Jay slunk into the Chip Shop behind the others, wondering if it would be better to avoid Mal and Evie until Carlos returned or be straight with them right away.
“Where’s Carlos?” Evie cornered him, denying him the choice.
“He stayed behind for Curella’s inspection.” he shrugged, trying to sound nonchalant, “He’s fine.”
“Glad to hear it.” she sighed. Spinning away on her heels, she returned to the food counter.
“Wait—” he grabbed her arm, “I-I—”
“What Jay?” She steeled herself for more bad news.
“We need your help—you and Mal.”
“For what…?” she frowned, unease crept in her voice.
“I-I started telling them our story.” he whispered in her ear, “You know, about going to Auradon and our experiences there and how it changed us.” He gave her a lopsided smile, “I had to keep ‘em from trying the bear trap gambit while Carlos was getting the coats.”
“Good plan.” she cringed at the memories.
“I told my story.” he continued, “Then Carlos added his. We didn’t use our names. I thought it would be a turn off. But now we need you and Mal to tell your stories.”
“Oh, wow!” she exclaimed, her eyes lighting up, “Of course! That sounds—”
“Shhh…” He pinched her arm hard.
“You know…” Mal came up behind them, wrinkling her nose, “I wouldn’t let Gil’s brothers see you huddled up like that. The poor guy would never live it down.”
Evie quickly pulled back, but Jay snorted with laughter.
“Good!” he continued laughing, “Oh, and that reminds me, how’d it go this morning?”
“Don’t be mean, Jay.” the blue-clad girl pouted, “Gil is sweet. I-I’ve learned a lot about him today that I never knew.”
Jay sobered up fast at her look, but before he could say anything, the purple-clad girl spoke.
“So, where’s Carlos.” Her arms were crossed over her chest.
“He stayed for Curella’s inspection.”
“Ahh…” she nodded, “And Uma?”
“She stayed with him.”
“You didn’t–” the blue-clad girl gasped; she hadn’t noticed Uma wasn’t there.
“She thought it best. I agreed.” he ducked his head, scalded again by the look in her eyes, “What if she’d come back with her crew and not us? What would you say then?”
“Good thought, shrimpy…” the purple-clad girl muttered to herself, nodding at the food line, she added, “Come on. Let’s go get chow before we look conspicuous.”
“No one eats until our captain gets here!” Harry announced from the middle of the room, his hook raised in the air.
“That’s cool,” Mal’s group paused, “It’s not like it’s gonna get cold or something.”
“Gil said you were gonna kiss him.” Gaston Jr. spoke up, eyes burning a hole though Evie.
“That’s right.” She gave him a frosty look.
“But why…?” Gaston III whined.
“Because I promised him yesterday and villains always keep their promises.”
*o*o*0*o*o*
Uma naturally shrunk back when Curella finally waltzed out of the house but Carlos lazily slouched against the car with his arms folded over his chest in boredom.
“Thanks for joining us, mom.” he scowled, “I mean, it’s not like we don’t have anywhere else to go.”
“You can’t go anywhere, Carlos.” the old villainess laughed in his face, “We’re on an island, remember.”
He tilted his head towards the side of the house, knowing the green-clad girl was hiding around the corner, “Uma and I are supposed to be at Chip Shop for lunch. Or do you mind if Mal and Ursula get a little cranky?”
The green-clad girl’s eyes bulged in surprise at his flippancy but she couldn’t help but be impressed. This boy wasn’t the Carlos she’d known all her life. The boy who used to be afraid of his own shadow didn’t exist anymore. Had Auradon really changed him that much? And, if so, what might she be able to do if she lived there?
“Hey, Curella!” she finally stepped into view, needled by her pride, “Carlos and I have places to go so let’s hurry up and get this show on the road. Did we do a good job, or not?”
Curella’s eyes bulged for a moment, she’d thought Carlos was bluffing when he claimed Uma was still there.
“Why don’t we take a look at the coats first?” her son suggested, steering his mom back towards the house. The green-clad girl joined him, trailing behind until her pride needled her again.
“So, what do you think?” Carlos whispered, falling into step with his fellow teenager as Curella dropped back, “Shut her up, didn’t we?”
Uma smiled but said nothing, remembering the crazy lady was right behind.
“It’s because you’re here.” he bumped her ribs, as they closed in on the closet, “You’ve tamed her like a puppy dog.”
She cut him a look then hurried to open the door as his mom waltzed forward.
“Hang tight,” Carlos fashed a winning smile as he followed his mom into the depths, “We’ll be back shortly.”
“You’d better.” she muttered.
“So, what? Did Fairy Godmother cast a spell on you while you were over there?” she spoke to herself, pacing the hallway to relieve nervous energy, “You’re not the boy I remember.” Stopping at a dusty old broken window, she turned her eyes towards town and wondered how Harry and Jay had gotten along on their way back to town. She hoped her mom hadn’t given Evie and Gil any grief.
“Uma?” Carlos’ voice brought her back to the present, “Let’s go show her the car.” He grinned as they headed down the stairs, “The coats were great.”
“Good…” she answered, shuddering at the sound of Curella’s heels clicking on the wood behind them, “I forgot to check my crew’s pockets before they left!” Suddenly, her eyes bulged, “What if they stole something off the car?”
“Harry wouldn’t let that happen.” he consoled her, “He wants his hook back.”
“But…what if…”
“I assume you can run?” he shrugged, “I mean, Mom has a good arm and there’s plenty of junk around here to throw, but she’ll go after me first so I’ll distract her and you can get away.”
“You’re crazy if you think I’m going back to town without you.” she frowned, “That’s why I stayed in the first place.”
“Don’t sweat it.” he shrugged, “I’ve got a few hiding places around the house. I’ll be fine.” He laughed, remembering a few of his childhood close-calls, “Just walk slow and I’ll catch up to you.”
“No laughing in this house!” Cruella barked.
“So…what do you think, mom?” Carlos asked, a few minutes later, standing in front of the Cadillac, “It’s great, huh?”
The old villainess didn’t respond as she circled the car once, twice, and then a third time.
“Goblins…” Uma muttered, as chills ran up and down her spine, “I don’t know how you ever put up with this!”
Carlos shrugged, “I just did. No thought to it.”
“In other words,” she smiled wryly, “you’re used to it.”
“Oh, come on,” he snickered, bumping her ribs, “We’ll all used to our parents’ crap. What does Ursula do?”
“You mean besides watching old soaps on the one and only channel we get over here.” the green-clad girl scowled.
“Well, we get more now.” he chided, “Courtesy of you…has she broadened her horizons?”
The green-clad girl chuckled, giving him a strange look, “I don’t really stay at home often enough to find out.”
“I can understand that.”
“Maybe I should though.”
“Ugh.”
“I know, right?”
*o*o*0*o*o*
Ben had a smile on his face as he hung up after his planning session; there was a lot to do, but the first steps were taken.
“Son?” Belle knocked on the door, “You alright?”
“Mom!” he spun around as her head peeked through, looking like a kid caught with his hand in the cookie jar, “C-come in—oh, yeah, I’m fine.”
“Sorry to interrupt.” her lips tweaked upward, “You just ran out so fast— Is everything really okay?” She blushed, “I know, I know, it’s just been so crazy today.”
“Yeah,” he took a deep breath to relax his nerves, “Sorry about that. I was just chatting with Yen Sid, is all. He, Sophie, the Antiheroes Club, Mal, Evie, Jay, Carlos, Freddie. We couldn’t have gotten back without them. Oh, and Freddie’s little sister, Celia, was a huge help too. I just wanted to make sure they know how grateful I am.”
“You’re a good king, son…” she nodded, her lips twisting upward again, “but, I can’t help thinking there’s something else on your mind…”
A sheepish smile slipped. He dropped his head then grinned, “Actually, yeah, I do have something I need to run by council. Can we have a meeting here in about an hour? Sooner, maybe?”
The retiring queen’s cool facade slipped for a moment, “I-is everything really okay, Ben?”
“Oh, y-yes, yes,” he quickly reassured her, “It’s just about something I want to do for them, over there. They helped us so much. That’s why I was on the phone so long with Yen Sid. B-but I need to run it by you guys too.” He ducked his head again, “Maybe I should have run it by you guys first, but I was so excited.”
Belle’s expression warmed instantly and she turned back the way she’d come, “Well, I’m certainly curious now! Let me go round up your father and Fairy Godmother.”