

"Oh, child," whispered as she pulled him into another embrace.

Chip stared down sadly at the distraught child. His heart aching at the overwhelming sadness the boy emitted. He was just a child. Chip had assisted his mother in tending to the boy during the past few days and long nights. They had seen what was under those rags he called clothes. The boy was underfed, that's for certain. Everyone of his ribs were visible. HIs chest and arms were littered with old bruises and scars. Chip tried telling himself that kids roughhouse and get hurt all the time but the wounds on the child's body were excessive. The worst of the scaring was on his neck; His mother had to leave the room to collect her bearings after they had removed Teddy's scarf.

After seeing the boy's reaction at the mention of his parents, Chip felt horrified at the prospect that his own family had caused the child so much pain. It was unheard of! From what he had seen, Teddy seemed like a sweet boy. Even he were a brat, no kid deserved such… violent punishment. The man also felt angry, no furious. He had grown protective of the teen. He didn't doubt his mother had unofficially adopted the kid in her mind. Chip swore to himself then and there that if he ever met Teddy's parents… not even King Adam would be able to hold him back.

—

Once he was calm once more, Chip had told im they were actually in one of the many guest rooms of King Beast and Queen Belle's palace. Teddy nearly jumped out the window after hearing that but assured him that his presence was kept on the down low. Only two other people besides Chip and his mother knew he was there.

Lumiere and were an odd pair. They had wandered into the room a while back ago with some food and juice in the midst of an argument. It was mostly one sided though as was the only one that was truly annoyed. Lumiere merely laughed and aggravated him further. After the pair had left, Chip had jumped on the bed beside Teddy and made himself comfortable. Teddy was glad the man had stayed with him. He couldn't handle being left alone at the moment.

The man did a very good job at distracting the teen; Telling him bad jokes and asking random questions to successfully make the teen laugh. Chip told him he had eleven brothers and sisters. All of which lived in the castle growing up. Each one of them attended Auradon Prep and graduated with top scores, landing them all in great schools. Teddy had laughed at some of the professions Chip's siblings have chosen. From toothpaste testers to ballerina. Chip was very proud of them all.

The man decided to take after his mother career wise. He now works at the castle as head housekeeper as his mother retired from the position a few years ago. He loves his job and most importantly, he loves the family he worked for. Teddy had a field day hearing all the funny stories Chip had about the going ons of the castle.

It was around midday when Teddy had asked about Prince Ben. He had told Chip of how he had met the soon King in the school's kitchen. Chip had laughed and happily told him Ben was currently in the castle. The man then pulled Teddy out of bed and shoved him into the conjoined bathroom to shower and change out of his borrowed sleep attire. (One of Chip's old night shirts that fell passed Theodore's knees.)

Once clean and smelling like a spring meadow, Teddy stepped out of the bathroom wearing his own clothes back. had personally washed and tailored his clothes. The other man figured the boy wouldn't appreciate it if his clothes were thrown out. Theodore had thanked the man profusely, causing to turn a beet red and stuttering out a 'you're welcome' before leaving the room.

Lumiere had kindly given Theodore some clothes he said they had kept from the many teen turned adults that had lived in the castle. The castle Maitre'd had found clothes in shades of orange, greens, blues, and browns saying that kids these days always seem to stick to a certain color scheme.

Chip then escorted Teddy to Ben's personal quarters. Well, more like dragged actually. Theodore didn't mind though. If they had taken their time, Teddy was sure his pockets would become significantly heavier than when he arrived.

Ben's room was nothing to scoff at. The lavish designs and expensive decor made Teddy wilt and look down at his own attire. He's never felt self-conscious before but even he had to admit that the damn drapes were probably worth more than his whole wardrobe back at the isle.

Ben was sitting at his desk when he and Chip had arrived. The prince didn't acknowledge their presence, probably didn't even notice their arrival.

"Ahem," Chip coughed. Ben didn't seem to hear the man which clearly agitated the poor soul to no end. He tried coughing to gain his attention once more but Ben still didn't look up. Finally, Chip took a deep breath and cupped his hands to his face and shouted:

"I SAID 'AHEM', YOUR MAJESTY!" Ben let out a loud yelp as he tipped backwards from his seat in shock. Chip grimaced at the down king before smiling sheepishly at the teen's glare. "You have a guest," He rushed out before pushing Teddy in front of him and quickly escaping the room.

"Whaaa?" Teddy gasped in surprise as he tried to regain his footing from the sudden shove.

"Teddy? What are you doing here?" Ben asked as he pulled himself off the floor and greeted the orange haired teen with a handshake.

"You know, I'm not to sure anymore," Teddy shrugged. Ben laughed and pulled the other teen further into the room and offering him a seat.

"When I said we should hang out i meant at the school. But this is pretty cool too," Ben hastily continued after seeing Teddy's frown. "I haven't seen you around school for a while. Is something the matter?"

"N-no. Everything's good. Just didn't feel up to going to class, y'know?"

"As your future king I'm supposed to say that I don't condone you skipping class." Ben started sternly before his face melting into a smile. "But as your friend and fellow student, I totally understand wanting a break from it all."

"What about you?" Teddy asked, his nose scrunching up in confusion. "You looked upset earlier." Ben was going to shrug of Teddy's inquiry. Waving off his troubles as if it were no big deal but he faltered. The last time he spoke to the other teen had helped greatly. It wouldn't hurt to confide in Teddy once more. Besides, Ted was such an easy guy to talk to.

"There's this… girl," Ben started.

"Ah. I see," Teddy said with a nod. " You like her?"

"No. Well, yes. I think," the prince admitted, his brow scrunching up in confusion. "That's the thing, Ted. I don't know how I feel about her. I like her but she's just so— so confusing! One minute she's interested in me and then she closes off out of nowhere! Ted, I'm telling you, this girl is the most interesting, beautiful, and mysterious person I have ever met! I really like her. Maybe even love her, I don't know."

Teddy grimaced as the will-be-king stood from his chair and began to pace. The taller teen ran his hands through his hair in frustration before sighing.

"She— she slipped me a love spell, Ted," He said brokenly. "I want to believe that she likes me too but how can I trust her not to go behind my back again?"

"Mal, right?" Teddy said, feigning ignorance. "She probably does like you but was too afraid to admit it; Not only to you but to herself. You said so yourself that she has the tendency to close off from others. Maybe that spell was her way of showing affection. Maybe she was afraid of rejection. That by no means means her method was justifiable of course but remember she is from the Isle. Things are done differently there."

Ben stopped pacing and stared down at his carpeted floor for a long moment before nodding with a sigh.

"You're probably right there, Teddy," He agreed before giving a short laugh. "You're pretty smart, man. Makes me wonder how since you seem so keen in ditching school so much." Theodore gave a sarcastic laugh before reaching over on Ben's desk and throwing a pen at the prince.

"Watch it!" Ben laughed as he dodged the small projectile. "Anyways, have you ever been in love?"

Teddy's eyes immediately seemed to glow a bright green as a huge smile crossed his face. The younger teen literally swooned as he began to sway slightly in his seat. Ben stared at the teen in confusion at the sudden change but patiently waited for the boy to speak.

"She's th' most beautiful lass ah hae ever laid eyes oan. Hoo she walks. 'er smile. 'er voice. 'er eyes. Ach min 'er eyes! They ur th' bluest eyes in th' warld!" Teddy said, his voice wistful as he thought about his love.

"What's her name?" Ben asked, trying very hard not to laugh at the dopey look the other teen had.

"Jane," Theodore sighed.

"Jane? As in fairy godmother's daughter, Jane?" The prince repeated in disbelief. "Huh, I didn't think Jane had many friends; Much less male friends. How long have you known her?"

" Ah don't know," Theo shrugged. "A week, Ah guess. Ah mit 'er th' day ay th' big Tourney game."

"Wait. Let me get this straight. You're in love with a girl you met less than a week ago?" Ben asked, completely shocked. "How many times have you spoken to her since then?"

"Jist th' once," Teddy said, not catching on to why Ben seemed so shocked.

"You can't love someone you just met, Teddy! That doesn't happen."

"Whit dae ye mean? Yoo're in love wi' Mal an' ye only knoon 'er fur less than a month!"

"That's different! I— I dreamt of her for years now. I know it sounds crazy but I know it's her. The girl in my dreams, I mean. Plus the love spell— THE LOVE SPELL!" Ben quickly stood from his seat and kneeled in front of the other teen. He pulled Teddy's chin up so he could see his eyes closely and cursed. "Did you eat the cookies?"

"What cookies?" Teddy scoffed as he pulled away from the frantic prince.

"They were chocolate chip! With almonds! Did you eat a cookie the day of the game?"

"Ah don't know. Mebbe," Teddy said with a shrug. "Ah don't remember." Ben groaned and pulled Teddy up and out of his seat before walking out his bedroom door, clasping tightly on to Teddy's sleeve.

"Whaur ur we going?" Teddy cried as he tried to keep up with the prince's determined stride.

"You'll see," Ben said before he called down for a maid to get his driver ready.

—

Apparently Ben's idea of hanging out was pushing his new friend into a lake, fully clothed. It also turns out that not only is Teddy a terrible swimmer but he has a very… interesting vocabulary.

"You're a slag." Teddy growled as he sat on the dirt ground with his arms crossed. Ben grimaced and sighed as he sat beside the drenched teen.

"It was the fastest way I could get you into the water. I didn't know you couldn't swim."

"And why did you think I needed the surprise bath?"

"The lake is enchanted," Ben explained with a sigh. "It strips away any enchantments or spells cast on a person. The cookie you ate was the same Mal gave me only you fell for Jane." Realization hit Teddy like a ton of bricks. His feelings for the girl weren't his own. The only thing that felt right to him was all a farce.

"I— I never loved Jane." Teddy whispered. "But I t-thought… She was the only good thing that happened to me recently."

"I'm sorry, Teddy," Ben said softly.

"But you still love Mal." At that something flared inside Teddy. His emotions and thoughts towards Jane changed completely the moment the his head went under the water. What if Ben was just toying with Mal? He said the lake broke the spell off him too. While Mal had essentially given up on Teddy, that didn't mean the teen still didn't care for her. His vision slowly turned red and his heart started to beat wildly at the prospect of Ben playing with Mal's emotions. No one, not even the future king, would disrespect his friends. Not when Teddy was still alive and kicking.

"Ah dornt loove Jan coz ay th' lake but ye still loove Mal?" Teddy started, his voice low and venomous. "Ur ye playin' 'er?"

"What!? No, of course not!" Ben shouted, completely taken aback.

"Sorry if ah dornt believe ye, yer majesty,"The orange haired teen said sarcastically as he stood to face the bewildered teen. "Ah hae seen some low, nasty things but ah ne'er thought ye woods pull a prenk lake thes! Hoo daur ye!?"

"Calm down, Teddy! I would never do that!" Ben shouted while trying to hold back on his own anger. "I liked Mal before the cookie! The date we had just cemented my feelings towards her. Even if I didn't love her like I did now, I would never betray someone's trust like that!" Teddy's acidic yellow eyes glared into Ben's blue orbs. After a minute of stillness, the younger teen sighed, his eyes bleeding back to his normal green, and nodded. He saw how sincere the other boy was. Ben truly loved the purple haired girl.

Ben noticed the change and relaxed his stiff posture. Inside, Ben was wary of Teddy's change when angry. He had never seen someone's whole physical diminuer change. Sure he had noticed Mal's eyes changing to a bright green when angry but Teddy was different. His eyes weren't the only thing that changed. His hair darkened a shade or two, the bags under his eyes became more pronounced and his skin took on a sickly pale tone. Even his clothes dim from their usual bright colors. Teddy became a scary sight when he was angry.

However, the phenomena didn't just happen when Teddy exhibited signs of anger. Sadness, fear, joy, nervousness. Teddy was a walking mood ring. In the back of Ben's subconscious, the prince recognized and as heard of the same thing occurring to another redhead in passing but he didn't think too much on it.

"I—I trust ye, Ben," Teddy sighed. "Aam sorry ah blew up oan ye. Just— nae a' lot of people in Auradon ur as good as ye, Ben. Mal— Mal is special an' ah wood hate if anythin' waur tae happen tae th' lass. She awreddy hud sic' a hard life. Jay, Evie, and Carlos tay. Ah dornt want them tae gie hurt."

"And they won't," Ben said with fierce determination. "I promise, Ted. I will keep them safe and happy. They won't have to go back to the Isle as long as they want to remain here. The other children on the Isle too. I refuse to remain ignorant. Auradon will change, Teddy. I will make sure of it."

Ben had invited Teddy to stay the night at the castle since it was so dark outside by the time they made it back but luckily Chip was there to save Teddy from answering. The man had explained to Ben that Teddy was staying with him and his mother for the weekend. Ben had shrugged and told Teddy to meet him at the front gates at the morning for a ride to school stating that he had already missed too many days of class.

When asked why they were going to school on a sunday, Ben explained that it was family day. A tradition at Auradon prep where all parents were invited to the school to see their children as most lived on campus in the dorms. Teddy had tried to weasel his way out of missing the event but Ben had been persistent. He even threatened to drag the orange haired teen into the limo if he refused.

The next morning was a flurry of movement. Cogsworth and Lumiere had insisted on forcing Teddy into his fanciest clothes. An orange blazer over a navy blue button up shirt and dark green dress pants. Luckily, the two castle servants aloud Theodore to wear his own shoes.

Ben had complimented Teddy when he had seen him which resulted in Ben receiving a stink eye in return. It was too early to be social. The only bright side to the early wake up was watching the sunrise for the first time. The light touching the dewy grass and school was an incredible sight for someone who never had the chance to admire the sun.

Teddy tried to avoid being seen as the parents and students mingled around the courtyard. Theodore especially worked hard on avoiding his former friends but he knew he stuck out like a sore thumb. There wasn't another orange haired teen in sight.

A metaphorical light bulb popped over Teddy's head. All he needed was a disguise and he knew the perfect one.

The visiting kids absolutely adored Teddy in the mascot costume. Their shouts and cries of glee as Theodore performed a trick or stunt put a smile on many of the adult's faces. Currently, Teddy was amusing the kids by pretend sword fighting. The kids seemed to love it when he played the "evil knight" as they would take turns to attempt to "defeat" him.

Theodore had seen Jane walk by a few times though it didn't seem as though she looked in his direction. The realization that he didn't love the girl had hurt but Theodore was glad he didn't contact the girl further. It wouldn't be fair to her.

Things were going fine until Teddy heard a commotion coming from the center of the party.

Teddy saw Mal, Jay, Carlos, and Evie in center of the fray and immediately knew something went wrong. Only this time, his friends— ex friends had nothing to do with the commotion. The Charming kid was hollering and yelling all sorts of cruel things towards the four Isle kids. By the state of their frowns, Theodore could tell the comments were truly harmful.

It wasn't until Chad had rushed Evie when Theodore realized he couldn't stand back and watch any longer.

People around him gasped as Theodore seemingly appeared out of nowhere. Theodore, clad in the suit of armor, rammed into the blond teen with so much force, the older male actually flew back a few feet. Theo growled as he stepped menacingly towards the fallen boy. Shouts for him to back off remained unheard as his eyes locked onto the blonde. The orange haired teen readied his fist and was about to throw a punch when he was suddenly lifted off the ground.

Turning his head slightly, Theodore recognized his captor as the current King of Auradon himself.

Teddy struggled further; trying to pull himself out of the king's grasp but not succeeding. The king grunted when the boy's legs kicked him repeatedly but he held on tight. The crowd around them looked on in shock; no one made a move to help either party.

Theodore felt someone rush behind him and pull off the knights helmet from his head. With his face now uncovered, Theo truly began to panic. His heart raced as he glanced wildly around the courtyard. His eyes eventually made contact with the headmistress of Auradon prep.

"Teddy?" A voice, Lonnie he recalled, gasped from the crowd.

"I d-don't think I ever seen him before," The fairy godmother muttered, somehow being loud enough for hear. "I know every child that attends this school and he is certainly not a student here."

"He doesn't even go here!" someone shouted from the crowd. All eyes turned to a blue skinned man in the center of the crowd in confusion. "Heh, sorry about that. It was too good of an opportunity to pass up."

Still dazed from the sudden shout, Theo grunted in shock when he was suddenly drop to his feet and spun around; the grip on his right bicep remained.

"Who are you?" King Adam nearly growled but held back when Queen Belle set her hand on his shoulder.

"Nane ay yer business, yer majesty," Theo replied mockingly as he tried to pry the large hand off of him.

"It most certainly is. You have trespassed on private property, in MY kingdom," He said, stressing out each word. "So yes, this is certainly 'my business,'"

"Nae shockin' 'at ye woods question me raither than 'at snotty prince ower thaur fa Ah main remin' ye nearly attacked anither student," Teddy growled. "'en again they waur jist th' 'evil' kids, reet? ye woods first flin' them back oan th' isle tae rot wi' their parents afair hearin' them oot."

The king growled and opened his mouth to reply but Theodore beat him to it.

"Soonds familiar, doesnae it? Punish them before they commit a crime?" Theodore shouted. The Queen and king, along with the rest of the crowd, gasped. Though the crowd was surprised of the gal the boy possessed. No one, bar the queen and a few villains, have ever raised their voice at the former beast. It just wasn't done. It was his eyes that shocked the king and queen. Their once green hue bled into a molten yellow.

"I haven't punished anyone that has not deserved it," The king replied after a second of hesitation, his voice low and menacing.

"Ye huvnae?" The orange haired boy growled. His increasing anger and the change in eye color startling the man into slacking his grip on the boy. Theodore ripped his arm out of Adam's grasp and moved a few steps back. "Ye huvnae forced villains tae live on an inescapable island? ye huvnae forced them tae live aff yer scraps? ye huvnae ignored th' innocent children forced tae live wi' violent criminals? dae ye hae onie idea ay th' torment any one of us went through?"

"Torment? I was looking after the safety and happiness of my people," The king said.

"Yer people? WE ARE YOUR PEOPLE TOO!" The boy shouted. "Whit abit mah happiness? mah safety?"

"Child," queen Belle tried to sooth.

"No," Theodore growled as he began to unravel his scarf from his neck. The multicolored fabric hung loosely from his hand as he titled his head to the side to show his neck to the crowd but more importantly, to show the king and queen. On the child's neck was a bright red scar. it was jagged, like whoever did it struggled with a dull knife. It encircled around his neck, just under his adam's apple.

Queen Belles eyes watered as she threw her hand up to her mouth in sorrow. King Adam couldn't seem to tear his eyes away from the boy. His large frame was stock still, along with the people gathered around them.

"Aff wi' his head," Theodore spat. Seeing as everyone hadn't moved for quite a bit, the orange haired boy took it as an opportunity to flee the scene. Quickly wrapping the scarf tightly around his neck once more, Theo glanced around the silent courtyard and sprinted towards the woods surrounding the school. He passed by a few parents and students. None tried to stop him. In fact, they all seemed to try and avoid looking at him. Good.

"Teddy!" a male voice shouted from behind him. Theodore glanced behind him and saw Ben running after him. Theo shook his head and picked up his speed easily dodging into the foliage and out of sight.
"TEDDY!"