Hey Lovies!!
Here is the next chapter of Missing Pieces! I hope you like where I am going with this story! I know there are going to be a lot of questions about Kyle... and I know some people are going to understand (?) him right off the back.
brimason0201: I have plans for this story and I can't wait to read what you guys think of it!
InuKagLove22: I always think they fit too!! I think they make a good match and would balance each other out so much! they are a ship I wish would have happened!
Please let me know what you think and the next update will be the FINAL chapter of Star Struck!!
ENJOY!
Another month passed and Ben was still not okay. He had come out of his office, but he was mad and snappy most of the time. He didn't mean to be, but he was losing sleep, he wasn't eating right, and he was still super stressed. The only thing that he could do that controlled his temper was workout, so if he wasn't in his office or room, he was in his gym throwing weights. He had not stopped trying to look for her, even though some of the other kingdoms started to. He was in his office, trying to go over some papers for his next council meeting, when he looked to his right and saw the picture of him and Mal from the last date night they had, sitting on his desk.
"Where are you?" He whispered.
Today was hard. Today was a day he wished Mal was here. Today, he and the others were bringing over the next group of kids from the Isle. He slammed his head on the table, not ready for this. They had made the selection before Mal had disappeared. They were bringing over 5 kids, and each was going to have one to mentor and watch over, but with Mal gone, Ben asked Audrey to help. She was more than happy to, so Ben offered to have her with Celia Faciler, leaving Evie with Dizzy, Jay with Squirmy, Carlos with Squeaky, and Ben with Hadie.
"Ben?" Someone said, making him look up to see Evie, Jay, Carlos, Doug, and Audrey standing by the door of his office.
"Hey, guys," he said as he brushed his hand down his face. "What's up?"
"We came to see if you were ready?" Carlos asked, making Ben look at his watch. "They are going to be here soon."
"Yeah," he said as he stood up and started to fix his suit. "How far out are they?"
"Michael said about 20 minutes," Jay said as he pulled his phone out. "And thanks again Doug, for taking care of Squirmy while I am at school."
"It's not a problem at all," Doug said.
"Okay," Ben said. "Let's go."
They went outside and were standing next to King Adam's statue. Jay, Carlos, and Evie were getting nervous. Not because of the VKs, but because of Hadie. They had not told anyone that Hadie was Mal's brother, and they didn't know how Ben would react if he found out.
The limo pulled up and Dizzy jumped out of the limo before it could even completely stop.
"Evie!" She yelled as she ran into the blunette's arms. "I can't believe we're here! And we get to live in your castle?!"
"You sure do, Diz," Evie said as she smiled at the red head.
Squeaky and Squirmy were the next to come out of the limo, and they ran to Jay and Carlos, holding on for dear life.
"Good grip, kid," Jay said as he took off Squirmy's beanie and ruffled his hair. "Your brother have the safe hold?"
"If the lack of arm circulation I'm feeling is any indication, yes," Carlos said and he wobbled over to Jay.
Celia was the next to get out. She looked around with her hand on her hip.
"Hey, Cece," Evie said as she walked over and wrapped her arm around the young girl's shoulder. "I would like to introduce you to Audrey. She is the daughter of Aurora and Phillip, and she is going to be your mentor."
"You put me with a prissy pink princess?" Celia asked as she looked Audrey up and down.
"You gave me the voodoo girl?" Audrey asked, copying Celia's actions and gaining a small smile from the young girl.
"Okay," she said as she nodded her head at Audrey. "Maybe she's not as prissy as I thought she was."
"That's better," Audrey said as she patted Celia on the head.
Hadie was the last to get out of the limo. He let his bag fall off his shoulder and let it hit the floor, before he started to look around. He didn't see his sister anywhere, making him look toward Evie, Jay, and Carlos.
"Let me guess," he said with a laugh. "Mally is either asleep or she is drawing?"
Ben, Audrey, and Doug looked at Hadie with a confused look. Not because he was asking about Mal, but because of the nickname he used. They were told that only people close to Mal were allowed to call her Mally, so they were confused on why Hadie was calling her that.
"Guy?" He asked as he walked closer after not receiving an answer. "Where is Mal?"
They didn't say anything, and Evie was trying to hold back her tears. They had asked Ben to keep Mal missing out of the news and papers, because they didn't want it to get back to the Isle. It confused him at first and he asked why, but he never got a straight answer. He respected their wishes and kept it just within the royal council and told them that if it was aired or written about, there would be consequences.
"Guys?" Hadie said in a low voice, now worried because they weren't saying anything. "Come on. I'm getting worried here. Where is Mal?"
"Um…" Evie said as she took a step toward him. "Can we talk to you about that in private?" She asked. "Without everyone else?"
"No!" He yelled, making her jump. "I want to know now!"
"Hadie," Jay said as he put a hand on his shoulder. "Come on. Not now."
"Not now?" He asked. "What the hell is going on? Where is my sister?"
Ben, Audrey, and Doug's eyes widened in shock after hearing Hadie. He was Mal's brother, and none of them knew. Ben shed a tear. He was not expecting to hear that, but he now knew that he and the others were going to have a very hard talk with him.
"Hadie," Ben said as he walked up to the worried 13 year old. "I'm Ben. I'm Mal's boyfriend. Maybe we could go to my office and we could talk."
"Talk about what?" Hadie asked. "I just want to know where Mal is."
Ben could sense the worry in Hadie's voice, and he felt bad for him. Ben may have lost his girlfriend, but Hadie doesn't know what happened to his sister.
"I know," Ben said. "And maybe if we talk, we can explain what we know."
"Fine," Hadie said as he went to pick up his bag. "Let's go."
"Audrey? Doug?" Evie said as she looked at them. "Can you take the others to my place?"
"Yeah," Doug said as he reached for his keys in his pocket. "We'll see you a little later."
"Thank you," she said as she kissed his cheek and walked toward Ben and Hadie.
They five of them walked to Ben's old office at the school, and closed the door when they got there.
"Your office is very bare," Hadie said as he looked around.
"I should rephrase and say that this is my old office," Ben said as he stuffed his hands in his pockets. "My main office is at my castle."
"Cool, but can we get back to my sister?" He asked.
"Yes," Ben said. "First things first, I did not know that you were Mal's brother."
"Yeah," Hadie said. "We don't go around advertising it to the world. People know, but the idiots of the Isle don't."
"Okay, next," he said before he leaned against the desk and took a deep breath. "We don't know where she is," he said, making Hadie laugh.
"Yeah okay," he said as he turned to Evie, Jay, and Carlos with a smile. "Come on, where is she?"
"We don't know, Hadie," Carlos said with a shaky tone. "She has been missing for two months."
"This isn't a funny joke, Carlos," Hadie said as he frowned. "Evie?" He called as he turned to see Evie wiping her tears away. "Jay?" Jay had his eyes closed and he shook his head, making Hadie sit on the floor, not knowing what to think. "How could she be missing?" He asked as he turned to look back to Ben.
"She just left," Ben said, trying to compose himself. "We don't know why or where she went."
"She left us letters, Hadie," Jay said as he walked over to him and knelt down. "She didn't say why she left, but she said that she loves us and she did it for us."
It was the truth. Each letter told them how much Mal loved them, but Jay never opened his. He didn't want to read it. He didn't want to read her goodbye, but he kept it in his wallet so that he had it wherever he went.
"How could she just leave," Hadie said as he brought his knees up to his chest. "What would be so bad that she left and didn't tell anyone where she went?"
Ben went over and sat down next to him. He could not compare his pain to Hadie's because that was his sister. He was in love with Mal, but he could never say that he was sitting more than Hadie.
"Hey," he said as he nudged Hadie with his shoulder. "We have not stopped looking for her and we never will," he said. "I will never stop looking for her."
"Really?" Hadie asked as he looked at his sister's boyfriend.
"Never," Ben said as he shook his head. "I love your sister with my entire being, and if I stopped looking then that would mean that I would give up on our relationship, which is something I am never going to do," he said, earning a smile from the godling. "So, on to a slightly better topic," he said. "I am your mentor, and you have the option to live with Evie or you can live with me at the castle."
"I could live at the castle with you?" Hadie asked.
"Yeah," Ben said as he nodded his head. "I have about 20 rooms and if you want, I could put you next to Mal's."
"You still have Mal's room?" He asked. "I know she wrote to me and said that she moved into your castle, but I didn't think you still had it."
"And it is going to stay that way until she comes home," Ben said, making Hadie smile.
"I would like that," Hadie said with a nod. "Thank you."
"Not a problem," he said. "Now, do you want to head over?"
"Sure," he said with a sigh. "Are you guys coming too?" He asked as he turned to look at Jay, Evie, and Carlos.
"We're going to meet up with the both of you a little later," Jay said as he stood up. "We are going to get the others settled and then we are going to take all of you into town."
"Okay," Hadie said with a nod. "We'll see you later."
They all left the office, Ben and Hadie leaving one way and the others leaving in the other. When they had gotten to the castle, Belle and Adam were standing at the top of the steps, with welcoming smiles on their face.
"Hey, mom and dad," Ben said as he threw Hadie's bag over his shoulder. "This is Hadie."
"Hello, Hadie," Belle said with a warm smile. "It's very nice to meet you."
"It's nice to meet you too, your majesties," he said as he gave them a small bow. "Mal had written to me and has said nothing but wonderful things about you."
Both the king and queen's faces fell at hearing Hadie talk about Mal. They have missed her terribly and were doing whatever they could to find her and bring her home safely.
"I bet my sister was a handful," he said, bringing the couple back from their thoughts and looked at Hadie like he had three heads.
"Mal is your sister?" Adam asked.
"Um… yeah," he said as he rubbed the back of his neck. "Ben… Ben and the others… they… they told me that she left," he said as he looked down at his shoes and started to kick the step that was in front of him. "I…" but was cut off when Belle pulled the young boy into her arms and sniffled.
"I am sorry," she said as she pulled away and looked down at him. "We are still looking for her."
"I know," Hadie said as he nodded his head. "Ben told me."
"Hadie is going to be living here and at school when it starts," Ben said. "I am going to take him to his room and then give him a tour of the castle."
Belle and Adam nodded their heads, before Ben and Hadie walked past them. Belle could not unsee Mal's features in Hadie, making her turn into Adam's shoulder and start to sob again. She and Mal had gotten so close, and Mal had become the daughter Belle never had. She was hoping that Mal would come home soon, but the longer time went on, the more she hated the fact that she may never come home.
"Here," Ben said as he walked into a large room. "This can be your room."
"Wow," Hadie said as he looked all around the room.
The ceilings were high, and it was painted a light shade of blue. He walked over to the balcony and saw a view of the Isle that made him happy.
"Mal liked the view too," Ben said as he followed Hadie out onto the balcony. "Her room is right there," he said as he pointed to the next balcony over.
"I bet," he said with a small laugh. "I also bet that she would sit in that chair and draw until she fell asleep."
Ben chuckled and nodded his head. He remembered the countless times that he had found Mal asleep on the small loveseat chair and carrying her back into her room, before putting her to bed.
"She would," Ben said. "I would always come find her asleep and then I would carry her back to her bed."
"You seem like a really nice guy," Hadie said. "I see why my sister liked you."
"I really liked your sister," Ben said. "And I still do."
"I know I should not worry about it right now, because school is going to start, and Mal would not want me to, but I really hope that she comes back home."
"Me too," Ben said with a nod. "Hey. Want to see her art room?" He asked. "I haven't gone in there since I was looking for her, but maybe you would like to see it."
"Um…" he said hesitantly. he wasn't sure if he was ready to see all of Mal's art work. Today was tough enough for him, but he hadn't seen her work in years. "Yeah."
He followed Ben out of his room and down the hall.
"Her art room is a couple doors down from my office," he said as he took a key out of his pocket. "I keep it locked, because that is how Mal had…" but stopped when his phone started to ring. "I'm going to take this. Feel free to go in."
Hadie nodded his head, before he opened the door and walked into his sister's art room. The walls had paint splatters on them, there was a giant tarp on the floor and an easel in the middle of the room. He looked at the easel and squinted his eyes when he saw an envelope sitting on it with his name. He was confused, until he got closer and saw that his name was written in Mal's handwriting. She had written him a letter, and he didn't know how she knew he would find it here. He slowly opened it with shaky hands and started to read it.
Dear Hadie,
I hoped that Ben would show you my art room, or if he didn't that he would give you this letter. I bet he was shocked to find out that your my brother huh? I know you are probably really pissed, but I need you to know that I am fine. I would tell you why I left, but I know you would either tell Ben or dad. I know I said that I would be there with you when you first got to Auradon, but you have to understand that I left for a good reason. I never wanted to and I love all of you so much. It pains me that I have to put all of you through this and I hope that one day you could forgive me. I know you are going to tell dad, because he is going to ask how I am, and you can tell him, but please tell him that I am okay. I know he isn't going to like that, but please tell him that I love him too. I am so proud of you, Hadie. I have always imagined a good life for you, and I am so happy that you are finally getting your chance. Enjoy the sun, baby brother. I love you so much.
Love, Mal
Hadie had tears in his eyes as he held the letter in his hands. He knew she had her reasons, but she could have told him why, but he also understood that she was right and he would have told their dad or Ben. He had been waiting years to see his sister again, and to come off the Isle to find out that she is missing? He couldn't believe it. He also knew that their dad was going to be fuming. He didn't know what he was going to do, but he did know that Zeus was going to be getting involved sooner or later.
"Hadie?" Ben called, making Hadie slip the letter into his pocket. "Want to go meet with the others?"
"Yeah," he said as he walked out of Mal's art room.
Ben took another look, before he closed the door and locked it. He knew people were going to stop looking sooner or later, but he was never going to get over it. He was never going to move on. He was never going to give up the hope of finding her again.
Another month went by and Mal was stalking the shelves at work. Things were getting harder for her to do, but she was doing her best. She was 5 months pregnant, though she looked like she was seven months along. She had grown to love HalloweenTown and the friends that she had made. She had met all of Sophie's family, and they made her feel at home. Though that was making her start to miss home a lot more than she was before, and especially more now that Hadie was in Auradon. Last month she was half tempted to ask Luke to take her home, but she knew if she left she would have to face everyone and tell them what happened and why she left, even though it was obvious with her growing belly.
"Excuse me," someone said, breaking Mal out of her thoughts.
Mal turned to look at a tall older man standing in front of her, he wasn't that old, but maybe the same age as Marnie. He had dark hair and was wearing a leather jacket.
"Yes," she said as she slowly stood up and fixed her apron. "What can I do for you?"
"I was looking for a new leather bound book for some of my new spells," he said as he smiled at her. "Do you by chance have any?"
Mal gave him a curious look. Usually people would go to the store down the street for a book like that, so it was weird that he came here.
"Oh… um, I'm so sorry," she said as she picked up one of the boxes that was still on the floor. "We do not sell leather bound books," she told him. "There is a little store down the street that sells them if you are looking for a new spell book."
"Oh," he said as he shoved his hands into his pocket. "I would have thought with this place being an art supplies store that you would have what I need," he said.
"Again, I am so sorry," she told him again. "I know that this is not helpful, but we have an assortment of sketchbooks if you would like one of those," she said, making him chuckle.
"No," he said as he shook his head. "It's okay. Thanks."
"Not a problem," she said as she turned her body to face him.
"Hey, you live with Mayor Sophie, don't you?" He asked as he pointed at her.
"Oh, yeah," she said. "I do."
"Wow, to live with a famous Cromwell," he said as he crossed his arms over his chest. "I bet you know every inch of that house."
"I mean, I guess," she said as she gave him a skeptical look. "I'm sorry, what was your name?"
"My name is Ka… Kyle," he said as he reached his hand for her to shake. "And yours?" He asked.
"My name is Mal," she said as she shook his hand.
"Such a pretty name," he said, giving her a smile. "Maybe I could take you out sometime? I heard there is going to be a festival going on next week, maybe we could go together?"
"I'm sorry," she said as she shook her head. "I have a boyfriend." It wasn't a lie, technically. She still loved Ben and they never broke up.
"Ah," Kyle said as he gave her a nod. "Those babies have to have a father," he said, making her look up at him, because she never mentioned she was having twins.
"How did…"
"Mal?" She heard Sophie shout from the front of the store. "Marnie and I are here!"
"I'm sorry," she said as she turned back to face Kyle. "Ma…" and stopped when she saw that he was not there anymore.
"Mal?" Sophie asked as she walked down the aisle with her sister behind her. "Who are you talking to?"
"This guy," she said as she pointed to the spot where Kyle was standing. "He was just here."
"Maybe he went down another aisle," Marnie said, making Mal slowly nod her head. "Anyway, are you ready for your lunch?" She asked. "Sammy said that you could open the store whenever you are done with your appointment and when we are done with lunch."
"Okay," Mal said with a smile. "I'm starving."
"You're eating for three," Marnie said with a laugh. "I remember that feeling."
"Do you remember the pain of them growing?"
"Oh so very well," Marnie said as she rubbed Mal's belly. "You are a lot smaller than I was at 5 months."
"Thank god," Mal said with a sigh. "I mean, no offense, but I feel like my skin is being stretched."
"Yes, but that fully you don't have any stretch marks," Sophie said, making Marnie look at her with a shocked expression.
"Shut up," Marnie said as she lifted Mal's shirt. "Let me see."
Mal helped the rest of the way and showed Marnie that she did not have one stretch mark.
"You lucky little godling," she said as she rubbed Mal's smooth belly. "I had them when I started growing at 3 months."
"It's the god and fae in me," Mal said, making Sophie laugh.
"Well, I'll check the store to make sure there is no one in here, and if I see him I'll tell him that you are closing for a while," Marnie said as she started to walk toward the back of the store.
"Okay, thank you," Mal said as she and Sophie went to the front of the store to get Mal's purse.
"Are you excited for today?" Sophie asked.
Mal was very excited about today. She was going to find out what the twins' genders were going to be and she couldn't wait.
"I am very excited," Mal said as she threw her purse over her shoulder and smiled. "I can't wait to find out."
"Are you going to write a letter?" She asked.
Mal had written a letter to Ben every week since she had been in HalloweenTown. She kept the box under her bed that contained all of the letters that she had written him, keeping him updated on her pregnancy, and every time she had a doctor's appointment, she would put a new picture in. Sophie asked if she wanted to send them, but to be honest, Mal didn't even know how she would get them to him. Sophie had offered to send them for her, but Mal was afraid that if she told Sophie where Ben lived she would tell him where Mal was.
"Yeah," Mal said as she sucked in her lips. "I always do."
"You know I would send them to him right?" She asked.
"I know you would," Mal said. "I just… I'm just not ready."
"Okay," Sophie said as she nodded her head. "I'm not going to pressure you."
"Thank you," Mal said with a smile.
"Did you see him leave?" Marnie asked as she walked up to Sophie and Mal.
"No," they both said as they shook their heads.
"He couldn't have left," Mal said as she took a step forward. "He would have had to pass you guys when you got here, or me and Sophie while you checked the store."
"He's not here," Marnie said as she crossed her arms.
"Weird," Mal said before she walked toward the door. "Kyle! If you're in here, I'm locking the door and the alarm is going to be set!" There was no answer, making Mal shrug. "Guess he's not here," she said, making both women laugh as they walked out of the shop to let Mal turn the alarm on.
The three girls were sitting in the doctor's office, waiting impatiently for the doctor.
"Where is he?" Marnie asked as she paced in the small room.
"Calm down," Sophie said as she almost tripped her sister. "You're more excited than mom."
"Gwen is excited to know their gender," Mal said as she rubbed her stomach.
"Trust me, we know," Marnie said, making Mal laugh. "I think she is more excited about your pregnancy than she was with mine or Aneesa's."
"No," Mal said as she shook her head. "I doubt that."
"Mom loves you, Mal," Marnie said as she smiled at the 19 year old. "She loves you just as much as she loves us."
Mal smiled. She loved the Cromwell family, and was happy that they treated her so well.
"Hello," Dr. Grim said as he popped one of his heads into the room. "Are you ready, Mal?" He asked, before we walked into the room and closed the door.
He was a two headed goblin, and he always made Mal laugh because whenever he was trying to look for the baby, his other head would make funny faces.
"Yep," she said as she slowly sat on the table with Marnie and Sophie's help. "More than ever."
"Okay," he said as he sat down as Mal lifted up her shirt. "Let's see what you two are, shall we?" He asked Mal's stomach, making her laugh. "Do you have a preference?" He asked.
"No," Mal said as she shook her head. "I just want them to be healthy."
"Well, let's have a look, so I can see," he said as he moved the baton around her stomach. "Now, if they would just roll over a bit, I can see if… there," he said as he smiled at the screen. "Baby A is a girl," he said, making the girls smile.
"Are you sure?" She asked.
"More than sure," he said as one of his heads turned to look at her. "And Baby B is… a boy."
"One of each," Marnie said as she started to cry. "Just like me!"
"Yes," Dr. Grim said as he nodded his head. "I remember your twins very well, but mostly your husband being in a state of panic most of the time."
"Marnie married a worry wart," Sophie said, making her sister and Mal laugh.
"I cannot argue there," Marnie said, before they both turned to see that Mal was crying. "Are you okay?" She asked.
"Yeah," she said as she nodded her head. "I'm just happy…"
"You sound like there is more," Sophie said.
"I will leave you to clean up and I will have your pictures developed," Dr. Grim said, before he left the room.
"I… I just miss my friends and Ben," she said, trying not to cry again. "And my dad and brother."
"Do you want us to call them?" Marnie asked. "Or maybe we can create…"
"No," Mal said, cutting her off. "I doubt we could reach them over the phone and…"
"You're still not ready," Marnie said as she stroked Mal's hair. "It's okay. We will help you whenever you are ready."
"Can I ask a question?" Sophie asked, letting Mal nod her head. "Are we ever going to see pictures of your friends and family?"
"Maybe sometime," Mal said with a laugh. "Or maybe one of the babies will come out looking like a clone of Ben."
Both girls laughed, before they hugged Mal. They had formed a bond with her over the past two months. They would do anything for her, and they would never want to put her in an uncomfortable situation. When they left the doctors office, Mal received a call from Sammy and he told her to take the rest of the day off to enjoy the great news she got today. She was hesitant at first, but ultimately agreed because she was pooped. Benny drove them back to Cromwell manor not long after they finished lunch. Gwen, Dylan, Ethan, Aneesa, and the kids were going to be coming over to celebrate the gender of Mal's babies a little later, but Mal wanted to take a nap.
"She's going to write her letter to Ben," Sophie said to her sister once Mal was out of ear shot.
"I know we love her, but I hope that she decides to go home or contact her family sooner or later," Marnie said.
"Me too," Sophie said, before she led her sister into the kitchen to get things ready fro their little party.
Upstairs, Mal was sitting at her desk writing her next letter to Ben.
Dear Ben,
So I am just over 20 weeks pregnant. Can you believe that? I know you must be thinking, 'wow', but I also know that you would be disappointed because I made you miss all of this. There have been so many times that I have wanted to come home. To run into your office and tell you how sorry I am for leaving, but I know if I do that, you would get so much backlash from me. I could never put you through that. But I wanted you to know that I found out that we are having a boy and a girl. They are going to be the perfect mixture of the two of us, but I know that they are going to have features of your parents and mine, and maybe even Hadie. I hope that Hadie is doing okay. I miss him just as much as I miss you. I love you, Ben. I will always love you.
Love always and forever, Mal.
She put the two ultrasound pictures in the envelope, one of their son and one of their daughter. She sealed the envelope before she sat there with it in her hands. It took her a couple of minutes, before she slowly knelt down and pulled the box out from under her bed. She put the envelope behind the last one she wrote and put it back where it was. She hated that she didn't have the guts to send the letters, but she knew that if he managed to write back, their whole worlds would flip upside down.
"Mal?" Gwen called as she slowly opened Mal's bedroom door.
"Hm…" Mal said as she slowly rolled over and opened her eyes. "Oh, hi Gwen," she said as she rubbed her eyes.
"Hi, sweetheart," she said with a smile, before she walked over to Mal's bed. "Marnie and Sophie told me the good news. You're having a boy and a girl."
"I know," Mal said with a bright smile as she sat up. "It's hard to believe that they will be here in 4 months."
"Time will fly right by," she said as she stoked Mal's hair. "But, I came to see if you were hungry. Dylan started to barbecue…"
"Which means Ethan took over," Mal said with a laugh.
"You know it," Gwen said with a laugh. "Come on. Let's get you and the twins fed."
Mal rolled out of bed, and Gwen stood behind Mal in case she was going to fall. When they got downstairs, the kids were tackling Dylan to the floor, Aneesa and Marnie were taking pictures of it, and Sophie was heading outside with a big plate.
"Look," Dylan said as he pointed to Mal. "Mally is awake."
"Mally!" The kids shouted as they ran over to Mal.
Mal laughed before she walked over to the couch and the kids started to touch and poke her stomach. She loved being around the kids. Marnie and Ethan had three children. William was the oldest and he was 9 and Luke and Briana are twins who were 7. Dylan and Aneesa have one child. Her name is Taylor and she is 5. William is the spitting image of Ethan, from his blonde hair to his blue eyes, while Briana and Luke look like Marnie and Gwen. Briana has red hair and green eyes, and Luke has brown hair and brown eyes. For twins they did not look alike, but they weren't identical twins either. Taylor looked like her mother. She had caramel colored skin and beautiful long black hair.
Mal went on to tell Aneesa, Dylan, and Gwen all about her appointment and the kids went crazy when they heard that Mal was having a boy and a girl, though Taylor was a little more preoccupied with one of the babies kicking Mal's stomach.
"Are you sure you want to travel to other realms for Tourney?" Sophie asked as she and Ethan started to clean up outside, before heading inside. "What sport is that anyway? I never heard of it."
"It's a cross between lacrosse, hurling, soccer, and football," Ethan explained. "I have traveled to other realms and some of them play and it looks like a lot of fun. I have been working with the guys for more than a year, and I have talked to some of the coaches…"
"I thought you just heard about it?" Sophie asked, cutting off her brother-in-law.
"Did I say that?" He asked with a laugh. "Anyway, you know, since I got my powers back I have been traveling from realm to realm and from school to school, and when I saw tourney, wow, it just blew my mind."
"Is that why the school ordered four cannons?" She asked.
"Yes," Ethan said with a stiff nod. "One for games and one for practice," he told her, making her laugh. "Listen, I talked to some other coaches from different realms and schools. They would love to give us some scrimmage matches so that they could see how we can improve."
"Okay," Sophie said as she nodded her head. "As long as you guys are safe. When are they coming and what realm place is coming here?"
"They are coming next week, and it's this school called Sherwood University," he said. "And the land, as they call it, is called Auradon."
"When are you coming back?" Squirmy asked as she clung to Jay's arm.
"I'm going to be back in about a week or two," he said as he managed to pry his arm away from the 9 year old. "Don't worry, Doug is going to be with you just like last time."
It had been a month since the kids had come over from the Isle and things were going good so far, other than Hadie missing Mal. He wasn't the only one. Belle almost cried every time she saw Hadie, because of how much they looked alike. Sure, people thought Mal was the spitting image of her mother, but if you saw Hadie, he looked just like Mal.
"I wish Bennyboo would let me go," Hadie said as he crossed his arms over his chest.
"Absolutely not," Ben said. "You are not missing school, and I want to know who told you that name," Ben said, making Hadie and the rest chuckle.
"Just come home safe," Evie said as she threw her arms around Jay's neck.
Everyone knew she was meaning more than just the small sentiment. She was afraid that he would not come home, sure he had come home every two weeks, but Mal being gone was hard on all of them, and she didn't know what anyone was going to do.
"I'm going to be fine, Evs," he said as he squeezed her small frame. "I'll be home soon."
"Where are you going again?" Carlos asked as Jay and Evie pulled apart.
"Coach Shang said it's a place called HalloweenTown," he said. "Sounds spooky."
"Hopefully not," the twins said at the same time, before they hid behind Ben and Hadie.
"I'll be fine," he said as he threw his bag over his shoulder. "I gotta get going, but I will see you all soon."
They all waved bye to him as he walked out of Evie's castle. He pulled the straps of his bag tight, before he got onto his bike and kicked it into gear. This was going to be a new journey for him, one he wished he could experience with his family, but knew he couldn't at this moment. He rode off down the street and headed toward the bus station. When he got there, he parked his back in a small garage so that it would be there when he got back.
"JAY!" A booming voice yelled, making Jay snap his head up to see Coach Shane's waving him down. "We got to get a move on."
Jay ran over and got on the bus, before he turned back to look at Shang.
"How is a bus going to take us to a different realm?" He asked.
"That is where I come in," someone said, making Jay turn to see that the bus driver was a goblin.
"The name is Luke," he said, before he turned around. "And I would buckle up if I were you."
Jay didn't hesitate and buckled up, and as soon as the buckle clicked, he was pressed into the seat and all he could see was sky. Jay looked out of the window and saw an assortment of colors rushing by the bus, making get a little queasy. The sky cleared quickly and the bus started to slow down, before it landed on a street.
"Was it that bad?" Luke asked, making Jay turn toward him. "You all look a little green."
"First time?" Jay asked, making Luke laugh.
"I'll give you that," he said as he opened the door to the bus. "If you guys ever come back, maybe you could just take a portal."
"We could have taken a portal?" Aziz asked as he shot up from his seat.
"Oh," Luke said with a nod. "We didn't mention that?" Everyone on the bus looked at him with' are you kidding me' looks, making him shrug. "Oh well. Maybe next time. Anyway, there is a festival going on right over there in our town square. Ethan said that he would meet you a little later, because he is getting your rooms ready at the bed and breakfast."
"How is he going to find us?" Shang asked as he and everyone else walked off the bus.
"He'll just look for the people who look lost," Luke said with a laugh, before he closed the bus door and drove off, leaving Jay and the others on the side of the street.
"What do we do now?" Aziz asked.
"We enjoy the festival?" Jay asked, before he started to walk toward the crowd of creatures that were surrounding the middle of the town.
They walked around for what felt like hours, enjoying what they were seeing. Mal on the other hand did not know just how close Jay was to seeing her.
She was at a face painting booth and she was painting Briana's face. Mal had to fight to get to work at the face painting booth, because a witch named Abby wanted to do it. Abby had been bugging Mal since she started working at the art store. She had become obsessed with Mal, and not in a good way. She tried to become Mal, and to be honest, it was creeping everyone out. She had even gone as far as to dye her hair the same shade of purple that Mal's hair is, but little did she know that Mal's hair was naturally purple. She would come into the store and try to bug Mal, trying to get information out of her, and Mal didn't understand why. Mal was nothing but nice to the girl, but Abby was just one of those girls who wanted to be the most liked and the one boys looked at when she walked by. So, Abby didn't understand why everyone wanted to look at or be friends with the pregnant girl.
"Hey, Mal," Abby said as she hopped over to the face painting booth. "Wacha doing?"
Mal sighed and rolled her eyes, before she stopped paining Briana's face and turned to look at her. "I just finished painting BriBri's face," she said with a tight smile. "Go on, B. I'll go catch up with you and everyone else a little bit later."
"Okay," Briana said before she ran away to go look for her friends.
Mal turned to look back at Abby and put her hand on her lower back to support herself. "What else would I be doing?"
"I don't know," she said with a shrug. "I…"
"Hello, Mal," Kyle said, making both girls look up to see he was standing behind Mal. "It's nice to see you again."
Mal looked at Kyle in confusion. She hadn't seen him in a week, and was confused on why he was coming over to talk to her.
"Who are you?" Abby asked as she twirled her purple hair.
"I'm Kyle," he asked as he gave her a kind smile. "I'm Mal's friend."
Mal was even more confused than she was before. She had only met Kyle the one time and was weirded out by him a bit, so she didn't know why he was here and saying that they were friends.
"Wow," Abby said as she laughed. "How does Mal have all the cute friends and she has only been here for two months?"
"I only met him last week," Mal said as she put her hand on her stomach and looked at Kyle like he was crazy. "And I have been here for almost three months."
"True," he said with a nod. "And I only came to say hello, and hoping that we could have lunch sometime?"
Mal wAs about to say something, but Abby was the first to chime in.
"Mal is always busy," she said. "When I first met her, she was working hard in the shop."
"I was doing my job," Mal said as she turned to Abby.
"Pish posh," Abby said as she playfully swatted Mal's arm. "But, if you do not want to have lunch with him, I will gladly have lunch with him," she said as she walked her fingers up Kyle's arm.
"Thank you," Kyle said as he gave Abby a kind smile. "I appreciate the offer, but I would like to get to know Mal," he said as he winked at her. "Maybe another time," she said as he moved away from the girls. "I'll see you around."
Abby was standing there with a shocked look on her face as she and Mal watched Kyle walk away. Abby started to rant about how he could do that when she was just as good as Mal, but Mal was not listening. She was more focused on Kyle and what he wanted. She got this eerie feeling when she first met him and had that same feeling now. She didn't find him attractive, but she was wondering why he was fixated on her. He walked over to a bench and sat down, before he looked back over at Mal. He gave her a smile and a wink, before someone started to call her name.
"Hey," Sophie said as she put a hand on Mal's shoulder. "You okay? I have been calling for a couple of minutes.
"I'm fine," she said as she turned to look at Sophie. "I was just talking with Kyle…" she said as she pointed and looked at the bench and saw that he was gone again.
"Where is he?" Sophie asked.
"He was just there," Mal said as she looked at the bench in shock. "He was…"
"He was really cute," Abby said, cutting Mal off.
Sophie rolled her eyes before looking back at the witch. "Don't you have a popcorn booth to be at?" She asked.
"Luke came and took over," she said as she twirled her hair. "I'm on my break."
"Isn't Luke supposed to be bringing the team from the other realm today?" She asked, making Mal's eyes widen in shock.
"What?" She asked.
"He already did," Abby said. "I think their around here somewhere. I know I saw a couple of people wearing sports shirts."
Mal's mind started to go crazy. She wasn't sure if her friends would be here because no one knew how many realms there were, but knowing her luck her world would be here.
"It's called a jersey," Abby said. "I guess Ethan didn't expect that the bed and breakfast would take this long to get the rooms ready. I'll go check on him."
"Okay," Mal said, trying to maintain her voice so she didn't sound nervous. "I'm going to get some more paints for later."
Sophie nodded her head, before she started to jog toward the bed and breakfast. Wooing made Mal jump and she started to hear cheering.
"He's running down the field," she heard a familiar voice say. "Look at him dodge those cannons, he's going for the goal, he's going, he's going, and goal! Jay wins the championship!" She head, making her body run cold.
Jay was here, and Mal didn't know what to do. If she went to say hi, he would make her go back home, but if she left, she would have to feel the heartbreak of losing him all over again.
"Mal?" She heard his voice call, making her turn to see him trying to look at her through the crowd.
She quickly turned around and started to gather the paints she was using. She couldn't face him. She couldn't talk to him, knowing he knew why she left. When she wrote her letters to them, before she left, Jay was the only person she told. How could she face him, knowing he knew and have him yell at her. She started to pack her stuff as his voice got closer.
"Where are you going?" Abby asked as she watched Mal rush.
"I have to… use the bathroom," she said. "These babies are really doing a number in my bladder," she said. "Will you just watch the booth for me for a couple of minutes?"
"I guess," Abby said.
"Thanks," Mal said before she heard her name again, and rushed toward the art store.
Jay saw Mal's purple hair, and he would know that head of hair anywhere. He was calling her name, hoping that who he was was actually Mal. He saw her green eyes and he almost cried when she turned around. He started to push through the crowd and his teammates were following him. He grew more and more excited the closer to where he had seen her the closer he got. When he got close to the booth, he saw a head of purple hair and almost cried. He walked up and turned her around, just for his face to fall because she was not Mal.
"Oh," he said, making the girl look at him with a confused look. "I'm sorry. I thought you were my friend."
"I could be your friend," she said with a flirty smile. "Who were you looking for?"
"Um… I was looking for my friend Mal," he said, making her face fall. "You have the same colored hair as her and I guess I thought you were her."
She sighed before she stood tall. She was tired of always being second to Mal. "Sorry," she said with a shrug. "I don't know her."
Mal was watching the interaction from inside the dark art supply store. She watched as Abby tried to flirt with Jay. It was entertaining, because she knew how in love he was with Lonnie, so she was waiting for him to turn her down. Mal wasn't the best at reading lips, but she managed to see that Abby said that she didn't know her. That was one thing she was grateful for, Abby's jealousy. She watched as Jay shook his head and gave her a smile, before he walked away. It broke Mal's heart to see one of her best friends, that was a brother to her, walk away with a sad look on his face. She wanted to run out of the store, but she knew that there would be consequences if she did. Consequences that she was not ready to face.
Another month passed and Jay was back in Auradon. He didn't tell anyone that he thought he saw Mal, because he didn't want anyone to be getting sad. Especially this week. This was Ben's three year anniversary of being king. They were supposed to have a film if party, but Ben didn't want one. He just wanted a small thing with his friends and family since he had to do something.
"Hey," Ben said as he gave Jay a hug. "Welcome home. Sorry I wasn't able to see you when you came back two weeks ago, I took Hadie out for the weekend and showed him some other kingdoms."
"Don't sweat it, man," Jay said as he pulled away from the hug. "It's all good."
"How was it?" Ben asked.
"It was good," Jay said as he nodded his head and they walked into the castle. "A super fun place. We met the mayor and her family," he said. "They were going to invite us over to show us their house, but her roommate was sick so they wanted her to rest," he said. "We understood and they showed us around the town. I think you would really like it."
"You think?" Ben asked as he scratched his scruff. "That sounds fun, and ever since you told us about you traveling to a different realm, it has crossed my mind to travel to them."
"I think you should," Jay said as they walked into the dining room to meet everyone else. "It will be a new adventure."
Ben's face frowned. He wanted a new adventure, but he wanted it with Mal. He promised himself that he would not experience anything new until she was back.
"Maybe," he said. "I'll have to think about it."
"Well, if you do, please take Hadie," he said. "You and him have been through a lot over the past couple of months, we all have, but you and him the most. You both need adventure."
Ben nodded his head, understanding what he meant. He and Hadie had grown quite close over the past three months, and they spent a lot of time together.
"Yeah," he said with a smile as he looked over at Hadie and saw him and the twins wrestling. "I think he would like that."
"So would Mal," Jay said. "I bet she would love to know that your guys are close."
"I bet she would," Ben said, before he and Jay went in to join the rest of the party.
After the new year, and another month passed, Mal was 7 months pregnant. She was at home with Dylan and Ethan and they were trying to help her get the babies' furniture ready in the room next to Mal's.
"Are you sure that you do not want me to help?" Mal asked as she waddled over to them.
"No offense, Mal," Dylan said as he looked up at her. "We are men, we know what we are doing," he said, before he slammed down the hammer and hit his thumb nail, making Mal and Ethan laugh.
"Yeah," Mal said as she put her hands on the side of her stomach. "You sure do know what you are doing, Dylan," he sucked on his thumb, trying not to cry and groan from the pain. "I'm going to head downstairs to get you a couple of snacks and drinks, and now I will get some ice for your thumb too," she said. "And I'll make two trips," she said as she looked down at Ethan.
"Good, no magic for you," he said. "It's going to tire you out more."
"Yes, sir," she said with a laugh.
After putting the cookies on a plate, she decided that she was not going to be taking two trips up and down the stairs. She went back up with a plate of cookies in one hand, an ice pack in the other, and two water bottles in the pockets of her dress. When she walked back into the room, she was shocked to see that Ethan was almost done with the dresser.
"Wow, guys," she said as she put the cookies down on one of the boxes. "I'm impressed."
"Like I said," Dylan said as he stood up and leaned his elbow against the wall. "We're men." Ethan gave him a weird look, before Dylan sighed and slouched. "Fine, Ethan did that, and I am still working on the changing table."
Mal laughed before she gave Dylan the ice pack and looked out the window. She loved the view from the widow and when he looked toward the gate, she saw Kyle standing just outside of it. He was looking up at her, before he waved and smiled. She was more confused on what he was doing here, when Ethan put his hand on her shoulder.
"You okay, Mal?" he asked as she looked up at him.
"Sorry," she said as she shook her head. "I'm fine, but do you remember that guy I was telling you and everyone else about?" She asked, gaining a nod from both Dylan and Ethan. "He's outside the gate," she said as she thumbed toward the window.
They both looked and then looked back at her with confused looks.
"No one is there," Ethan said, making Mal turn to see that he was gone.
"What?" She asked. "He was just there."
"Come on," Ethan said. "Let's take the cookies down and have lunch. If he was there, he isn't anymore," he said as he wrapped his arm around her to support her.
"Yeah, okay," Mal said as she let Ethan guide her out of the room.
She swore that Kyle was standing outside, and the next time she saw him, she was going to ask him what the hell he wanted.
Sophie got home later than she usually does, and found Mal asleep on their couch. She always fell asleep there when she was drawing, but she was wearing a shirt she had never seen before. It was a blue and yellow jersey with the number seven on the back and it had the words 'knights' written above it. She chuckled before she pulled a blanket over Mal so that she wouldn't get cold. There were days she forgot Mal came from a different place, because they got along so well and she didn't know what life would be like if she wasn't here. She walked to her office that was just down the hall and wanted to get through a couple of emails before going to bed. It felt like hours, but when he got to the last one she sighed in relief, but she also grew curious about the email.
Dear Mayor Sophie Piper,
My name is King Benjamin of the United States of Auradon. My friend had traveled to your land about a month ago and told me what a fantastic place it is. I wanted the opportunity to venture it myself, but would like to have a tour of it as well. He gave me your email address and, if you would allow me, I would really like to learn about your town and see the amazing place my friend saw when he was there. Please reach out and you can respond through this email. Thank you in advance.
Sincerely, King Benjamin
Sophie leaned back in her and looked at the email.
"King Benjamin," she said softly to herself. "No," she said as she shook her head. "What are the chances that they may be the same person?" she asked, before she drafted up an email telling King Benjamin that he was more than welcome to come and that she would be his personal tour guide, but she needed a little bit of time to prepare, because the next couple of months were going to be a bit hectic for her and her family.
The next morning, she woke up to a new email from him and he was thanking her for the opportunity and told her to take all the time in the world, because he would go whenever she was ready. She smiled at the Emile, before getting ready for her day. She never mentioned anything to Mal or her family, because she never really did from the beginning. She was just happy to have people wanting to visit their little town of Halloween.
Until next time my Lovies! xoxo GM