Mal's POV.
It was a few weeks into the new school year now and the middle of January, meaning I an four and a half months along in my pregnancy. While I'm happy to be having the twins it also means getting up at ridiculous hours of the ngiht to pee. Which is why I am laid awake at 2:45am. I couldn't go back to sleep after waking to use the bathroom. Even cuddling into Ben and listening to him snoring couldn't soothe me back to sleep as it usually did. Reluctantly I climbed back out of bed and after slipping on my robe headed for the door, until I heard a soft growl behind me.
"It's okay, Shelby. I just can't sleep so I'm going to go read." I explained to my overprotective tiger friend/pet. I was reluctant to take her on the Isle, not just because she was Shere Khan's cub, but because of my mother. But I'm glad I did. She has been great. Listening to my troubles and always trying to protect me whenever she's around. "You wanna come?" I asked her. She didn't answer she simply stretched her body before jumping off mine and Ben's bed and walking towards me.
I held the door open for her and she padded out before waiting for me to follow. Carefully I shut the door so I didn't wake Ben before I led the way down to the library, Shelby following at my heel.
After a few minutes I was slowly lowering myself onto the couch opposite the fire, shuffling so I was sat with my back against the arm with my legs sprawled out. As always my hand rested on my swollen stomach and I couldn't help but think I was fat. I am absolutely huge and will only get bigger. I mean the size of me now was ridiculous so to know I'll get bigger is worrying.
Shelby brought me from my thoughts by licking my hand. I smiled down at her causing her to angle her head to the left slightly. I couldn't help but sigh at this. "I think we need to get you an enchanted collar so you can actually talk to us. What do you think Shelby?" I watched and chuckled as Shelby nodded to my question. From the look on her face she absolutely loved the idea and it would be nice to have a proper conversation with her. I would have to talk to Fairy Godmother about how she did the ones for Pongo and Perdita. But that could wait.
"You know Shelby I've never been so nervous and so happy all at the same time." I admitted to her. I hated admitting things like this but I knew Shelby at least wouldn't judge me for it and she wouldn't get mad about it either. "Honestly half the time I don't even know how to feel. I'm nervous about being a mother since I didn't exactly have the best role model. I'm happy to be married to Ben but nervous I will mess up being Queen some how. Then lets not forget I'm nervous about what the villains are up to. They have been way to quiet for my liking." I ranted. Shelby for her part laid there and simply listened to my rambling.
I could see Shelby understood what I was seeing and I could also see the frustration in her eyes. Whether it was from not being able to speak back to me or something else I didn't know but the look in her eyes was clear as day. "You don't mind listening to my rambles do you?" I asked her as she placed her head onto her front paws. Watching her I saw her shake her head.
"Thanks good, because I have a favour to ask you." I told her. This caused her head to immediately lift. Since she got to Auradon (and till I get the collar I still don't know how that happened) I haven't asked her to do anything for me, she has basically been able to do as she wished. Which is probably why she is looking at me with rather confused eyes. "I just need you to promise me something. I mean you already know I'm pregnant but I want you to keep an eye on the twins for me? Make sure nothing harms them. I couldn't stand to see Maleficent get near them or worse take them." I said.
Shelby nodded to me before licking my hand once more. It was her way of none verbally promising me something and I let out a breath I hadn't realised I was holding. It felt like a weight off my shoulders knowing if soemthing were to happen and I couldn't protect my babies from Maleficent then Ben would have help to ensure nothing happened to them. But I really didn't want to think like that. Hopefully, between myself, Evie, Jane and Fairy Godmother we can come up with some kind of solution to defeating Maleficent before the twins are born.
I sat talking to Shelby for a while before I heard clattering coming from the direction of the kitchen. I couldn't help but jump at the sudden noice, Shelby doing the same accept she started growling as well. Briefly I looked over at the clock. 3:50am. Who would be up at this hour of the day!? I thought to myself. Slowly, due to the size of my ever growing stomach, I stood and walked tot he door.
Opening the door to the library I couldn't hear anything else which was worrying in itself. I moved to step out of the door but before I could move Shelby placed herself in front of me causing me to smile. She was so protective. But considering I didn't know what I was about to walk into I was fine with it. I wasn't about to be stubborn and insist on going myself when I could be putting my babies in danger. Slowly I followed Shelby towards the kitchen. I didn't know what I was about to find there but I had a horrible feeling that it isn't going to be good news.
Stepping through the open kitchen door I found my suspicions were right. But what I saw worried me and I felt tears gather in my eyes. There laid on the floor was my mom. I walked over to her and knelt as quickly as I could next to her. "Mom!?" I called out to her but the way she was laid out on the floor I knew she was unconscious and therefore wouldn't respond. "Shit!" I cursed under my breath before turning to look at Shelby. "Go wake Ben and Dad. Now!" I shouted. She immediately ran off and I felt bad for shouting but I'm hormonal and scared, so those feelings got pushed to the back burner for now.
Trying everything I could think of I attempted to get mom to respond but as I thought earlier it was to no avail. But I did note she was burning up and only getting warmer. As I was about to get up and get a wet cloth to put on her head I heard two sets of footsteps rapidly approaching. I turned in time to see my husband and dad run through the doors and at the sight of them I couldn't hold my tears back anymore.
"What happened?" Dad asked me as I felt Ben's arms wrap around me and lift me off the floor. I watched as he also tried to get a response from our mom but after she didn't move or make a single sound he pulled out his phone. "Ambulance please." She practically ordered down the phone before turning back to me.
"I don't know. I was in the library talking to Shelby and I heard a loud noise coming from in here. When I got here I found mom like this." I explained as dad relayed the information to whoever was on the end of the phone. "I tried to get her to respond but she didn't. Mom does have a growing temperature though." I told him. Once again he repeated this to the person on the phone and my worry only grew as I watched the colour drain from his face.
Ben seemed to notice too as I felt him tense. "What?" Ben asked our dad, neither me nor Ben taking our eyes off of him.
Dad looked down at mom and I actually saw some tears gather in his worried eyes before he blinked them away. "They're sending an ambulance. It will be here in five minutes." He told us. "Ben could you wait outside and show then in?" He asked as we all heard the approaching sirens.
Minutes later, but to me it felt like hours, Ben came back into the room with two paramedics following pulling a gurney behind them. The three of us watched feeling extremely helpless as that assessed and attended to mom. I haven;t felt this helpless since I arrived in Auradon and started to explore what I can do with my magic. I let a few tears fall as they lifted mom onto the gurney and began wheeling her out.
"We assume you are coming with us, you majesty?" The paramedic asked and I saw dad nod from the corner of my eye, but my gaze never felt out mom. So I didn't see him mouth something to Ben. I fixed my gaze on the gurney as the paramedics wheeled mom outside with dad following. It was like I was in some kind of trance. I was just staring in the direction they had left, only snapping out of it when I heard Ben's voice.
"Mal?" I heard him call out to me, causing me to turn and face him. At some point he had took a step back to he was no longer holding me and I could see the pain and hurt he was feeling in his eyes. "We should get you back to bed. We can go see mom after we've rested for a while."
It shouldn't have as I know Ben is only looking out for me but my temper flared hearing this. How could he expect me to go upstairs and relax when our unconscious mother was just taken to hospital!? The very idea is ludicrous. "No. We need to go to the hospital." I stated. What I wasn't expecting was for Ben to disagree with me on this.
"We can go after you rest for a while." He told me and at this I finally snapped. My hormones took over.
"Like hell I will!" I shouted at him. I didn't even care if anyone could hear me at this point. Ben was going to listen to me if I have to keep shouting at him. "Are you honestly telling me you would rather stay here and wait to see our mom when we could be at the hospital waiting to find out what's going on!?" I asked him. I hated shouting at Ben and arguing with him. But my hormones were currently controlling everything.
"I just think you should rest." Ben stated.
"I can rest just as well sat in the hospital waiting room. Thank you very much." I told him before I took a breath. "So either you take me to the hospital or I will damn well transport myself there." I said giving him an ultimatum. I knew it wasn't really fair, especially since he didn't want me going anywhere on my own, but I wasn't going to sit around the castle when mom was in hospital.
Ben let out a sigh before his gaze met my own once more. "Okay. Let's go get some things for mom for when she wakes up then." He suggested. I nodded as he took my hand and led us up to our parents room. I immediately felt bad for the way I had spoken to him and I could feel the tension radiating off of him. I knew as we walking into our parents bedroom I had to say something.
"Sorry Ben." I apologised.
"It's okay." Ben promised but I just shook my head.
"No it's not." I stated and noticed he had turned to look at me. "You were only trying to look out for me and the babies yet I yelled at you for it. It's just that I'm scared. I've finally got the family I always wanted and now my mom may be taken away from me." As I admitted this I felt Ben wrap his arms around me once more. His arms as tight around me as he could get them without it hurting me or the babies. I coudln't help but panic about mom and I knew from the tension coming from Ben he felt the same.
We jumped apart as Ben's phone rang. Immediately Ben pulled it from his pyjama pocked and answered the phone putting it on speaker so I could hear as well. "Dad? What's going on? Is mom okay? What's wrong with her?" Ben fired of his questions in rapid succession, not even pausing for a breath. Once he had finished his questions we heard dad sigh and me and Ben shared a look. It was never very good news when he sighed like that.
We heard dad take a deep breath before saying "They're taking your mom for emergency surgery."
Author's Note: Hi guys, so I don't usually do this but my story Uncontrolled only has one more chapter left to upload and as I like to keep busy I an going to start another one after it. So I would like to put it to a vote for you, since both ideas appeal to me equally. What story would you guys like to read next?
A) The Catch, Ben/Mal Doug/Evie Jay/Audrey Carlos/Jane, A different telling of the movie where Belle and Beast (more Beast then Belle) agree to Ben's proclamation if the VK's work as servants to the families their parents wronged.
B) Unexpected, Jane/Carlos Ben/Mal (focuses on Jane/Carlos Bal are more background pairing), The descendants are in a normal high school (no magic at all) and after a party Jane finds herself in an unexpected situation.
As always I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review and let me know what you think x