Hey Lovies!!
Here is the next chapter of Missing Pieces! I hope you like where I am going with this story and I want you guys to pick the person Audrey dates... Chad? Gil? (Which will be in it later) or someone else?
Please let me know what you think and the next update will be the FINAL chapter of Soulmates!
"Hey, Ben," Evie said as she answered her phone. "What's up?"
"Have you seen Mal?" Ben asked in a panic, making Evie worried.
"No," she said as she walked out of her workshop and headed toward the kitchen. "She is supposed to come over later…"
"She's gone," Ben said, cutting Evie off. "Evie, she's gone and I don't know where she is. I have been looking for her everywhere, but she isn't anywhere and she isn't answering my calls." Evie shook her head. She knew Mal wouldn't just leave. She was probably off drawing in the forest or taking a nap in Belle's library.
"Ben, I'm sure…" she started as she walked into her kitchen.
"She left me a letter, Evie!" Ben shouted, making Evie freeze in her spot. "She said she had to leave. She doesn't say why or if she is coming back. She just said that she is sorry and that she loves me."
Evie turned and her heart stopped when she saw three letters sitting on her counter top. She slowly walked over and saw Jay's, Carlos', and her own name on a letter of their own. Ben continued to talk, but she was too focused on the letters sitting in front of her to listen. She slowly picked up the letter with her name on it and, with a trembling hand, opened the letter.
Dear Evie,
I don't know where to begin. I know this is hard, and not only for me, but for all of you. I have my reasons, and I hope you can understand that I am leaving for a good reason. I can't imagine what you are all going to think of me, but I hope within time you can all forgive me and move on to live happy lives. I know you must think that I am being selfish for leaving or at the very least confusing. I wish I could explain, but it is hard and my reasoning is sudden. I hope you can all forgive me one day. You have been the bestest friend I have ever had, and I could never put into words how much you have made a difference in my life. We have shared and been through so much, and I will always cherish the moments and memories. You are not just my friend. You are my sister, and I want you to know that I will always love you.
Love, Mal
Evie started to cry, and when she heard Ben calling her name, she put the letter down and picked her phone back up.
"She… she…" Evie said as she tried to stop crying.
"Did she leave you one too?" Ben asked as Evie started to sob louder, and answered his question.
"Why?" Evie asked, sobbing. "Why did she leave? What happened?"
"I don't know, but I am going to find her," Ben said. "She couldn't be too far. I saw her an hour ago."
"E!" Evie heard Carlos yell as he ran into Evie's kitchen, but stopped when he saw his sister crying. "What's wrong?" He asked her as he walked over and wrapped his arms around her.
"Mal…" she said with a sniffle. "She's… she's gone."
"What do you mean?" Carlos asked in confusion. "She can't…"
Evie stopped him by holding up the letter with his name on it. He froze for just a moment, before he opened the letter and read what was on the inside. He read the letter and felt so many different emotions. What did she mean, she couldn't tell us why? He thought to himself.
"Hold on," Ben said, making Carlos aware that Ben was on the phone. "Jay is calling. I am going to three way him in."
A second later Jay said hello to Ben, not knowing that Evie and Carlos were on the line too. "Bennyboo, I was trying to get a hold of Mal, but her phone went to voicemail so she may be asleep. But my watch stopped working about an hour ago, and I…"
"Jay?" Evie said, cutting Jay off.
"Evie?" He asked. "I didn't know…"
"Hey listen," she said. "I don't know how to say this but Mal's gone, Jay," Evie said, making Jay go silent.
"What do you mean she's gone? How could she be gone?"
"She left us letters. We don't know where she…" but the line went dead, only leaving Ben, Carlos, and Evie on the phone.
"Wait!" Carlos shouted. "Ben, have you tracked her phone?"
"No," Ben said. "I called, but she didn't answer and I'm not that tech savvy…"
"We're on our way," Carlos said, before he grabbed Evie's hand and the letters Mal had written.
Ben raced out of his office, he wanted to meet Carlos and Evie and he wanted to make sure that he was going to have everything he needed. He walked to his safe that was in his room, opened it, and pulled out the small box that was in the safe. He didn't know if he was going to find her, but he was going to be prepared if he did. He waited for Carlos and Evie to get to the castle, and he was pacing in the top of the stairs impatiently. He heard roaring coming from a couple of miles away, making him snap his head up. He saw Evie and Carlos riding toward him. Carlos hopped off his motorcycle and rushed up the castle steps, meeting Ben half way.
"Give me your phone!" He shouted.
Ben gave Carlos his phone without hesitation.
"With you being the main person on your phone plan, it should be easy to track her phone."
It took Carlos less than two minutes to track Mal's phone and saw her location was at the school.
"She's in front of Auradon Prep! Let's go!"
Carlos rushed over to his bike, before Ben hopped on the back of Evie's.
They rode quickly, running stop signs on their way. They were approaching the school fast and they could see the front of the school. Mal's location has not moved, as Ben tracked it. They stopped in front of Adam's statute, and got off the bike.
"Where does it say she is?" Evie asked.
"It says she should be right here?" Ben said as he looked at his phone. "I refreshed it and it said she is right here."
Carlos pulled his phone out and called her. They waited to hear something, and they heard Mal's ringtone. They followed the sound and found her phone sitting on the pedestal of Ben's dad's statue. He picked it up and groaned in frustration.
"How are we going to find her now?"
"I don't know? Can we file her as a missing person?" Evie asked as she started to pace around.
"I don't think they would count her as missing until it's been 24 or 48 hours," Ben said as he ran his hand through his hair. "Where the fuck is she? I'm so confused? Did she give either of you signs that she was upset?"
"No," they both said.
"Mal was happy," Evie said. "She never showed any signs of being unhappy?"
"Do you think she went back home?" Carlos asked. "I know she had been talking about going back to see some of the kids, but…"
"No," Ben said. "Mal and I had planned to go to the Isle as a tour stop."
"Ben? If we can't find her, what are you going to do about the tour?" Evie asked.
"Evie, I don't mean to sound harsh, but fuck the tour," he said. "It is off until I find her," he said as he put his phone in her pocket and pulled out his own. "I'm not going anywhere."
An orange cloud of smoke appeared in front of them and when it cleared Jay was standing in front of them with a duffel bag over his shoulder.
"Jay?" Evie asked. "How did you do that?"
"Jordan's dad did it," he said. "Now what are we doing just standing around here?" He asked as he walked up to him. "Let's fucking find her."
Luke drove the bus down toward a town that Mal had never seen on the Auradon map. It was a small town, but it was cute. A giant pumpkin sitting in the middle of town square. He drove around the square, coming to a stop.
"Here we are," Luke said as he opened the bus door. "Welcome to HalloweenTown."
Mal looked out of the window and smiled. She had never seen such a place. There were different creatures walking around, sort of like monsters.
"Is there a festival or something?" she asked. "Everyone is in costume."
"No one is in costume," he said as he turned to her. "Do you think I would go around looking like this for fun?" He asked as he pointed to his face.
"I don't know?" She said with a shrug. "I wasn't judging you at all, and I don't want you to be offended. I have just never heard of this place."
"You know what?" He asked, making her turn to look at him. "I'm going to be going on my lunch. Would you like to have lunch with me? I could be your first friend in town and I can tell you all about HalloweenTown?"
"Sure," she said with a smile, before they both stood up and walked off of the bus.
Mal threw her bag over her shoulder and followed Luke to a nearby restaurant. They walked in, and Mal looked at everything in amazement.
"Table to two, Jack," Luke said as he walked up to a podium that no one was standing at.
Mal walked up behind Luke and was confused by who Luke was talking to. But before she could ask, a figure popped up from out of nowhere, startling her. If Mal was right, she knew that Jack was a ghost, because of his transparent and pasty appearance.
"Sorry to startle you, ma'am," he said as he gave her a small head bow.
Mal shook her head. "It's okay," she said as she smiled at him. "I'm kinda new here."
"Well, welcome to HalloweenTown," he said as he held his hand out for Mal to shake.
She looked at him skeptically, not knowing if he was serious about shaking her hand.
"I don't know if I am being linked or not, but if I shake your hand wouldn't I just go through you?" She asked.
"Ah," he said with a smirk. "We have a fast learner. I think you'll fit in here just fine, that is if you are staying."
"I'm not sure," Mal said. "This place is fascinating, but I have no place to stay so…"
"You could stay with me," Luke said, interrupting Mal. "Sorry," he said with a chuckle. "I don't want you to feel bombarded, but I could tell that you are in need of help."
Jack didn't want to intrude on their conversation, so he gestured for them to follow him to a booth so they could finish their conversation.
"Listen," Mal said as she looked at Luke with a sorry look. "I bet that you are a great guy…"
"Woah," he said as he held his hands out to her. "I wasn't trying to pick you up or anything," he said. "I was offering because you genuinely look like you could use some help."
Mal was embarrassed by her assumption. She hoped that she did not offend Luke, because he was really nice.
"I'm sorry," she said as she brushed a piece of hair behind her ear. "I hope I didn't offend you."
"No," he said as he shook his head. "Not at all but, if you would still like, you can stay with me."
"I really don't want to impose," she said as someone came and set water down in front of them.
"What are we imposing on?" Someone asked, making Mal turn to see a brunette woman standing behind her.
She had a round face with full cheeks, and a bright smile. She looked about 25 years old with brown hair, brown eyes, and rosey cheeks.
"Hello, madam mayor," Luke said as he smiled up at the woman.
Mal's eyes widened. This was the mayor, she thought. She looked so young to be running a town but, then again, Ben was 16 when he took the crown.
"Hello, Luke," she said as she smiled at him and tilted her head to one side. "And how many times do I have to tell you that you can just call me Sophie?"
"It's weird," Luke said as he made a face at her.
"You want to know what is really weird?" She asked as she put her hand on the table and leaned on it. "You have known me since I was 7-years-old and you are calling me madam mayor."
"I have to show respect," he said with a laugh, before he turned to look at Mal. "I'm sorry. Sophie, this is Mal. Mal, this is Mayor Sophie Piper."
Sophie held her hand out for Mal to shake. Mal gave her a smile, before shaking her hand.
"It's very nice to meet you, Mal. What brings you to our humble and little town?"
"I'm not sure," Mal said as she brushed a piece of hair behind her ear.
"Do you have family here?"
"No," Mal said as she shook her head. "It's only me."
"Where are you from?" Sophie asked.
"A land far far away," Mal said with a small chuckle.
"That's true," Luke said. "I didn't recognize the area and there wasn't a bus stop."
"That may be my fault," Mal said as she shrunk in her seat. "I may have said a spell and you appeared."
"You have magic? Are you a witch?"
"Yes I do have magic, but I wouldn't say I am a witch," Mal said. "I am more of a… I don't even know what you would call me," she said with a chuckle. "My mother is a fairy and my father is a god."
"That's cool!" Sophie said with a bright smile. "Are you going to be in town for a while?"
Mal shrugged. "I'm not sure. I guess I am just trying to find a home for us."
Sophie sat down next to Luke and looked at Mal in wonder. She could sense something was different going on and she wanted to know what it was.
"Who is us?" Sophie asked.
"Oh," Mal said as she sat up straight. "My baby and I."
"You have a baby?" Luke asked. "You came on the bus alone."
"Not yet," Mal said. "I'm pregnant."
""Congratulations!" Luke and Sophie said at the same time.
"Thank you," Mal said. "Luke was offering me to stay with him, but I don't want to impose."
"You wouldn't be imposing," Luke said. "I have an extra room in my apartment…"
"Isn't Burp-Urp-Snurt-Pfsfsfsfst III staying with you?" Sophie asked, making Mal look at her with a confused look.
"I completely forgot about him," Luke said. "I could give you my room…"
"Or," Sophie said, cutting Luke off. "You could stay at Cromwell Manor with me."
Mal's eyes widened in shock at the offer. She had been here for almost an hour and the mayor was offering to let her stay in her home.
"What?"
"I am giving you an invitation to stay with me in my home," Sophie repeated with a smile. "I don't know how long you are wanting to stay, but I could help you get set up at the doctors for your check ups and I could help you get a job, if you wanted to stay."
Mal was so confused. She didn't even know these people and here they were, offering her a place to stay.
"You don't even know me," she said in a hushed tone.
"Be that as it may," Sophie said, making Mal look at her. "I have always had a sense for people, good or bad, and I could tell that you are good."
Mal smiled. She didn't know why they were being so nice, but she was willing to take the chance.
"Okay," Mal said with a nod. "Why not?"
"Great!" Sophie said. "I hope you don't mind kids coming over once in a while. My nieces and nephews come over sometimes."
"I think I'll have to get used to it," Mal said with a chuckle. "I have one on the way."
"So tell me about you, Mal," Sophie said, before Jack came to take their order. They quickly ordered, before Mal started to give a brief backstory. "So you are from another land, you can't tell us the name of this land, you are the daughter of an evil fairy and a god, you are or were dating the king of this land, and you left because you found out you were pregnant with his baby?"
'I know that makes me sound like a horrible person but Ben and I are so young," Mal said as she started to play with her nails. "We graduated and had so many plans that did not include having a baby. I didn't want to ruin his life by this mistake."
"Don't you think he would want to know though?" Luke asked. "I know if I were in his shoes I would want to know."
"That's the thing," Mal said. "Ben would never be mad or hate me for this, but I know this would hold him back from doing the things he always dreamed of. I never want him to be giving thing up because of me."
"Can I give you a little bit of advice?" Sophie asked, making Mal look at her with a sheepish look on her face. Mal gave her a small nod, making Sophie smile. "Okay, first, a baby is never a mistake. Your's and Ben's baby is a blessing, and I do not want to hear different," she said as she pointed at Mal, making her chuckle. "I am not going to make you or tell you to tell him, but I would strongly suggest you do. I actually can't because I don't know where this mysterious land is, and I doubt you would tell me now," she said, making Mal chuckle again. "I just want you to know that this is going to be a very rough road, and you are going to want him here for it. Even if it takes you a while to do it, please think about it. Do you really want to go through this alone?"
Mal sat and thought about it for a moment, now unsure if running away was the best decision. Should she have stayed? Should she have told Ben? What would he have said or done? What would her friend have said? What would Ben's parents say? She sat there thinking if she should call or send Ben a letter before nodding her head.
"I'll think about it," she said as she smiled at Sophie. "I know I should do it, but I would rather think about it and have options if things go south."
Sophie nodded her head, giving Mal a encouraging smile. She was hoping Mal would make the choice to tell Ben, but she also knew that this was a hard decision for her to make. After lunch, Luke left Mal and Sophie and Sophie started to show Mal around town.
"We could get you a couple of things if you would like," Sophie said. "I don't know what you brought in that bag that Luke took to my house, but I bet there wasn't anything other than clothes in there."
"Yeah," Mal said. "I have a couple of things that aren't clothes, but I do need a couple of things."
They stopped at the local general store and Mal grabbed everything she needed, plus a notebook and envelopes, before she and Sophie walked down the street and Mal saw an art store.
"Do you mind if we pop in here real quick?" She asked as she pointed to the store with her thumb. "I would love to get some things before we go to your house."
"Yeah," Sophie said. "I need to get my niece a new set of watercolors anyway.
They walked in and it smelled like her art room back at Auradon castle. The art store was not huge, but she thought that it had a wide variety of supplies from what she could see.
"Hello, Sammy," Sophie said as they both walked up to the counter.
"Hello, madam mayor," the zombie named Sammy said with a smile. "What brings you in today?"
"I'm here for more paints for Briana," Sophie said as she shook her head. "You know the game. Luke never lets Briana's things last long when she lets him borrow things. You would think he would know better seeing as they are twins for goodness sake."
Sammy laughed, before looking over Sophie's head and seeing Mal behind her.
"I'm sorry miss," he said. "Is there something I could help you with?"
"She's with me," Sophie said. "This is my roommate Mal."
"Oh!" Sammy said in surprise. "I didn't know you had a roommate. It's very nice to meet you."
"It's very nice to meet you too," Mal said with a smile. "This place is great! Do you have any castle art supplies?"
"I just got some in," he said. "I can show you where and then we can get our mayor her watercolors."
"Briana's watercolors," Sophie said with a laugh.
"Yeah yeah," Sammy said, making both girls laugh.
After grabbing the things she wanted, Sophie and Sammy walked away, letting Mal wander around the store. She had never been in such a cute art store. She loved how cozy and organized it was.
"Find everything you're looking for, Mal?" Sammy asked, making Mal turn to see him and Sophie looking at her.
"Yeah," she said with a nod. They walked up to the front of the store and Sammy started to ring them up. "I love your store," Mal said. "It's very organized and tidy."
"Thank you," Sammy said as he smiled at Mal. "It's a pain to keep up all the work on my own, but I manage. Though I would like to get more than 4 hours of sleep a night."
"Are you hiring?" Mal asked. "I mean, if you want help, I am willing to help you."
"Really?" Sammy asked. "I never found anyone who lasted more than a couple of weeks, but if you want to we could try. I would really appreciate the help."
"Wow," Sophie said. "You have been here for three hours and you already have a job."
"Why don't you come back tomorrow and we can go over some things and see if you still want the job?" He asked as he handed the two bags to Mal and Sophie. "Let's say? 10?"
"Okay," Mal said with a bright smile as she took the bag. "I'll see you tomorrow."
"Bye, Sammy!" Sophie said as she and Mal walked out of the shop, letting the door close behind them. "Are you ready to see my home?"
Mal smiled and nodded her head, before Sophie raised her hand and a yellow taxi cab rounded the corner, speeding to a stop in front of the two girls.
"Heya Sopie," a skeleton said, making Mal's eyes widen.
"Hello, Benny," Sophie said with a bright smile. "This is my friend Mal. She is going to be my new roommate."
"Roommate? When did you get one of those?" Benny asked as Sophie opened the door to the cab and got in with Mal getting in after.
"Today!" Sophie said in excitement.
"Must be good people then to have you taking them in," Benny said, making Mal smile. "Where we off to?"
"Cromwell manor please."
"Okay. Sit tight, relax, and hold on tight," Benny said, before he pressed on the gas pedal, making Mal and Sophie press into their seats.
They rode for about 30 minutes, before Benny came to a halt in front of a large black gate. It was black, tall, and locked with a frog lock.
"Here we are," Benny said, making Mal break out of her thoughts. "Cromwell manor."
"Thank you, Benny," Sophie said as she got out with Mal behind her. "How much?"
"For Mal's first lift by yours truly, nothing," he said, making Mal chuckle.
"Thank you," Mal said with a wave. "I'll see you around."
"You betcha," Benny said as he popped his head out of the cab. "And if you ever need a ride just stick your thumb out like a hitchhiker."
Benny drove off, letting the girls walk toward the giant gate.
"Do you have a key for it?" Mal asked as she picked up the lock to examine it. "There is no keyhole."
Sophie grabbed Mal's hand, making the lock fall back against the gate with a clang.
"Watch this," she said, before she pushed the gate and the lock fell to the ground.
When Mal looked down she saw a frog where the lock had fallen. She stood there in shock, not knowing what to think. Auradon banned magic, but she did do it from time to time with permission from Ben, Adam, or Belle. She looked up at Sophie who was smirking and laughing at her.
"You look shocked," Sophie said.
"Well, yeah," Mal said as they started to walk down the pathway toward the house. "Magic is not allowed where I am from," Mal explained. "Though my boyfriend and his parents let me dabble a little here and there."
"I see," Sophie said with a nod as they walked up the porch and Sophie unlocked the house. "So he is still your boyfriend?"
Mal closed the door behind her, before turning to look at the mayor. "I mean… yes? No? I don't know," she said with a sigh. "We were… or at least are still in love… but I don't know after this."
"I know I said I wasn't going to push you, and I'm not, but you'll never know until you talk to him," Sophie told Mal as she walked the purple headed teenager into the living room.
When they walked in and Mal's bag was in the room. The house was cozy and the windows made the room seem spacious.
"This is a beautiful house," Mal said as she looked around.
"Thank you," Sophie said. "The entire home has 4,956 square feet of living space, is three stories tall, it has three covered porches, and much, much more. It used to belong to my grandma Aggie before she passed away."
"I'm so sorry to hear that," Mal said as she and Sophie. "How did…"
"She was old," Sophie said, cutting Mal off. "When I was younger my grandma thought that my older sister Marnie was supposed to take over as head of the Cromwell line, but her powers weekend as she got older."
"And then you became the leader?"
"Leader is a strong word," Sophie said. "But in terms, yes. When I moved to HalloweenTown after high school, my powers grew. I lived with my grandma Aggie while I attended Halloween Town University, and she was the one to see my power potential. I took over the Cromwell line, fixed the time differences between realms, and then became mayor."
"Fixed the time differences?" Mal asked in confusion.
"Oh, you see. When I was younger, an hour in every other realm would be two days here or even two weeks here if we were on a holiday," she explained, but Mal sat there still confused. "I know. It's still confusing, but it's not a worry anymore. I also changed it so that my mom could come visit whenever she pleases and so she could watch her grandchildren grow up."
"That's very smart if you," Mal said. "I couldn't imagine having that much of a time difference with a family living in a different realm. They would miss so much."
"I know," Sophie said. "My mom was happy with the change, and comes to visit often."
"Did your sister get jealous?" Mal asked. "Sorry if that sounds rude, I just know some people who would be if they were in this situation. I just wanted to know how your relationship with your sister is."
"No," Sophie said as she shook her head. "My sister and I get along fine. Marnie saved Halloween Town four different times, but we all think that drained her. She teaches at the college along with her husband and my brother."
"You have a brother?" Mal asked.
"Yeah, his name is Dylan," she said. "He's kinda a dork, but he managed to land a wife and have a kid," she added, making Mal laugh.
Mal started to think about what she left behind. Not only Ben and her friends, but she left her brother on the Isle. Sure, she never told Ben about him, but that was still her brother and she abandoned him and everyone else she loved. Her heart started to grow heavy in her chest as all the memories started to flood her brain.
"Why don't we get you settled and then we can talk more later," Sophie suggested, making Mal break out of her thoughts.
Mal nodded her head. She didn't know if Sophie could tell she was getting upset, but she didn't want to make the woman uncomfortable in her own home. She followed Sophie upstairs and to a room that had a large window overlooking a lake. It was a spacious room with a bed and a walk-in closet.
"This used to be my room when I lived here," Sophie said as Mal stared around the room. "It's not…"
"It's beautiful," Mal said with a kind smile. "Thank you for taking me in and sharing your home with me."
"You are welcome, and you are free to stay here as long as you should like," Sophie told Mal. "I'll let you rest and settle in. I'll see you later for dinner."
Sophie left and closed the door behind her, leaving Mal alone in the spacious room. The put her bag on the bed and opened it. She pulled out her clothes, her sketchbook, and another book that was buried at the bottom. She sat down with the book in her lap and let a tear run down her face before opening it. She kept this book as a memory of all the ones she loved and never showed it to anyone before. The first picture was a picture of her and her friends. It was their first day at Auradon Prep and the Fairy Godmother wanted to have them take a picture together. They looked so different back then, and had baby faces. The next picture was a picture of her and Ben from his coronation. They looked so happy. She turned to the next page and another tear shed from her face. The next two pictures were of her dad and brother. She had sent Hadie a disposable camera so he could take pictures of him and their dad. She huffed a laugh at the picture that her dad was in, because he was trying to push Hadie out of the way or trying to shove the camera out of his face. She closed the book and laid on the bed, holding it close to her chest. She didn't know if she made the right decision on leaving, but even if she decided to go back, she knew she should stay away for a little bit.
It had been two weeks and there had been no luck in finding Mal. Ben was locking himself in his office and not wanting to talk to anyone. Evie, Jay, and Carlos knocked on the door, but didn't get an answer.
"Ben?" Evie called as she knocked on the door again. "It's us."
There was no answer. They were all upset, but Ben was taking it the hardest. It's understandable, and no one was blaming him for shutting himself away.
"Excuse me, E," Jay said as he slightly moved Evie away from the door.
He knelt down, pulled a bobby-pin from his hair, and started to pick the lock. After a minute or two, the lock flicked and Jay opened the door to see Ben's office in shambles. Papers were thrown everywhere, his desk was on its side, his chair was broken, and some of the frames of the window were broken. They crept in, keeping Evie between the two of them. They didn't know if Ben had been attacked or not, but they were ready for a fight if need be. There was a thud that came from behind the door, making them turn around to see Ben sitting behind it, his knees to his chest, his face hidden in his knees, and his shoulders were shaking. Evie rushed over, knelt down next to him, and placed a hand on his shoulder.
"Ben? Are you okay?" She asked.
Ben continued to sob, not answering her question, making them realize that he did this to his office.
"Where is she?" Ben asked, sobbing. "Where is she, Evie?"
Ben looked up and his eyes were bloodshot red. They had filed Mal as a missing person, everyone in the United States of Auradon was looking for her. Every kingdom was scouring the woods, streets, buildings, and so much more trying to find Mal, but she was nowhere. Evie, Jay, and Carlos even went to the Isle, she wasn't there, and they had to make sure that Hades or Hadie didn't notice them. They didn't want to worry the two, because they could only imagine what would happen if Hades found out his daughter was missing.
"We don't know, Ben," she said as she wrapped her arms around her friend. "But we are going to find her."
"She has been missing for two weeks," he said. "Where else is there to look?"
"We don't know, but we are going to find her," she said, making him look up at her. "No matter how long it takes, we are going to find her."
Ben didn't want to argue with her, because he wanted to have hope. He needed to have hope that he and Mal were going to be together again. He nodded his head and gave her a weak smile.
"Good," she said. "Now get up. Jay has to go back to school, and we're going to send him off."
Evie stood up, and held her hand out for Ben to take. He took her and she helped him up, making him look at Jay and Carlos with a red face.
"I'm sorry," he said as he straightened his jacket.
"Don't apologize," Carlos said. "We miss her too."
"And Evie is right. We have to keep looking for her and have hope that we will find her," Jay said as he crossed his arms over his chest.
Ben nodded his head, before he saw the watch Mal gave Jay clasped to his wrist.
"Hey. Do you want me to get your watch fixed?" He asked as he pointed to the watch. "I know you said it stopped working. I can take it in, get it fixed, and have it back to you."
"No," Jay said as he shook his head and put his hand over the watch. "I… it's fine."
Ben nodded his head, now knowing that Jay didn't want to take it off. It was a gift from Mal and he could understand where he was coming from.
"Okay," Ben said. "Is Gene going to be sending you back?"
"Yeah," Jay said with a nod. "My stuff is by the door. I just wanted to say bye and I'll be back in a couple of weeks."
"Okay," Ben said as he wiped his nose and gave Jay a small sad smile. "Let's walk you out."
The four of them walked out of Ben's office and out of the castle. A portal opened up and they could hear people calling out Jay's name.
"Call us if you need anything," Ben said as Jay threw his bag over his shoulder.
"You too," he said as he turned to his friends. "And call me if you find her."
The three of them nodded their heads, and Jay went through the portal, letting it close after he was through.
"We should head back," Carlos said. "Everyone is going to be at Evie's soon. You want to come, Ben?"
Ben wanted to say no, but he knew he needed to be around his other friends. He nodded his head, and followed Evie and Carlos back to the castle. They needed to keep their hopes up. They needed to have hope that they would find her, one way or another.
Two more weeks had gone by and Mal was now almost three months pregnant. She had been living in HalloweenTown for 4 weeks and she had just gotten home from her first doctor appointment. She knew she should have gone in sooner, but she had to get adjusted to the town first. She was holding her ultrasound in her hand and smiling at the picture. The picture of her babies. Today the doctor had told her that she was pregnant with twins, and she was in complete shock. When the nurse asked how many ultrasound pictures she would like, Mal said she would like two. One for her and one for Ben. When she got home she walked up to her room and pulled out the notebook and envelopes that she had bought when she first arrived. She sat down and started to write her letter.
Dear Ben,
It's me. It's Mal. I don't know what to say, honestly, but I just wanted you to know that I miss you. There has not been a day that goes by that I don't think of you or the others. I don't know what you are going to think of me when you read this, but we're having twins. I know this may come as a shock to you, but I hope you understand that I left because I wanted you to have the life that you dreamed of. I didn't want you to be tied down with a baby, or now two. I know you are probably going to hate me after this, but I just wanted you to know that I did this for the both of us. I could never harm our babies or ruin your life, so I made the decision to leave. That may sound cowardly or selfish, but I did it for us. I love you so much, Ben, and I can't explain how much my heart aches writing this letter. I asked the nurse to print out two ultrasound pictures so you could have one, and those are our babies. I don't know their gender yet, but I get to find out their gender during my next appointment. I hope that you could forgive me in time and know that I love you and our babies will love you too.
Love you always, Mal
She read over the note and looked at the picture in her hand. She placed it in the envelope, sealed it, and wrote Ben's name on it. She sat there for a couple of minutes with the letter in her hand, before sighing. She put the letting into a box and pushed it under the bed. She was going to think about sending the letter, because she was nervous to see if he would even write back. She walked back over to the sodden vanity and taped her ultrasound picture to the mirror, and smiled at it.
"I love you, babies," she said as she brushed her fingers over the picture and rubbed her growing stomach. "Mommy and daddy love you so much."
Until next time my Lovies! xoxo GM