Author's Note: Here it is folks, brand new chapter. Let's go!
Sleeping Beauty and Enchanted belong to Disney. I only own a few OCs, while some OCs belong to retro mania.
Happy reading!
Chapter 18
Meanwhile, Jack is in the hallway, walking towards the room where Aurora and the fairies are staying. He is going there to have a chat with Aurora. Although Jack knew Aurora would be going home with her aunts and prince the next day; he'd seen how much fun Aurora experienced while performing in a circus and a part of him believed that Aurora should have a backup plan.
Jack approaches the suite. He knocks on the door.
"Come in," said Aurora.
Jack enters. The seventeen year old sees Aurora sitting at a vanity, brushing her blonde hair. She's wearing a pink nightgown with a matching dressing gown.
Aurora turns to see Jack and smiles.
"Look, Aurora…" Jack began to say. "That was a nice story you and your aunts told Annie."
"Yes," said Aurora. She smiles politely.
"You know, I know what it's like when someone disappoints you. It's tempting to see things the way you wish they were, sort of how they are." Jack continues.
"I don't wish that he's coming Jack." Aurora replies, still remaining optimistic about Philip. "He is, my aunts got in touch with him."
"Right, because your aunts said so," Jack said skeptically.
"Yes, they mean well and know what they're doing. They want what's best for me." Aurora responds. "They have their ways."
"So, in lieu of taking advice from your guardians—a trio of fairies, and I just wanted to say that, that uh, if it didn't work out and you decided to stay in Las Vegas…I like to help." Jack offered. "Your aunts are welcome to stay or leave."
"Well, that's very kind of you, Jack. But I miss Auradon and my parents." Aurora pointed out. "Philip is coming for me and Flora, Fauna and Merryweather are taking me home tomorrow."
"But what if he doesn't?" Jack pressed.
"Why do you keep saying that?" Aurora asked, feeling agitated and her patience wearing thin with Jack's cynicism.
"Because, I've dealt with this my whole life." Jack replied, getting down to Aurora's level. "If a relationship has issues at the beginning, it doesn't get any better."
"He is coming." Aurora insisted, frustration starting to seep in.
"Aurora, I don't think so." Jack responds. "No,"
"Yes," Aurora argues, louder.
"I have to disagree, no." Jack retorts.
"No?" Aurora repeats.
"No,"
"No, is that the only word that you know, no?" Aurora demands, anger starting to build.
"No," Jack shot back.
"Oh, yeah," Aurora said, pointing her finger at Jack.
"No," Jack insists. "I mean, no…"
"No, no, no, no, over and over again!" Aurora began to shout, her voice rising. "Every word out of your mouth is no!"
"It just makes me so…oh, sometimes you make me so…"
"I make you so what?" Jack asks, trying to calm the princess down.
"You make me so, so, so, angry!" Aurora cried.
She laughs, letting out a squeak. She's thrilled that she's experiencing a new emotion. "I'm angry!" Aurora laughs again.
"Are you alright?" Jack asked, strangely puzzled by what had just unfolded in front of him.
"I'm angry. I'm angry!" The sixteen year old punched Jack near the shoulder.
"Ow!"
Aurora's laughter subdues.
"Are you okay?" Jack asks, concerned.
"I'm, I'm wonderful." Aurora answers, the anger and excitement cooling off. Getting angry made her feel like a bomb going off.
Aurora exhales, moving closer to Jack, grinning.
"Are you sure?" Jack questioned.
"Yes," said Aurora, placing her hand on Jack's chest.
She takes in Jack's taut body underneath the white tank top and denim vest he's wearing. Her mind thought back to what Jack said earlier about one's heart.
"I'm fine,"
Jack's eyes trailed to Aurora's hand on his chest.
"I'm fit as a fiddle,"
The duo make eye contact. The moment is then interrupted by the three fairies.
"Rose, what is going on here?" Flora questioned, as she, Fauna and Merryweather enter the living room.
"We heard shouting and…dear, what's wrong?" The red fairy asks, genuinely concerned. She approaches Aurora.
Aurora doesn't answer.
Merryweather looks at Jack.
"What did you do to her, Jack?" She demands.
"I was to get Aurora to accept that Philip is not coming and…" Jack began to explain.
"Young man, the four of us need to have a little chat." Flora said sternly.
"Aurora, go in the room. We'll be there in a moment." She said to the teen monarch.
Aurora nods.
"Good night, Jack." She said softly.
"Good night, Aurora," said Jack.
Aurora leaves.
"Explain yourself," Merryweather said, crossing her arms.
"I just don't want to see Aurora get hurt." Jack admits. "I offered to help her in case things don't work out and she decides to stay."
"Dear, I know you mean well…" Fauna starts to say.
"However, you're taking this a little too personally." Flora interjects. "That was not for you to dictate if Aurora should stay. We made it very clear that we would return to Auradon tomorrow. Now, we were gracious enough to stay for today, so you won't get in trouble with your boss. However, all good things must come to an end."
"I understand and I appreciate that." Jack replied. "It's not just my boss I would have gotten in trouble with, it's my little sister and the circus troupe. They like Aurora and have befriended her."
"While that's nice, however…they can always visit Aurora in Auradon." Merryweather said. "We've held up our end of the deal, now you have to hold up yours."
"But in reality, we hope for the best, yet we expect the worst." Jack counters.
"While that may work in your world, Jack, but in our world, we always hope for the best." Fauna points out.
"Magic can't solve everything," said Jack.
"Maybe so, but not everyone thinks the same way you do." Fauna counters. "We do things our way,"
"Okay, so things didn't work out in your first relationship, but that doesn't mean you have to muck things up for everyone." Merryweather adds. "People do fall in love, because that's the only chance they got at real happiness. You're even denying Annie the chance to experience happiness."
"But look at what I've done for Aurora," Jack protests.
"We appreciate all that you've done for Aurora, even though it wasn't easy at the start. But we're of different worlds, Jack." Flora said. "She's a princess, betrothed to Prince Philip. And you have a girlfriend who loves you, despite your practicality."
"Exactly," Fauna agrees. "You've got your whole life ahead of you with Vanessa, don't squander it on account of Aurora."
"I'm not squandering my future with Vanessa, it has nothing to do with that. Even if Aurora chose to stay, I'm sure Vanessa wouldn't mind. It's just…I've come to care for Aurora and I only wanted to help." Jack said.
"That's nice of you Jack, but if you really cared about Aurora, you let her go." Flora advised Jack gently. "We can't keep Aurora's parents waiting any longer."
"I suggest we all turn it in," Fauna piped up. "We are all going back to Auradon in the morning, with or without your help. We'll go back the way we came, through that manhole."
"I don't think we need anymore help from Jack." Merryweather said sharply, glaring at Jack. "We just had enough of your attitude and you filling up Aurora's head with your pessimistic views on life. You think you're very grown up, indeed. But you're a still a boy, you have a great deal to learn."
With that, the fairy trio exit the room, leaving Jack standing there, speechless.
Flora, Fauna and Merryweather find Aurora lying the bed; wide awake.
"Rose, are you alright dear?" Flora asks.
"I got angry. Can you believe it? I got angry," Aurora answers, facing her aunts. "It's never happened to me before."
"It must have been a lot for you," Fauna said.
"And I looked at his chest and felt something…" Aurora falters. Suddenly, she changes the subject and sat up.
"Now, I feel so confused. I don't know what I want anymore. What if Jack is right? What if Philip doesn't come? What if we have to stay here?" She asks, worried.
"No, no, no, my dear. Don't listen to Jack, he's had a different upbringing than you. This is not a permanent thing. Come tomorrow, we'll go home with Philip and everything will be as it was before." Flora said with gentle firmness.
"You just got to have faith and believe in yourself." Fauna advised.
Merryweather sighs, shaking her hand.
"We should have never let Jack talk us into staying. We should have taken Aurora, find Philip and return home while we had the chance." She said. "But no, we had to stay so he wouldn't get into trouble. I don't understand that boy, he's got problems."
"Well, it hasn't been easy for Jack." Fauna pointed out. "Losing his parents and having to raise Annie by himself."
"Hmph. I hope he takes our advice and applies it to his relationship with Vanessa. He could use it." Merryweather comments.
"Just try to get some sleep, Rose. You'll see Philip very soon, you'll feel a lot better once you're back in Auradon." Flora advised.
Aurora nods.
"Good night, Aunt Flora, Aunt Fauna and Merryweather." She said.
"Good night, dear." The fairies said in unison.
Pulling back the covers, she climbs into bed and goes to sleep. Flora, Fauna and Merryweather pull the covers over the princess.
Meanwhile, Jack had stood outside, listening to the conversation between Aurora and her aunts. Now, he felt guilty for opening his mouth and suggesting that Aurora should give up on Philip and stay in Vegas. The fairies had a point, they've been nothing but friendly, gracious and welcoming to him. And he'd been nothing but snide and cynical. The fairies' words had hit him hard. Jack had put up walls and been closed off to love, after things ended with his ex. And he has his whole life ahead of him with Vanessa, this shouldn't be happening, whatever it is that's developing between him and Aurora. Even he is questioning it. Lately, Aurora had made the world feel bright and possible (with input from the fairies) again.
Sighing, Jack exits the room. Going into the hallway, Jack heads for the elevator. His mind had replayed the scene with him and Aurora arguing, her getting angry and staring at his chest (plus touching it), leading up to the fairies calling him out on his cynicism. Could he be falling for Aurora?
The elevator door opens and Jack is so wrapped up in his thoughts, he doesn't even see Philip rush out of the elevator. Jack presses a button and the elevator closes.
Once Philip is in the hallway, he immediately knocks on each to door to see if Aurora or the fairies answer. Until finally, he comes across the room they're staying in.
Knocking on the door, Philip hears Fauna's voice.
"Who is it?" She called.
"It's Philip," The prince responds.
"Just a moment,"
Within moments, the door opens to reveal Fauna, Flora, and Merryweather. Philip's face lights up.
"You're all here!" Philip exclaimed with delight and relief.
"Yes, we are." Flora answers. She lets Philip in.
"Where is she?" Philip asks, looking around the room for Aurora.
"Aurora's sleeping right now." Fauna informed, in a hushed tone.
"You'll see her in the morning," Merryweather adds.
"Why don't you get some sleep?" Flora suggests. "You must be exhausted."
Philip nods in agreement. He takes a seat on the couch and removed his boots. The fairies use their magic to create pillows and a blanket. Fauna and Merryweather lay the pillows on the couch, and Philip lays his head on them. Flora spreads out the blanket, laying it on him.
"Good night, ladies." Philip said, yawning.
"Good night, Philip," said the fairies.
Philip drifts off to sleep. The trio went into the room they're sharing with Aurora (who's sleeping peacefully) to get ready for bed.
A/N: And, that concludes this chapter!
I came up with the idea of the three fairies calling out Jack on his cynical behavior. I will say, re-watching the scene from Enchanted where Giselle gets angry, Robert annoyed me. If Giselle wanted to go back to Andalasia with Edward, let her do that. But that was the whole point of the story, plus at that point, Robert is already developing feelings for Giselle and he really wanted to help her.
I also came up with the idea of Philip finally finding the fairies after knocking on other rooms.
Thank you to retro mania, Crimson Commander688, and Sarah West 94402343 for the reviews. I hoped you all enjoyed this latest chapter.
Up next, Philip is reunited with Aurora. Aurora then suggests that she and Philip go on a date, much to the fairies' chagrin. They all say goodbye to Jack, Annie and the troupe. Maleficent sees Aurora with Philip and the three fairies together and she angrily informs Diaval that she'll come to Las Vegas, and will kill Aurora herself.
I hope you all have a wonderful Labor Day holiday. In the meantime, I'm going to try to update my other Enchanted story, That's How We Know and work on the next chapter for I Just Wonder.
See you next time!