A/N Hey friends! Sorry for the late update I have been sick! Thank you all for the wonderful reviews I truly appreciate them! I'm a little unsure about this chapter so let me know what you think!
Uncertain Moment
Chad wasn't sure where to leave Cordelia at for the meeting. He carried her down the to a room where he heard crying. Moxie was wrapped around Mal crying her eyes out.
"Moxie baby, you love Lumière. He is going watch you while I go to the meeting. You know I will be right back." Mal soothed. Moxie only cried harder. Alana was in there with AJ and Atalie. AJ wasn't crying but holding tightly to Alana's leg and Atalie's eyes were filling up with tears.
"Look Delia show your friends you can play while we go to the meeting. " Chad put Cordelia on the floor.
"No I want to stay with you! " Cordelia reached to be picked up.
It had only been a week since the kidnapping so none of the kids wanted their parents out of their sight. Not that the parents blamed them they were very leery of leaving the kids. The kids would only stay if they were together.
"I'm sorry Lumière but I can't leave her like this hopefully Ben will make this meeting quick" Mal picked Moxie up.
"Of course madame I understand! Next time we will play princess Moxie. " Lumière gently rubbed Moxie's back.
Mal carried Moxie back to the council meeting room. Ben frowned when everyone walked in with their kids.
"I couldn't leave her screaming like that. You know why she is so clingy and has been screaming every time we leave the room. Do you want to try leaving her? " Mal challenged.
"I'll try to be quick but everyone needs to hear this. " Ben sighed as he wiped a tear off Moxie's face then kissed her head.
Belle smiled softly as Mal sat down next to her with Moxie.
"Sorry but Jay had to work. " Alana explained as she drug AJ to a chair next to her parents. Since Alana and Jay weren't married Jay was not part of the council. AJ climbed into Aladdin's lap and Attie snuggled into Alana's lap when she sat down. Chad sat down between Lonnie and his parents holding Delia.
"Ella! " Delia reached past Charming to Cinderella.
Fairy Godmother smiled from across the table. She knew how badly Cinderella wanted a grand child.
"Can I pick you up and pass you Ella? " Charming asked. Delia nodded and held her arms up for him.
Charming carefully lifted Cordelia out of Chad's lap and pasted her to Cinderella. Cinderella grinned as Delia turned herself so she could lay her head on Cinderella's shoulder, she was still holding her tiger.
"OK lets begin! " Ben said. Everyone quit talking and looked at Ben.
"This morning at three am we had another blackout. Because of the travel curfew, no one was allowed on the road between midnight and six am except for emergencies, because that was set no was taken. " Ben paused and took a deep breath the next thing he was going to say was not good.
"But I did get some gruesome news this morning. The bodies of the people that were reported missing have showed back up in their lands after the black out. Some of them were still a live. " Ben held his breath he knew what was coming.
Everyone was completely silent.
"It has been two years! How... Do I even identify... Him? " Alana sputtered .
"If you or his parents have his dental records or if he had a some kind of special clothing or jewelry item that would help identify him. " Ben suggested.
"I suggest gathering all the families in each land and have them identify their missing person first. Then I will make sure everyone is helped with whatever they need to begin to heal. We will get counselors in each land and we can have memorials for each family. The missing will be remembered. The ones that were a live were taken to Auradon Hospital." Ben promised .
Alana was shaking so bad that Mal gave Moxie to Ben and Mal went a took Atalie out of Alana's lap. Jasmine quickly got up and pulled Alana into a hug.
"What's wrong mommy? " AJ grabbed Alana's hand.
"Mommy has to go do something that makes her really sad but it so going to be OK. We'll be OK buddy. " Alana squeezed his hand.
"What do you think this means? Is it a sign of remorse or is it a warning? " Shang asked looking at King Ben.
"I don't know but we should definitely keep our guards on high alert. We may have to set more curfew times. There hadn't been a blackout for a month until last night. We were getting hopeful until now. I'm not sure it means remorse." Ben sighed.
"Could this have anything to do with the fact that another child has come over from the Isle? " Prince Phillip asked.
"She is a three year old child! " Lonnie bristled.
"I understand that but nothing like this has happened until she arrived. " Prince Phillip insisted.
"Yes she woke up at three this morning and contacted her sources so this could happen. She is so devious that I caught her getting ready to eat out of the trash this morning the little devil. " Chad rolled his eyes.
"That was not what I meant. " Phillip reached across the table and plucked Cordelia out of Cinderella's arms.
"What are you doing! " Chad and Lonnie demanded.
"I just want to ask her some questions ." Phillp smiled at Cordelia.
Phillip sat Delia on the edge of the table. She turned to look back at Cinderella, Chad and Lonnie. Phillip carefully turned Cordelia back to him.
"What is your name? " Phillip asked.
"Cordelia. " she whispered.
"So Cordelia did you ever see any new people on the island? " Philip asked.
"No me and daddy always went to the same places when we collected mommy's money there was nobody new. Gil took me to his house when Ursula got really mad at mommy . No body on the beach either. Sometimes Hook would come down there but daddy would take me home real quick." Delia frowned.
"Did you hear anybody mention other people that weren't from the Isle? "
"Come on she is three! " Chad insisted .
"No! Can I go back to Ella? " Delia asked.
"I have one more question. " Phillip held up one finger.
Cordelia's bottom lip came out and her eyes filled up but she didn't cry. Chad and Lonnie stood up from the table.
"Honey no more questions you're upsetting her. " Aurora put her hand on Phillip 's shoulder.
"I'm sorry I upset you. You can go back to Ella. " Phillip went to put her on the floor when Delia stood up on the table and crossed over to Cinderella.
"That was the quick way! " Cinderella chuckled as she took Delia off the table. Cinderella tucked Delia's hair behind her ears before Delia cuddled back into her arms, she never lost grip on her toy tiger.
Lonnie smiled. She was glad that Cordelia was becoming comfortable with Cinderella.
The uncertainty of the whole situation hung like a think wet blanket .
"OK when everyone returns to their lands let me know what the families need and what we need to do to help the ones that were found a live. I will not allow them to be interviewed until they are completely check over and the doctor gives an OK to talk to them. " Ben glared towards Phillip. Everyone nodded in agreement.
Ben dismissed the meeting and everyone stood up to leave.
"The kids can stay and play with Moxie while you go take care of things. "Mal offered as Alana came up to them to get Attie.
"Sure thank you! You guys have fun with Moxie and Jay will come get you when he gets off of work. " Alana hugged AJ.
"But your sad. I want to stay with you. I'll play with Moxie tomorrow. " AJ took her hand again.
"What will make me happy ,sweet boy, is you staying and playing with Moxie today. I love you and will see you later" Alana kissed AJ on the head and then kissed Atalie before leaving with her parents.
"Mommy! " AJ called as he tried to follow Alana out the door.
Adam caught him before he could get out the door. AJ began to cry. His mommy always held him when she was sad. She called him her ray of sunshine. Cordelia walked up to them with Lonnie and Chad. Cordelia frowned seeing AJ so upset.
"It's OK to be upset but you mom will be back soon. " Adam soothed patting him on the back.
"But I'm her sunshine I make mommy happy , she told me that she needs me." AJ whimpered.
"She will need all of your hugs and sunshine when she gets back. Yours and Attie's so you need to be ready OK buddy? "Mal tickled Atalie.
AJ wiped his face and nodded.
"How about we have a snack in the garden so we can get some fresh air and sun?" Belle asked.
"Do you want some of my cookies? " Cordelia offered.
Lonnie and Chad looked at each other they were a little surprised that she offered her cookies to them.
"That is very nice of you to want to share your cookies. " Lonnie bent down in front of Cordelia.
"They are my crew! You protect your crew no matter what. That is what daddy told me. " Cordelia shrugged.
"Sharing your cookies is called being a good friend but being a crew means someone is a captain. With friends there are no captains do you understand? " Lonnie explained.
"Can they have the cookies? " Cordelia looked puzzled.
"Yes you are a good friend. " Lonnie chuckled.
"Have a good snack with your friends and I'll see you later. " Cinderella kissed Delia on the head and left with Charming.
Ben, Belle and Adam took the kids out to the garden while Chad ran out to the car to get the cookies.
"Gram your flowers are very pretty! " Moxie spun around looking in awe.
"Thank you! " Belle smiled. She took pride in her flowers.
"What are these called? " Cordelia looked at the roses.
"These are called roses. They are my favorite flowers. " Belle explained.
Mal brought out a big blanket for the kids to sit on while Chad carried out a tray with cups of milk and Lonnie carried out the cookies. Mal had just got the blanket spread out when Atalie playfully flopped down in the middle.
"Well missy what are you doing? " Mal smiled when AJ began to giggle.
"She does that when mama makes the bed, silly girl!" AJ laughed.
Mal helped the other kids sit down and then sat Atalie up as Lonnie passed out the snacks.
"What do we tell Cordelia for sharing her cookies? " Belle asked.
"Thank you! " the kids answered.
It was late when Alana got home. All she wanted to do was go cuddle AJ and Atalie until she felt like everything was going to be OK again. She took her shoes off at the door and sat her purse on the counter. She could hear the TV on in the living room. She found herself in Jay's arms before she even saw him. She began sobbing in his strong chest.
"He's alive! Peter is alive! " Alana choked out.
"What? How? " Jay was stunned.
"I don't know how he stayed alive for two years but he's not the man I married. " Alana shook her head.
"What happened? " Jay asked as he held her a little tighter.
"His eyes were dark not a bit of kindness in them and he was just sputtering insane and inaudible things. I don't want to know what they put him through. " She shook her head.
"I'm so sorry! I wish we could have found them earlier. " Jay soothed.
"Peter's parents want me to bring AJ to see Peter but I can't ,not with him acting the way he was . Plus AJ won't understand. You are the only dad he has known. " Alana sighed.
"Maybe when Peter feels better AJ should meet him. AJ should know his father ." Jay tried not to sound upset.
"Let's go to bed. It doesn't have to be decided tonight. " Alana began dragging Jay towards their room.