Hey Lovies!!
Welcome to Chapter 11! I hope you all LOVE this update. Again, I am sorry for the wait
Anyway! Please let me know what you think and please remember that my pms are always open and I will always respond.
Connections is next and then the pause will start for a while.
ENJOY!
Ben and Mal were laying on the floor of the library, and Ben had his face pressed against Mal's stomach. He was still in shock at everything that had happened over the last couple of months, but he could not wait to be caught up on everything he missed.
"Ben?" Mal called as she brushed her fingers through his hair. "Not that I am not over the moon right now, but the floor is very uncomfortable and I am not supposed to be laying on my back."
Wasting no time, Ben got up and helped his pregnant wife to her feet, before wrapping his arms around her again.
"I am still in shock," he said as he kissed the side of her head.
"I get it," she said as she slightly pulled away to look up at him. "You knew I was pregnant, but now that you have your memory back, you are in shock because they are yours."
"More or less," he said with a laugh. He looked down and saw his wedding ring on the chain of Mal's necklace. He pulled at it, making Mal look down and laugh. "Can I have this back now?" He asked.
Mal laughed and nodded her head, before she took the chain off and slipped their wedding rings off. She slipped his ring on his finger, and before she could even put hers on, Ben took it from her and held it in his hands.
"I believe that I owe you a lot," he said as he took her hand and knelt down onto one knee.
Mal laughed again as she looked down at her husband. "You do know that we are already married and you do not need to propose."
"Yes," he said with a sweet smile. "I am very aware that you are my amazingly beautiful and very forgiving wife," he said, making her laugh again. "I am on my knees right now to show you that I am going to do everything in my power to make these past couple months up to you. I was an ass…"
"You were only an ass for the first couple days," she said, cutting him off. "You were decent for a while, and then you seemed more like yourself, the last month."
"Yes, I understand that, but will you please let me have my moment," he said with a laugh.
"Okay. I'm sorry," she said.
"Thank you. Now, I was an ass," he said again. "I was horrible to you and our baby. I said unforgivable things, and I know I was not myself, but that does not excuse my behavior."
Mal could see the hurt on Ben's face. She knew he felt horrible about everything he had said and done, but she didn't fault him for it. He didn't know who she was or what they were to each other and she was going to make sure that he knew she did not hate him for any of it.
"I just want you to know that I am going to be there for you," he said. "Through everything. Every step of this pregnancy, and every step of every day for the rest of our lives."
"Ben," she said as she cupped his face. "I love you. I love everything about you." She told him. "You do not have to apologize for things that happened. No one is mad at you for it, because it was out of your hands. You didn't know what was going on, you didn't know who I was, you didn't know anything."
Ben looked up at Mal with soft eyes. He knew what she was saying was true, but he couldn't help but feel horrible about everything.
"I am just happy to have you back," she told him as she crouched down and engulfed him in a hug.
"I love you so much, Mal," he said as he held her tightly. "I love you and our baby so much."
"And we love you," she said. "Now, can I have my ring?"
Ben laughed before he took his wife's hand and slipped her ring back in its proper place. He kissed her knuckles, making her laugh.
"This stays here," he told her. "Brain problems or not. You are my wife, and I am going to spend every moment of forever, telling you how much I love you."
He pulled her in and crushed his lips to hers. His brain started to throb again and even more memories started to flood in his mind, making him pull away and smile down at her.
"It's getting late," he said. "Why don't we head back to our room. I would love to sleep in my own bed."
Mal laughed as Ben helped her back to her feet. "I just have to get a couple things from my old room first."
"Isn't Jane sleeping with you?" He asked as he and Mal walked out of the library hand in hand.
"She is, so we just want to be very quiet when we go in there," she said as they started to walk up the stairs.
"If I know Jane, I know she is a light sleeper," he said.
"I know," Mal agreed. "She is up faster than I am when I have to go to the bathroom or want to come down for water."
"I'm surprised she didn't come down with you tonight," he said as they walked down the hallway.
"I had to convince her to go back to bed," she said as they stopped at her door. "She was stubborn at first, but she finally agreed."
"Seems about right," Ben said with a laugh.
Mal shushed him, before she quietly opened the door. They silently walked in and Jane was asleep on the bed and her back was to the door.
"Mal?" Jane called as she pushed her head up.
"It's okay, Jane," Mal said as she got in her view. "I just came to get a couple of things."
"Where are you going?" She asked as she looked at Mal with lazily eyes.
"I am going to mine and Ben's room," she said as she gathered her charge and phone.
"Mal, I thought you couldn't sleep in there," she said. "Hey do you…"
"Because I haven't slept with my wife for months," Ben said as he walked around the bed. "And I would like to get back into the routine of how things used to be."
"Oh," Jane said as she nodded her head and layed back down. "Okay. I will… wait what?" She asked as she sprang back up and looked at Ben. "You remember?"
Ben nodded his head as he pulled Mal close to him. "I remember everything."
Jane squealed in excitement, before she started to jump up and down on the bed. She was so happy that Ben had gotten his memory back and she couldn't wait for everyone else to know too.
"Ben, I am so happy," she said as she hopped off the bed and hugged him and Mal. "You have so much to catch up on. There is so much to do, and…"
"Slow down, Janey," Ben said with a laugh. "We are going to talk about it in the morning. Right now, I just want to seep in bed with my wife."
"Okay," she said as she nodded eagerly. "Do your parents know yet?"
"No," Mal said as she shook her head. "He has had his memory back for maybe about an hour."
"Are you going to tell them?"
"I'm the morning at breakfast," Ben said as he nodded his head.
"What about Chad?" Janes asked. "Remember he is going to be here?"
"Don't worry about him," Ben said as he laced his fingers with Mal's. "I am going to have a talk with him."
"Don't get mad," Mal said, pleading with him. "I don't want you to start fighting with him and get hurt again. That's the last thing we want."
"I am mad at him though," he said as he looked at both girls. "If he was my so-called friend, he wouldn't have done the shit he was doing," he continued. "He treated you like shit, and even called our baby a monster, and he was even saying how you wouldn't be here much longer."
"I understand," Mal said as she put her hands on his chest. "He is very wrong in what he did, but I cannot let you get mad enough to want to physically fight him," she explained. "Your well-being is so much more important than what stupid comments he made. Please don't do anything stupid."
"Okay," he said as he put his head against hers. "I do not want you to stress about it. I will talk to him, but I am not going to be talking nicely. He is going to know what he did was wrong, and I do not want to see him for a while or even ever again, after tomorrow."
"That is your choice," Mal said. "I do know how much your friends mean to you, so I'll stand by you through anything, but everything has to be your choice."
"Like I told him multiple times before," Ben said with a sigh. "My choice to marry you was arranged, but the love I have for you is real."
"Okay, but we don't have to worry about it until the morning," she told him. "Let's just go to bed."
Ben kissed Mal's forehead, before he laced his fingers with hers and started to walk toward the door. "We will see you in the morning, Jane," he said.
"Good night," Jane said as Ben and Mal waved at her as they walked out of the room and closed the door behind them.
The couple walked into their room and looked at the surroundings around them. Everything was left the way it was when they had last slept in there, and they felt a sense of peace. They walked into their room and saw that their bed was made, but there were a couple of clothes on the floor from when Belle and Jane had moved their clothes out of the room. They had to get everything moved back in later, but all they wanted to do was enjoy the night, before the excitement of telling everyone the good news tomorrow.
The next morning Ben woke up to an empty bed, and he started to look around the room for Mal. He checked the bathrooms and she was not there, and he checked the living room and found it bare. He rushed back into the room to change and grabbed his phone, but saw a next from Mal.
I left a little early this morning. I am sorry if you woke up and got scared. I thought that maybe you didn't want to walk into the dining room hand in hand, before telling everyone that you had gotten your memory back. Meet you downstairs.
He smiled at his phone and rushed to get ready. When he rushed downstairs, he could hear the sound of his family's laughter, making his heart swell with joy. He walked in and saw his mom and wife looking at something on his mom's tablet.
"Goodmorning," he said as he walked over to his seat and sat down. "What are you two looking at?"
"Just a couple of things for Mal's baby," Belle said with a bright smile. "I found a cute shop online that sells the cutest baby clothes."
"Wouldn't Evie be upset if you are buying clothes?" Ben asked as Mrs. Potts brought him a plate of food. "Thank you."
"She's not going to be too upset," Mal said, smiling at her husband. "As long as she makes a majority of them she will be fine."
"Okay," he said as he looked back at his phone. "I know she is going to make sure that our baby is the most fashionable baby in the kingdom."
Belle and Adam dropped their forks, letting them hit their plates, before they turned to look at Ben who was still looking at his phone.
"What?" Adam asked, making Ben look at him.
"Hm?" Ben asked.
"What did you just say?"
"That Evie is going to make our baby the most fashionable baby in the kingdom?" He asked with a smile on his face. "Oh, yeah! I got my memory back last night."
Belle shrieked as she rushed over to her son and pulled him into a tight hug. Adam joined a second later, while Jane and Mal sat in their seats smiling at them.
"Oh honey," Belle said as she pulled away from her son. "How?"
"Mal did it?" He said as he pointed at her. They looked at him in confusion, before they turned to look at their daughter in law. "I was walking back to my room from getting a snack, and I heard her singing in the library," he started to explain. "She sang the song we danced to at our wedding and everything started to come back."
"My god," Belle said as she held onto his face. "You're back."
"I am," he said as he nodded his head. "Now, you all have to catch me up on everything."
"We will," Adam said as he ruffled Ben's hair. "Let's finish breakfast first, and then maybe if they could, Mal's family can come for a caliper of days."
"Okay," Ben said as he nodded his head and before he looked at his wife. "Do you want to call them now or do you want to call after breakfast?"
"I'll do it now," she said as she got up from the table and picked up her plate. "It will give us time to finish breakfast and to have your talk with Chad, whenever he shows up."
"Ah, yes," Ben said as he leaned back into his chair. "Knowing how he has been lately, he should be here within the next 5 minutes."
"Well then I will skedaddle to make my calls," she said with a cheeky smile on her face. "See you in a couple minutes."
She waved at them and she waddled out of the room, making Ben want to chase after her.
"So," Belle said as she sat back in her seat and smiled at her son. "How does it feel?"
"What do you mean?"
"Knowing you're going to be a dad," she said.
To be honest, Ben didn't have much time to think about it. He was too busy thinking of ways he wanted to make up lost times with Mal. He sat there for a moment and was starting to feel excited. He was happy that he was going to be a dad, but mainly that he and Mal were going to have a baby together.
"What's got you all smiling?" Chad asked as he walked into the room, making Ben's mood plummet down. "Is Mal finally leaving?" He asked. "Or did she leave already?"
"Chad…"
"No, it's fine, dad," Ben said as he stood up and smiled at his friend. "Chad was just poking fun."
"See," Chad said as he clasped onto Ben's shoulder. "Ben gets it."
"Yeah. Mal is actually upstairs," Ben said as he nodded his head. "But are you hungry? Did you eat?"
"Yeah," Chad said as he nodded his head and gave a grimace look. "I ate before I left the castle."
"Good," Ben said. "Why don't we head upstairs," he suggested. "We could hang out, before the castle is full of Mal's family."
"Again?" He asked as he threw his head back. "Why?"
"I guess they are coming to see how she is," he said as they walked out of the room. "I'll see you in a little bit," he shouted as he and Chad disappeared down the hall.
"Well, hopefully they take her and they don't come back," Chad said.
Ben's blood was boiling at this point, but he was maintaining his composure very well. He waited until they were further enough away from the door so that no one could hear them.
"You know what is funny?" Ben asked as he stopped in the middle of the hall, making Chad stop and smile.
"What?"
Everything was quick after Chad's question. He was pinned against the wall, Ben's hand latched around his throat, and he was confused as to what was going on.
"I think it's stupidly funny how you think you could talk about my wife that way," Ben said in a low voice that almost sounded like a growl.
"You… you have…"
Chad was trying to grasp for air, but with how tight Ben's grip was it was hard.
"Yeah," Ben said as he got close to Chad's face. "I got my memory back."
Chad's eyes widened as he looked down at his friend. He didn't think it was going to be coming back after all of the months of it being gone.
"I… I…"
"You what?" Ben asked as he pulled Chad away from the wall just to throw him back against it. "You thought that just because I had amnesia you could be cruel to my wife?"
Ben had never been this mad before. Sure, he had been mad with Chad during the time of Mal and his engagement, but now that Chad was doing it publicly and even calling their child a monster, he was even more pissed.
"You think it's okay for you to call my child a monster? Say you could see the horns forming from her sonogram? Say that she needs to leave?" Ben asked.
"I… I thought…"
"You thought I wasn't going to be getting my memory back?" He asked, but didn't receive an answer. "You do know that I was going to have to find out regardless right?" He asked. "Mal is my wife. She is caring my child. She is caring the future heir of Auradon." Chad was starting to turn blue, making Ben sigh and let him go. "So instead of helping and being nice or, at the very fucking least, decent to her, you were a fucking asshole. AGAIN!"
Chad tried to catch his breath, and he was still so confused.
"How do you remember any of that?" He managed to ask, taking deep breaths between each word.
"That is what they mean about getting your memory back," Ben said as he looked at Chad like he was the most stupid person in the world. "You lose it and you get it back, maybe."
"No," Chad said as he shook his head. "How do you remember everything that happened when your memory was lost?"
Ben looked at Chad with a confused look, not understanding what he meant. "Are you thinking that if you have amnesia and you get your memory back that you lose the memories of things that happened while it was gone?" Chad stretched his arms out as if telling Ben that was what he meant, and Ben was flabbergasted. "You have got to be fucking kidding me!"
Belle, Jane, Adam, Mrs. Potts, and even Mal ran toward where the shouting was coming from and saw Ben's red face and Chad was rubbing his throat.
"You have to be the stupidest person alive," Ben yelled, not caring that anyone was around. "How in the hell do you think that is how that works? And even if that was the case, which it is not, how do you think your actions are right on how you treated my wife?"
"Ben?" Mal called, making him turn to look up at her. "What is going on?"
He sighed before he turned his attention to the others. "Prince Stupid over here thought that I would forget everything that happened while I had amnesia."
"Chad, that makes no sense," Adam said as he walked up to the pair. "And Ben is right, your actions should have been better than they were. Especially in Mal's state. We even told you that."
"What does it matter?" He asked as he finally caught his breath and stood tall. "She…"
"SHE is your queen," Mrs. Potts said as she walked up to the boy. "You were raised better than to treat people unfairly. You should know that better than anyone, but you choose to act like a spoiled brat." Mrs. Potts never spoke her mind when she was frustrated, but with how Chad was acting she couldn't hold it in much longer. "One of your best friends is having a baby. He is happy and in love. What is so wrong with that? What has Mal done to you that makes you think she is a horrible person?"
Chad didn't say anything as Mrs. Potts scolded him. He was an adult and they were talking to him like he was a toddler that got in trouble at school.
"I will be having a call with your parents, and I will be telling them that I insist your coronation be postponed until you know how to act like the king you should be," Ben said as he walked over to his wife.
"You can't…"
"I can do whatever the fuck I want," Ben said, cutting him off and turning to look at him. "I am king and if I think you are unfit to run a kingdom, I can say so." Chad looked at Ben with a scolding look on his face. "Now, get the fuck out of my castle. I don't want to see you for a while, until you learn what you did was wrong, or hell." He said before he paused. "Never again."
Chad looked at the people surrounding him, before he huffed and walked toward the castle door. He was pissed, and he was going to be for a while. Ben and Mal followed him at a distance and watched as he drove away from the castle.
"I'm sorry," Mal said as she leaned her head against Ben's shoulder.
"For what?"
"For having to go through that," she said. "I wish he would just let things go."
"He's a grown ass man," he said as he wrapped his arm around her waist. "He knows right from wrong and how to be a good person. He just chooses not to." He pressed his lips against her head as Chad's car disappeared. "Forget about him," he said. "What time is everyone getting here?"
"They would be here in an hour," she said.
"Okay, let's go finish breakfast," he told her. "Then we could go up and get ready."
Mal and Ben were in their room, laying on the couch. Ben's head was laying against Mal's stomach, and he was tracing little shapes on her hand.
"Do you know their gender?" He asked as he looked up at Mal.
She shook her head and tossed it back, before laughing. "I have it hidden in my art room, because everyone has been asking me."
"When did you find out? Are they healthy? Are you okay? How…" he went on and rambled for what felt like forever, while Mal sat there with a smile on her face. She was happy that he was so eager to know everything and she realized that they haven't talked about it much.
"Babe," she said, making him stop his rambling. "Everything is fine so far," she said. "The baby is fine, I am fine, their gender is unknown like I said, and we have just been waiting for you to get better."
"I know," he said as he sat up and brushed his head down his face. "I don't even remember what happened on my way home. I don't know how I crashed."
"Well, your bike is in the garage," she said. "We can have it taken and checked over to see if something was wrong with it."
"Yeah," he said as he stood up and paced around the room. "I just want to get everything settled here, before I have that on my plate too."
"You take as long as you need," she told him as she stood up. "But I think I know what will make you feel better."
"What?" He asked.
"Why don't we go and look at their gender together?"
His eyes widened in surprise, as a giant smile grew on his face. He nodded his head vigorously, making Mal laugh as she tried to stand up from the couch. Things were getting a little harder for her to do, but she was trying her best.
"Here," he said as he held his hands out for her. "Looks like we are both going to be taking some time off soon."
"Well, with how big I am getting, I doubt I am going to be able to do much in a couple months." She laughed as she rubbed her growing belly. "Now, let's head down to my art room. I want to know if a princess or prince is playing kickball on my bladder."
The couple walked as fast as Mal could walk to her art room. She unlocked the door, and the smell of paint invaded Ben's nose, making him take in a deep breath.
"We can't stay here long, because of the fumes," she told him as she walked over to the shelf of books.
She opened one of the books, flipped through the pages, and smiled as she pulled out a small white envelope. She closed the book, tossed it on the table, and grabbed Ben;s hand before leaving the room and locking the door behind them. She guided them to Ben's office, before closing the door.
"Okay," she said as she held the envelope in her hand. "I want you to open it."
"Me?" He asked. "Why? We should open it together."
"I understand, but you have missed a lot, and I know that this will be something special for you to know before anyone else," she said as she put the envelope in his hand. "Even if it is for 10 seconds."
He laughed before he played with the folds of the envelope. He was about to find out the gender of his and Mal's baby, and his stomach started to turn in excitement. He took a deep breath before he pulled the paper out and opened it. He read over the paper, hoping that it would slap him in the face. It took him less than 5 seconds before he saw it. In big bold letters. IT'S A GIRL! The smile on his face grew even bigger, before he looked up at his eager to know wife.
"What are they?" She asked as she chewed on her thumb nail.
"We're having a girl," he said as he picked her up and spun her around.
Mal wrapped her arms around his neck as she started to tear up. She didn't care what their gender was. All she wanted was for them to be healthy, but knowing she was a girl made her even more happy.
"We're having a girl," she repeated as he put her down on her feet.
"We are," he said, before he kissed her deeply. "Now we have two secrets to tell our families."
"More of 2 for everyone but your parents, Jane, and Mrs. Potts," she said, making him laugh.
Just as Ben opened his mouth, Chip slammed the door open and tackled Ben to the floor, making sure that he did not take Mal down with him.
"Hello, Chip," Ben said as he tried to get up, but Chip was pinning him to the ground in a bear hug. "I saw you two days ago."
"You got your memory back," he said as he tightened his hold on Ben. "Your brain is all fixed."
"And Chip," Ben said, making Mal laugh and shake her head as she watched the brothers in a loving embrace.
Everyone was gathered in the library, talking about all the things they needed to get done before the baby was here. Adam and Ben were planning a date to go to Maleficent's castle to get the nursery stuff, but they needed to figure out when they could get painters over to paint the room next to Ben and Mal's room. Belle and Mal on the other hand were starting to talk about baby shower ideas, but a loud bang made them turn to see Mal's friend and family, along with their Auradon friends walking into the library.
"We have arrived," Jay yelled, making everyone behind him shake their heads.
"Jayden," Maleficent said as she walked up next to him. "You…"
Mal wrapped her arms around her mom, cutting her off from what she was going to say. It had been a couple weeks since she had seen her family and she was just so happy to have them here.
"Hi, mom," she said as she looked up at her mom.
"Hello, Mal," Maleficent said with a laugh. "If I didn't know any better, I would say you missed us."
"I have," she said with a laugh. She pulled away from her mother and found her dad walking in with a bunch of bags. "Dad!"
Hades turned to the sound of his daughter's voice, and saw how much her belly had grown. He smiled before he jogged over and wrapped his arms around her in a hug.
"Oh, Mally," he said as he kissed the side of her head. "You look amazing."
"I feel huge," she said with a laugh.
"Do we get to say hello now?" Evie said as she tapped Hades on his shoulder.
Hades put Mal down and let her say hello to her friends, while their Auradon friends went over to say hello to Ben.
"How are you feeling?" Aziz asked as he clasped Ben on his shoulder.
"We're sorry we haven't come over as much," Lonnie said, apologizing. "We didn't realize how much goes into running a kingdom."
"Yeah," Ben said with a laugh. "The stress is killer," he told them. "Now imagine having the United States of Auradon on your shoulders."
He was surprised that they didn't pick up on that little clue about him having his memory back, but he didn't blame them if they didn't get it.
"I don't know how you do it, Ben," Ryder asked. "I would have…"
"Wait!" Doug said as he held his hands out. "What did you just say?" He asked as he pointed at Ben.
"The stress of running a kingdom is killer?" Ben asked with a cheeky smile on his face.
Doug smiled brightly at Ben, while the others sat there in confusion. "You got your memory back!"
Aziz, Lonnie, and Ryder looked at Ben with wide eyes, as Mal's friends and family looked at him in the same way.
"Ben dear," Maleficent said as she looked at her son in law. "You got your memory back?"
Ben stood up and walked over to Mal. He wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her cheek hard.
"I did," he said with a smile on his face. "I got it back last night, and I am sorry for how I acted before…"
"You weren't in the right headspace," Hades said as he walked over to his son in law. "We are just happy that you are better and can enjoy what everyone is talking about behind your back."
Ben laughed at the joke as everyone rejoiced in the good news.
"We are happy that you are better," Maleficent said as she hugged her son in law.
"I am glad to be fully back," he said as they looked at the group in front of them. "I don't know how long it would have taken me to say it, if I didn't get my memory back, but I was falling in love with Mal all over again."
"We know," she said with a laugh, making his cheeks flush red. "It would have only been a matter of time," she said. "Anyone could see that you and Mal were meant to be, but the way your attitude changed so quickly was when we knew that things were going to be as they were… amnesia or not."
"Would you guys have told me?" He asked as he turned to give Maleficent his full attention. "I mean, yes, I was falling in love again, but would you have told me later that we were already married."
"Your father and I were talking about that about a week ago," Belle said as she walked up to the pair. "We said that depending on what the doctor said and how you felt about Mal and the others, then we would tell you," she said, making Ben smile. "Because we knew you wouldn't want to miss anymore than you already have. Especially the birth of yours and Mal's baby."
Ben turned his attention back to his wife, who was laying on the couch and Evie had her face pressed against her stomach. He did not want to miss another moment of Mal's pregnancy and he was going to make sure that nothing got in the way of it.
"I have a question," Jane said as they got out of the limo at Bargain Castle.
"What's up?" Evie asked as they followed Mal and Ben into the castle.
"Mal said that she would reveal the gender of the baby once Ben got his memory back," she said as they walked up the stairs. "But now that he has it back, I was wondering when they would plan that."
"I was thinking the same thing," Evie said as she stopped behind Jay and Carlos. "I need to know so I can start on their wardrobe."
Mal opened the door to the nursery and started to look around at everything she would want to take back to the castle today.
"Mal? Evie and Jane want to know when you are going to tell everyone the gender of the baby," Carlos said as he plopped down in the hand made rocking chair that was in the corner of the room. Jane and Evie looked at him with wide eyes, and he looked at them and shrugged. "What?"
Ben and Mal laughed before their parents walked into the nursery.
"We know you all want to know, and you will soon, but we just want to get started on her nursery before we throw any kind of party," Mal said as she wrapped her arm around Ben's waist.
Jane and Evie looked at the royal couple with wide eyes, before they started to shriek in excitement. Everyone else looked at the girls like they were crazy, not knowing why they were yelling.
"What happened?" Hades asked as he covered his ears. "Why all the yelling?"
"The baby is a girl," Carlos said as he stood up and looked at everyone in the room. "Am I the only one listening around here?"
"You're having a girl?" Belle asked as she turned to look at her kids.
Ben and Mal nodded their heads, before being engulfed by their moms. They weren't sure how they were going to tell everyone, but they didn't have much time to think about it either. They figured that they wouldn't be able to wait that long, especially with Jane and Evie hounding them about it. Evie was walking up to Mal with open arms, but when Mal was about to wrap her arms around her best friend, Evie knelt down and put her nose to Mal's stomach.
"I am going to be your favorite auntie," she said, making Mal laugh. "I am going to make you the cutest clothes, steal you to go shopping, teach you how to shoot an arrow…"
"Okay, E," Mal said as she rubbed her stomach. "I think everyone is going to know just how fashionable she is going to be."
"No one knows how fashionable she will be until you see all of the clothes," she said as she stood up. "She is going to have a wardrobe that is so massive, she will need 5 walk-in closets."
"Let's settle for one," Ben said as he walked up next to his wife. "With Mal occupying two closets already…"
"Three…" Mal coughed out, making Evie hide her laugh.
"Okay, three closets," he said, continuing what he was saying. "I don't think there will be any more closet space in the castle with my wife, mother, and daughter taking them up."
"I can't make any promises," Evie said, before she kissed Mal's stomach, leaving a pair of red lips on her dress. "Now let's get everything over to the castle. I want to help set up my niece's room."
"We're not taking everything, but I do want to make a plan for when we can come and get the crib and everything else," she said as she looked at her dad, father-in-law, brothers, and friends.
"We will help, Mally," Carlos said as he walked up and shoved Jay with him. "Anything for our niece."
"And you don't even have to ask us," Chip said as he pulled Doug, Ryder, and Aziz with him. "Whatever you need, we are at your service."
Mal waved her hand and laughed. "Silence, you annoying peasants."
"She does know that…" Ryder said, but was cut off by Jay.
"As you wish my liege," Jay said before he walked past Ben and threw the rocking chair Carlos was sitting in over his head.
He walked out of the room to take it downstairs, as Uma walked up to Mal.
"And you don't have to worry about the Isle," she said. "We will go. You…"
"I still want to go to the meetings," Mal said. "I went…"
"I do not want you to go," Ben said, cutting off his wife. "It is dangerous, and I don't want you or our daughter getting hurt."
"I went a couple of weeks ago to get my bike," she said, reminding Ben of the occurrence.
"And do you know how worried I was?" He asked. "I stayed up as long as I could, before I fell asleep on the couch."
"And you looked so cute when I found you," she told him as she pinched his cheek. "But in all seriousness. Nothing is going to happen. Harry and Gil always wait for us when we get there, and no one has ever tried anything before."
"Mal…"
"What if you come with us?" She asked. "You were supposed to go the day of your accident. Why not now?"
Ben wasn't worried about going to the Isle. He was just worried about the safety of his wife and daughter. He would hate for anything to happen to them, but they were king and queen. If they wanted to do something about the wellbeing of their kingdom, then they had to do it, instead of delegating it to someone else.
"Mal, I want to go but…" he hesitated, before looking at his father in law. "Hades? I respect your choice and you have a daughter. What do you think?"
Hades rubbed his chin, thinking how he would kill anyone for Mal. "I would, and do, feel the same way you do," he said. "When Maleficent was pregnant, I wanted to keep her locked up in her castle. There were so many bad things in the world, but I couldn't keep her locked away." He rubbed the back of his neck. He knew that he was being pulled each way, and he knew why Ben was asking him. "I know being a father is scary," he said as he put a hand on Ben's shoulder. "Especially when you have a princess on the way. We kept Mal hidden for 4 years, before going to the Moors. She didn't get to experience much of a normal life, but we managed, and she has turned out to be an amazing queen. Don't let the fear of them being hurt hinder their lives," he said. "Enjoy it with them, because before you know it, that little baby, that hasn't even been born yet, is going to be queen."
Ben looked at his wife as she looked at her dad with a slightly confused look. She got kind of lost in what her dad said, but was hoping that it worked so that they could do their duties and go to the Moors.
"Fine," Ben said, making Mal look at him with wide eyes. "You can go, but you cannot go unless I am with you, plus your siblings too."
"Okay," she said with a nod. "That is fair."
"Good," he said. "Now, let's get some of these things in boxes and get them to the castle."
"Damn," Ryder said as Jay walked back into the room. "He's really bossy. If I didn't know any better, he would think he is the king or something."
Everyone in the room laughed as they started to show Mal and Ben things that they had found. Everything that they had packed was so perfect for the nursery idea Mal had in mind, and she was so happy that everyone was here to enjoy it.
"Don't you dare, Mallory Anderson," Ben said as he walked into the nursery to see his wife trying to lift boxes.
She froze and turned to look at Ben who was walking up to her. She couldn't sleep last night, because she was excited about today, so she decided to take some things out of the boxes from the other day.
"You know you are not supposed to be lifting anything heavy," he told her as he took the box from her hand. "And we are leaving in about 6 hours. Why are you up at 4 in the morning, going through the boxes?"
"I couldn't sleep," she said as she sat down in the rocking chair. "I am starting to get nervous about going."
She didn't want to lie to Ben after pleading with him to let her go to the Isle, but the closer the day came, the more nervous she got.
"Like, what if this time something does happen?" She asked. "I know nothing happened before, but still."
Ben put the box down, before he sat with his legs crossed in front of her and pulled her hands out her lap.
"Do you want to go?" He asked. She looked up at him and nodded her head. "Then we are going to go. Nothing is going to happen to you. Not with me there. Plus, your brothers."
Mal laughed at the thought. She knew she would be safe, but she knew they wouldn't let anything happen to her.
"I would be more frightened of Uma on the Isle," she said, making Ben laugh. "I know I told you what happened, but you had to be there to see it."
Ben remembered the talk they had when they went to bed the night she had gotten back from the Isle. The look on her face made him smile, and the excitement she had to get started on this project was enticing.
"Well, I hope that Harry will be all googoo eyed when we go," he said as he stood up and held his hand out for her. "Now, come on. We are going back to bed."
"Fine," she said as he helped her up out of the chair.
They walked back into their room and laid back down. It took a minute for them to fall back asleep, but when they had to wake up in the next couple hours, Mal was cranky.
"What's got your panties in a bunch?" Evie asked as she looked up from her sketchbook to see Mal looking out the window with an annoyed look on her face.
Mal snapped her head toward Evie and she looked at her pregnant best friend with horrified wide eyes.
"Well, I didn't get much sleep last night because she is jumping up and down all night long, she is also hitting my bladder making me have to pee every 5 minutes," she said as all eyes were on her. "Let's not forget that she sleeps during the day when I have to be awake, which sucks because I start to worry about the worst."
Ben looked at Jay who was sitting on the other side. Mal had three more months to go, and if she was going to be up all night, Ben was going to make sure that she at least took a nap throughout the day. He slipped his arm around her shoulder and pulled her down so that her head was laying in his lap.
"What are you doing?" She asked.
"Shhh," he said as he started to massage her head. "You're going to take a nap."
"No. I'm…" she started to say, but stopped when Jay lifted her feet onto his lap, pulled her shoes off, and started to rub her feet. "Oh… hmm… okay."
Mal drifted off to sleep quickly after about 3 minutes of Ben rubbing her head and Jay rubbing her feet. Uma slid over next to Evie, and laughed.
"You almost got your head bitten off," she said as she nudged her head toward her sleeping cousin. "You of all people should know how cranky she is when she is sleep deprived."
Ben, Carlos, and Jay nodded their heads in agreement, making Evie laugh. She always loved that she was able to get away with poking Mal's buttons and getting away with it. They were best friends, who else was going to be able to get away with it… other than her and Ben now.
They had been on the Isle for about 3 hours, and Uma could not shake the feeling that she was being watched. The last time she came was the last time she was in Auradon, before Ben got his memory back. She came with Carlos, while Jay and Evie were helping Hades and Maleficent with Mal, and she remembered that she felt that she was being watched then too. They were walking back toward the ship, when Uma caught a glimpse of reddish hair hiding behind a crate.
"I'll be right back," she said, making everyone stop to look at her.
"Where are you going?" Harry asked.
"I said I'll be right back."
Harry groaned as he followed behind her at a distance. He was not going to let her wander off alone, but he didn't realize that everyone was now following him at a distance too. Uma walked toward the tuff of red hair, before it disappeared quickly and then she heard running.
"Hey!" Uma yelled as she started to run after whoever it was.
It was dark where they were and Uma couldn't even make out if the person she was chafing was a boy or girl. The others were running behind her, while Harry was calling her name.
"Stop running," Uma said as she neared the person. "Why are you watching us?"
The person tried to cut a corner, but Uma pulled the lapels of their jacket and pinned them to the wall, making them shriek in fear. Uma saw that it was a girl, maybe about Dizzy's age, and she looked at Uma with wide eyes.
"Stop," Uma said as she tried to stop the girl from struggling against her. "Why are you following us?"
"Celia?" Gil asked as they caught up with Uma.
"I'm not…"
Uma tightened her grip on the girl's collar. She didn't like being spied on, especially when her cousin was involved and her baby.
"What do you mean?" Uma asked as she started to get even more mad. "I know you were following us. Why else would you run?"
The girl's eyes never left Uma's. They were glossy and big, and she looked like she was glazed over.
"Well? Tell me."
"I wanted to see you," Celia said, making Uma look at her with a confused look.
"Why?"
She let go of the girls jacket, before taking a small step back.
"I… I just wanted to meet you," she said in a timid voice.
"Again, why?"
She looked both ways, as if she was trying to keep people from hearing her.
"I wanted to meet you because…" she paused, and gulped. She didn't know what was going to happen when she told Uma why she wanted to meet her. "Because you're my sister."
Uma's look of confusion only grew more at what she heard. How could this girl be her sister?
"I think you're confused, kid," Uma said as she shook her head. "I…"
"Your name is Uma right? Daughter of Ursula?" Celia asked.
"Yeah," Uma said. "But there is no…"
"We are half sisters," she told Uma, cutting her off. "My dad is Dr. Facilier."
"Listen," Uma said. "I don't know what your dad told you, or how he even knows me, but we are not sisters." To be honest with herself, she didn't know much about her dad. She couldn't even remember his face if she thought about it. I'm sure she would know something about him if her mom was still alive, but she wasn't. "My dad left when I was 2. He and my mama were very private people. They hid their relationship from the world, not even the gods know who my dad is," Uma said. "I…"
"He was taken to the Isle?" Celia asked.
Uma stood there quietly, not knowing what to say, while everyone behind her was staring at the pair in shock.
"I don't… I don't know," Uma said. She started to feel for this kid. She couldn't imagine what life would be like if she thought she had a sister out there, that she didn't know.
"You don't remember him?" Celia asked. "I'm sure your mom…"
"My mom is dead," Uma said. "I don't remember him or her much because my mom died a couple months after he left."
Celia's face looked horrified. After all of the stories her dad has told about Ursula and how in love he was with her, it was going to pain him to hear the news. Sure, her mom was not alive either, but knowing her dad would not be able to see Ursula again made her heart break.
"Look, I bet that you are a good kid, but I am not your sister," Uma said. "I had a brother, but he died when my mom gave birth to him and she passed away hours later."
"My dad is not going to like this," Celia said as she shook her head.
"Cece?" Gil said as he walked up to the girl. "Why did your dad say that Uma was your sister?"
"I always grew up knowing I had a sister that was outside of the barrier," she said as she looked up at Harry and Gil. "People would have thought I was crazy talking about her, so I never talked about her. Then I heard you and Harry talking about Jay, and Carlos, and Mal, and Evie, and then I heard you say Uma, and… I just had to meet her," she explained. "My dad even showed me a picture of him and a baby girl."
Uma's interest peaked after hearing that. She knew it would be a long shot, but what did she have to lose?
"Well, let me see this picture and I will let you know if that is me or not," she said with a shrug, before she turned back to look at her friends. "What's the harm in giving her some peace of mind?"
The group followed Celia through the streets of the Isle, and Mal was about to blow up because of how far they were walking. They came to a stop at a small shop, making Uma and the rest look at it funny. They had been on the Isle a handful of times, and they had yet to see everything.
"We're going to head to the back," Celia said as everyone walked into the building. "I just have to lock up."
It was a small shop, but it looked bigger from the outside. It was dusty and filled with different voodoo books.
"The voodoo Cade is in the back and down the stairs," Celia said as she started to lead the group to the back of the shop. "My dad is around somewhere. I just need to get the picture from his office."
Celia opened a door and lights started to flash across the room, and the room was way bigger than the outside was. Kids, teenagers, and even some adults were playing around on broken pinball games, pool tables, and other types of game. They had not seen this many people on the Isle yet, let alone seeing how many kids were here.
"Take a look around,' Celia said as she turned toward the group. "I will only be a minute."
She ran off toward the other side of the room, as they spread out to have a look. Mal and Ben sat down on a half broken couch, before he started to rub her ankles, Carlos and Jay were wrestling on the ground while Harry and Gil were laughing at them, and Evie and Uma were walking around.
"Pick a card," someone said as they tapped Uma on the back.
She spun around to see an older man holding a fanned out deck of cards in front of her. His face was hidden, before he popped his head up, only showing his eyes. She raised her eyebrow at him, before she appeased him and picked a card.
"Let's have a looksee," he said as he plucked the card from her hand. "Ah. The High Priestess," he said. "Secrets, mystery, intuition, and trust in yourself. You must be a very strong young woman," he said, before he started to shuffle the cards.
"I am just here," Uma said with a shrug. "Came with a girl, and she ran off to get something."
"Kids always say that when they want to come here to have some fun," he said with a wide grin. "But, this is the first time I have ever seen you. What is your name?"
"I'm not from around here," she said with a small laugh. "I am from across the pond. I came with the king and queen," she said as she pointed to Ben and Mal who were now talking with some kids.
"Is that King Adam's son?"
"Ben? Yeah," Uma said as she nodded her head. "He has been king for a little over a year."
"I see," he said. "And again, what was your name?"
"Uma."
The man froze in his spot, not knowing what to say. Uma on the other hand was looking at him like he was crazy. She waved her hand in his face, but his eyes did not leave her face.
"I found it," Celia said as she walked up behind Uma, but saw her dad standing next to her. "Oh. Um… hi, dad."
Uma's eyes widened at the realization that she was talking to Celia's dad. His breath hitched when he finally broke his gaze and looked between the two girls.
"Uma?" He asked.
"Um… yeah," she said slowly. "Celia seems…"
Celia's dad wrapped Uma up in his arms so hard that it was hard for her to breathe. She was struggling against him and saw the rest of her friends rushing over.
"Uma, my sweet starfish," he said as he pulled away and looked at her.
"Okay, I just came here to set the record straight," she said as she took a step back. "You have been telling your kid…"
"Kids," he said, correcting her. "Both Celia and Freddie."
"Okay, you have been telling both of them that I am their sister."
"Yes," he said with no hesitation. "I have."
"Why?"
"Why would I not tell my daughters about my oldest daughter?"
Before Uma could respond, Celia handed her the folded up picture that was in her hands. When she opened it, she was shocked to see a picture of the man standing in front of her, her mother, and her as a baby. She looked up at Dr. Facilier and did not have a single word to say.
"You… you didn't leave," she said as she held onto the picture. "You were taken."
"I never wanted to be away from you or your mother," he told her and he took her hands into his. "You and your mother meant the world to me, and the baby too."
Ma's eyes started to water, making Dr. Facilier's brows furrow.
"What's wrong?" He asked.
"I know that we just met and I don't have any idea of what this is, but my mama and the baby died," she said. "The baby died at birth and mama passed not that long after."
Dr. Facilier's knees buckled under himself and he fell to the floor. He had always dreamed of seeing his beloved and their baby for years. He had wanted nothing more in the world, and that rug was just pulled out from under him. He looked up at Uma and saw she was trying to hold back tears, and looked past her to see her friends trying to remain strong too. He took a breath before he managed to get up and pull her in for a hug.
"I am sorry," he told her and he hugged onto her tightly. "I should have been there. I should have been there for you and your mother, but I wanted to win some stupid money. And for nothing," he said. "Just to make a quick buck."
"You couldn't have known," she told him. "No one knows when it is their time."
He took in a deep breath, before he kissed the top of her head and pulled away again.
"How often do you come to the Isle?" He asked.
Uma shrugged her shoulders. She honestly did not have a confident answer to tell him, but with Mal going to be on bed rest soon, and with everyone telling her that she and the others will take care of the Isle so she could rest, she would assume she was going to be here more than she knew.
"Well, with Mal having a baby soon, so the others and I are going to be helping more here, while she takes time for her and the baby," she told him. "So, I will be here quite often."
"Please come here whenever you want," he said in a pleading voice. "I want to get to know you. I want Celia and Freddie to get to know you…" but he stopped and sighed. "But only if you want to."
Uma looked at her friends for a moment. She didn't know what to do, what to say, or even what to think. She had known she had a dad, but knowing he was here and in front of her was a whole different story. She turned to look back at him, and she saw the hope in his eyes. Hoping she would say yes.
"Okay," she said as she nodded her head. "I will come," she said with a laugh. "It may be fun."
He slimed at her before he brought her in for a hug. This was a dream come true for him, and he was over the moon.
"I hate to break this up," Mal said as she walked over to the father and daughter. "But it is getting late, and you know my parents and Belle are going to be worried sick if we do not leave soon, and I am hungry."
"Go on," Facilier said as he waved his hand and laughed. "You come back whenever you want."
Uma nodded her head, before Celia wrapped her arms around her waist, taking Uma by surprise.
"Come back soon," she said. "I'll make Freddie come too. She's always with her friends."
"Okay," Uma said. "I'll see you guys later."
On the drive back to the castle, Ben looked over at Uma as she looked at the Isle as they drove away.
"You happy?" He asked, making everyone turn to look at him. "This was a very big surprise for you, but are you happy about it?"
Uma shrugged. "I think so," she said. "I don't know what will come of things, but it's worth a shot."
"Nothing bad is going to happen," Mal said as she laid her head on Ben's shoulder. "Everything is great in our lives. What could go wrong?"
Chad was pacing back and forth in his room. He hadn't seen Ben or any of his friends in a little over a month and he was fuming. He didn't understand why he was being punished for something stupid. He didn't do anything wrong, and he didn't hurt anyone. So what? He said a couple of mean comments. Everyone does. But here he was. His coronation is on hold until further notice, and having no life. His parents were so mad at him, and told him that he was going to have to change completely if he was going to take over their kingdom.
He paced around his room holding his phone in his hand. He wasn't sure if this was going to work, but it was worth a shot. He pressed the call number, hoping she would answer.
"Hello?" Audrey said as she answered the phone. "Chad?"
"Audrey! Hey!" He said. "What have you been up to?"
Audrey was confused on the other line. Chad was not the type to call and ask how people have been or what they have been up to. He would only call if he needed something and she had a feeling that he wanted something from her.
"I have been pretty busy," she told him. "My parents and my papa Hubert have been teaching me a lot."
"Yeah," he said as he rolled his eyes. "I wish I could say the same."
"Oh yeah," she said. "I heard about your coronation being postponed. I am sorry."
"Yeah," he said, trying not to sound annoyed. "That is what I wanted to talk to you about.l
"Huh?"
"I want to apologize to Ben for how I have behaved," he told her, taking her by surprise. "My parents have been lecturing me for what feels like forever, and I don't know why I was acting the way I was," he admitted. "I guess I was blinded by tales and stories, that I never looked past it and got to know Mal and her family."
This was a side of Chad that Audrey never heard. One where he was admitting he was wrong.
"I was thinking that maybe you could go with me," he said, taking her by surprise. "I know I was 100 times meaner than you were, but I feel like if you were there with me, I would feel better."
She thought about it for a moment, not knowing what to think. She was busy with her presentation to take the throne, but he did have a point. She was rude to Mal and she never got a chance to officially and truly apologize to her and Ben.
"Um… sure," she said. "I think I owe them an apology too."
"Great!" He said in a chipper tone. "We can make a plan to go visit in a week or two."
"Um… okay," Audrey said as she nodded her head. "When…"
"I'll text you later about a time," he said, cutting her off. "I don't want to keep you."
Before Audrey could even respond to what just happened, Chad hung the phone up, making her stare at the phone in her hand.
"What?"
Meanwhile, Chad placed his phone on the soft bed and walked toward his balcony. He was excited for this plan to work. The only thing he had fo do was not fuck up.
Until next time my Lovies! xoxo GM