Chapter Ten- Soggy Mittens

Adam liked to think he was a practical man. He liked order and organization. His attention to detail was borderline OCD. The day Belle had told him he was going to be a father, his mind blanked. Him? A dad? He had no doubt Belle would be a fantastic mother but him? Adam could barely hold his temper when he was with his wife. How would he manage to reign in his inner beast with a child? The chaos they created at every step, the increasing worry as they grew, and the inevitable moment when his baby was all grown up.

The more Adam thought about it, the more he freaked himself out. It wasn't until Belle quite literally knocked some sense into his head with a small paperback book. As the days grew on and Belle's tummy expanded, Adam found himself becoming fascinated and, dare he say it, giddy with excitement as the baby was reaching its due date.

He never told Belle this but Adam was insanely glad they had given birth to a baby boy but that by no means make the king any less protective of his son. If they had had a little girl, well, Adam would have personally built a giant tower to keep her in for the rest of her days. Or at least until she was old and wrinkly.

Watching Ben grow was probably the most satisfying achievement of his life. He would gladly give up his throne if it meant to keep his family safe. They were his world. He slowly became accustomed to messes his little boy would create. The crayon on the walls, spilled juices, and muddied carpets used to drive him insane, that is, until he glanced down at Ben's apologetic face. Those eyes, just like his mother, made him forget about all his worries, all his strifes. It may sound cliche but Adam thinks that Ben's arrival into his life actually calmed his inner beast.

He no longer stressed over every little problem his kingdom had. He, along with Belle, had matured in a way only parents did. Together they found solutions that not only fixed problems in their own lives but in lives of others. It was why King Adam and Queen Belle were considered the greatest rulers in Auradon.

Memories of Ben's childhood was actually the main reason he was standing alone on an empty sidewalk; facing a tall building with the words "Hightopps Spectacular Top Hats and Odd Ends" painted on a uneven piece of plywood. The establishment belonging to one's Tarrant and Alice Hightopp. It was Auradons only business that worked as a year round hat store, tailor shop and unofficial tea brewery.

Adam remembered the pair very clearly. He had met the odd couple a few months after Ben was born. The infant had spit up on his favorite dress shirt and efforts to clean it had left it unwearable. He remembered his usual tailor was on vacation in sherwood forest for the holiday season and with all the stress the baby and managing a kingdom caused, Adam personally made a visit to the Hightopps to get away from it all.

The pair were… odd to say the least. Teacups were thrown about nearly as much as unanswerable riddles and insane giggles. The king considered walking right back out of the store but the couple intrigued him. So he stayed.

Tarrant, or Hatter as many affectionately called him, was an amazing tailor; despite his rather questionable mentality. Adam's dress shirt was fixed in less that ten minutes, in fact, it came out better than when his first got it! As Adam was reaching for his wallet to pay the man, Hatter stopped him. The other man had told him they wouldn't charge him with money but would greatly enjoy his presence for afternoon tea.

Not wanting to be rude and also not wanting to head back to the castle just yet, king Adam accepted.

That evening was surprisingly enjoyable. The mere chaos the couple had exhibited had bothered the king in the beginning but after a while of witty banter and amusing antics, he found them to be quite charming.

Alice reminded him of his own wife, Belle. She was a very intelligent, kind hearted woman. Yet something about the way she spoke intrigued Adam. Her voice was light, childish and a bit naive in a way that was not common in people their age. Tarrant was the same in some aspects. They seemed so happy and innocent that the king felt proud to call them his citizens.

The way Hatter would gaze lovingly to Alice and then her flat belly had made Adam pause then laugh. His laughter seemed to go on for ages before he finally calmed. Alice was pregnant. When asked when the baby was due, both of their eyes just lit up in joy. And at that moment, there was no doubt in Adam's mind that Tarrant and Alice Hightopp would be amazing parents.

Only, they never did get a chance to know for sure.

The king had sent dozens of guards and held many search parties the moment the child's kidnapping was brought to Adam's attention. After that memorable tea party, Adam had gone home with a different perspective. He had kissed his wife and son with every doubt, every fear locked in the back of his head. The Hightopps had opened his eyes and he did not forget it.

Hatter and Alice were left broken as no news of their missing son came. Their cheeriness had gone and in place was a permanent depression. For years the couple continued their search. Often asking for magical beings in the kingdom for aid but even with all their power, no one could find the little boy. Many presumed Theodore Hightopp dead. They assumed that since the spells didn't work, there was nothing left to find.

The Hightopps never stopped looking. No matter how many times people told them to give up, the two did not stop searching for their baby.

At the moment, King Adam was not sure how to feel; Over joyed that he had found his friend's child or guilty for being the reason they were separated in the first place. It was his decree to lock all the villains on the isle. It was his fault that an innocent family was broken beyond repair.

But it wasn't just Theodore's life that Adam had ruined. Ben was right; The children were innocent. The girl, Mal, had looked terrified when Queen Leah had shouted at her. She looked ashamed when every eye turned her way and Adam was ashamed for being one of those people. The decree only worked to deepen people's hatred and animosity towards each other.

Adam couldn't help but think the Hightopps had an amazing gift to open minds. Theodore had shed some light of what went on in the isle. The whole courtyard went silent after Theodore's speech. Not one person dared to bad mouth any of the isle students after that. The whole mob of people felt guilty and regretful for how they had treated those children. Many had even approached him to immediately retrieve the other kids on the isle. Some even offering to house them if there was no room in the school.

Ben, and Theodore to a huge extent, changed the view of so many people. Adam was just repentant for remaining ignorant.

The king had not been inside the tailor shop since the first time he visited. He felt it was only right for him to tell the grieving parents the news of their son. With a deep sigh, the man rubbed his face in nervousness and shakingly knocked on the wooden door. A few crashes could be heard from the other side but Adam only flinched and stayed put. It wasn't long before the door was pulled open revealing a tired Hatter at the doorway.

Adam winced at the sad appearance of the other male. Hatters face had gained a few wrinkles. HIs once bright eyes full of laughter were dark and empty. His hair was a dull orange and very disheveled and clothes were all wrinkled; no doubt the other man didn't care much for his appearance.

"Afternoon, Tarrant." Adam started, his throat tightening with difficulty as he tried to keep speaking calmly. "Is Alice home by chance?"

"Yeah," the man whispered horsely, like he just finished a cry. "Lit me get 'er. Woods ye like tae come in?" Adam's mind flashed back at the enraged boy once he heard the other man talk. If he had any doubts the boy from the school was the missing Hightopp, the Hatter just disproved him.

"Uh, no. I'll wait here." Hatter nodded and walked inside, leaving the door open in case Adam changed his mind. The king heard Hatter speak to who he presumed was Alice and was right when a blond head of hair came into view. If Hatter's appearance made Adam want to pull the man into a consoling hug, Alice made him want to run home and look for his own comfort with Belle.

"Oh, Hello," Alice greeted, her smile forced. "What can we do for you today?" Hatter and Alice standing side by side, both a vision of sorrow gave Adam the strength to say what he came here for.

"Nothing for me today," He started. "I'm actually here to give you news of your son." Both immediately straightened at that, their eyes glued to his own and hope shining through for what Adam assumed was the first time in fifteen years. "We— He's alive. Infact, he's here, in Auradon. I've saw him myself not too long ago actually. He was at Auradon Prep for nearly a month now."

Alice and Tarrant had tears running down their cheeks but their smiles were huge. They seemed to radiate relief and happiness that even Adam could feel.

"Theodore is here?" Alice whispered, her heart beating wildly. "He's alive. Hatter! He's Alive!" Tarrant laughed with his wife, pulling her into a big hug and spinning her around.

"Also," Adam said, hating himself for cutting in on their joy and for what he was going to say. "We managed to figure out where he was."

Adam's throat tightened when the couple looked back at him;His heart felt heavy with what he was about to reveal to them.

Theodore was not having a good day. Infact, Theodore felt it was safe to say he was having a downright lousy month. Auradon was turning out to be a horrible place and all Theo wanted to do was go back to the Isle and live out the rest of his life in hiding. In the past couple of days, Theodore had lost everything. Not only had he lost the trust of his only friends but there was no doubt in his mind that going back to the Isle was out of the question. The Queen of Hearts would no doubt have her card minions hunt him down for prosecution the moment word got out he returned to the Isle.

Usually anyone caught for one of the Queen's trials only had one outcome. It wasn't pretty.

Theodore was cold, hungry, exhausted, and soaking wet. The rain was just the cherry on top of all of Theodore's suffering. He was just glad he had the forethought to grab the bag of clothes packed for him. Teddy felt bad for dumping the mascot suit somewhere along the forest but he figured people would keep a look out for someone in the suit if there was a mob after him. He now sported a bright orange sweatshirt under a cargo green jacket. Luckily he still managed to keep his favorite scarf on him. The only comfort he had actually. He also had on a pair of ugly mittens.

Those things were an eyesore for sure. The damn things were convertible that could switch from ordinary mittens to fingerless gloves. If it weren't for the freezing rain, Theodore wouldn't have bothered with them.

Currently, Theodore took shelter in an alley between a diner and laundromat ran by mice. The teen shivered as another wave of water and cool air hit him. His clothes stuck uncomfortably to his body, providing no insolation from the cold. He must have looked like a drowned rat. He sure felt like one.

Theodore sneezed into his mitten covered hands before resting his forehead on his knees. Theo was no stranger to being sick but this felt like so much more than a common cold. He felt feverish and his stomach felt worse than the time he ate too much during the first week in Auradon. He wished Mal were with him. No. He wished he was with Mal and the others. He wouldn't want her to be out in this weather.

He never thought he would miss his friends so much it physically hurt. He had long ago forgiven Evie as he realized his anger toward her was unjust. None of this was her fault, she was just as shocked as he was when Mal, Jay, and Carlos turned their backs on him. Hell, he wasn't even mad at the three either. Their reactions were understandable. He just wished things had not had happened as they did.

Theodore was shivering uncontrollably by this point but he didn't dare get up and look for a warmer place to hide. The chances of him being caught frightened him. They alley he was in was inaccessible as it was well hidden and rather cramped. He doubted any adult would be small enough to budge in. Theo had heard a few groups of people run assed him, calling his name. Many of which were the adults (parents) that he had recognized from family day.

A man with big, round glasses and a glowing crystal hanging from his neck had been extremely close to discovering Ted's hiding spot. The blond man had seemed distressed as he called out his name, promising that he was in no trouble and that his parents were looking for him. Theodore remembered how hard his heart pumped against his chest when the man had leaned his back against the wall close to him in exhaustion. It wasn't until yet another man with a funny haircut (long at the top, shaved at the bottom and a thin ponytail at the base of his neck) ran up to the heaving man and pulled him away.

Theodore could still hear strangers voices calling out his name in the distance. It made him cringe every time someone mentioned how they wanted to help or his parents. absentmindedly, Theodore couldn't help but think this is exactly why Auradon should never had banned magic. This whole thing could have been avoided with a wave of a wand and Theodore would have popped right back to the King for sentencing. Thank goodness for small favors.

Speaking of magic…

Theodore gasped as a strange, warm feeling washed over him. His eyes clenched tight in fear as a bright green light quickly traveled from his middle and spreading over his entire body. Theo tried to move but he found his body became paralyzed. He must have been louder than he thought because a pair of brown eyes peered down at him in shock before he disappeared all together.

"Well I found him."

"Really where is he!"

"He disappeared."

"What do you mean he disappeared, Eugene!"

"Bright light then poof! Kid's gone. Jeez, is this deja vu or what?"

Theodore gasped as he felt himself fall and land on a hard surface. His side throbbed in pain as he tried to stand but only managed to slip when his hand met puddle. He groaned, dropping his face into the growing puddle of water.

"Ted," A familiar voice sighed in relief as a pair of arms hefted his body into a standing position. Theodore still had his eyes closed when a warm body flung themself at him.

"Oh, Teddy! We were so worried!" the person holding onto him cried.

"Evie?" Theodore gasped. "W-wha?"

"Dude, you're all wet."

"Nice deduction there."

"Jay? Ca-Carlos? What's g-going on?" Theodore said as he final opened his eyes to see the girls dorm room. "How?"

"What would be my doing." Mal said, stepping into his line of sight and snapping her book shut. Mal looked at him up and down, biting her lip as she took in his miserable state. She sighed but gave him a small smile. Theodore felt relief course through him. They had forgiven him.

"Come on," Carlos muttered as he pulled the sodden teen out of Evie's embrace. "You need to get dry."

"Did you bring the stuff?" Theo heard Mal ask.

"Yeah, They're in the bathroom." Jay replied. Carlos ushered him into the bathroom and turned on the faucet in the tub. Theodore watched Carlos run his hand under the water for a few moments before the other teen nodded and turned back to him.

"Your clothes is on the counter," The teen whispered as he began to walk out the door. Just before he shut the door, Carlos turned back to Theo with a frown. "I'm sorry about the other day. We were stupid." And with that, the De'vil shut the door, leaving Theodore in the bathroom alone.

Finally shedding his wet clothes was a godsend to Theodore. The mittens even more so as they were the first to be thrown into the sink. Theo took a quick, warm shower before throwing on the clothes he had worn when he first arrived to Auradon. For the first time since he first got them, they were clean. Teddy looked forlornly at his scarf but left it in the sink with the rest of his wet clothes. The teen then walked out of the still steaming shower, still shivering violently from the cold.

Jay was the first to see him come out as he was immediately at his side, pulling him towards Evie's bed before pushing him down and throwing a few blankets over him. The taller boy didn't say anything as he sat heavily beside on the bed. Theodore sighed but didn't complain as the older teen threw an arm around his shoulders. Like Mal, even without saying anything, Teddy knew Jay had forgiven him as well.

It wasn't long after when the pair got settled on the bed when Evie ran over and began rubbing his right arm.

"W-why?" Teddy asked her curiously.

"You're freezing," she muttered as she glanced up at him and Jay who just tightened his hold. "Is there a spell that can help, Mal?"

"None that doesn't actually light him on fire."

"L-lets not D-do that, ok?" Theo muttered. Evie tutted before standing and disappearing into the bathroom then reappearing with a dry towel. She quickly walked over to him and began to towel dry his hair.

"Why don't you ever dry your hair after showing, Teddy? You know that's bad for you, right?" She muttered.

"T-takes to long." He whispered. Jay snorted but didn't comment further.

"You know half of Auradon is out there searching for you?" Carlos said as he closed the curtains from the window.

"Yeah."

"That's not all," Carlos continued. The other teen seemed to hesitate before dropping onto the desk chair. "Your… your parents were here."

"They looked like nice people," Evie said with soft smile. She then pulled the towel away from his damp hair and looked him in the eyes. "They tried talking to us but we left before they had a chance. Teddy, they looked nothing like in the pictures."

"W-whit dae ye m-mean?"

"She means they looked like shit," Jay commented offhandedly. "Like they lived on the Isle kind of shit."

"What Jay means to say is that your disappearance really affected them. They didn't give you up, Ted. You were kidnapped." Mal informed him.

"Hoo dae ye know 'at?"

"Ben told us."

"Fairy Godmother is the only reason no one is bugging us about you. We've been in here all day." Carlos said with a sigh. "Jane and Lonnie swung by earlier trying to get information about you. Turns out your disappearance was pretty big." Theodore winced at the mention of Jane but didn't comment.

"It's been crazy around-"

Knocking at the door cut Jay off. The teens all glanced at each other fearfully. No one dared to even breath as to not alert the whoever was at the door. More knocking and finally.

"Um, H-hello? I'm sorry to bother you kids but I was told I could find you here," a female voice hesitantly called from outside.

"We shoods be out there. Looking. Ah dornt understand wa Adam is makin' is stay indoors fu'," they heard a man grumble.

Wide eyes turned to Theodore, no doubt everyone figuring out exactly who was outside. Mal glanced at Ted for a half second before giving Jay a meaningful look. The older teen must have understood because not soon after was Theodore wrapped into a weird version of a human/blanket burrito and shoved under the bed. Teddy gasped in surprised but a quick 'shush' quieted him down. Theodore knew from experience that nothing good came from hiding under a bed.

Sorry for not updating for so long. No excuse just procrastination. This fic is almost to an end guys! thanks for sticking with me for so long. Sorry for all the mistakes and for the lousy chapter. I tried to finish it as quickly as possible and I dont beta my own crap. It bores me. Also if any of my current readers like marvel or superheroes in general, I'm planning on writing a marvel fic. that or a the Flash. I haven't decided yet and at the moment it could go either way. Could even be a crossover with Harry Potter. That's how early the stages of planning is.