it was almost midnight when we got to the hospital, audrey and i had to stop at beast castle to see if princey's parents were okay. we told them what happened, or at least what happened to princey. i don't know if anyone knows audrey was involved in all of this, but hopefully we're able to clear her name and make sure they know she's innocent. after we told them they rushed to the hospital, the ride there was awkward but i was too drained to care.

when we arrived they rushed to the front desk and demanded to see their son. we were all waiting in the waiting room, we couldn't send for hades without royal approval and since our king was down we had to ask his dad. i was the one who had to ask him which i wasn't really a fan off. i'm not afraid of anything really, but being around the beast gives me anxiety. yes he was once a dangerous beast, but who knows if he can transform when angry. when he and belle entered the waiting room i was kinda scared to stand up and talk to him but audrey reassured me that he wasn't a monster anymore. boy was she wrong.

"this is your fault! i knew you were trouble, but ben didn't listen to me. look where that got him. what did you do to my son that the doctors can't help him!?" he fucking grabbed me by the collar and lifted me up, he was practically screaming in my face. i knew it, his parents never liked me. "adam let the poor boy down, you're scaring us all." he didn't listen to belle though, he was still holding me up and by the looks of it he wasn't going to put me down.

"hey put him down! val would never hurt ben, he cares too much about him to cause him any harm." audrey said from behind me, i appreciate the gesture but i don't want her to get in trouble for me. "she's right, hearts would never lay a hand on your son. i think it's very unprofessional you'd accuse him of such thing, and i'm sure your son would agree with me." that was uma, she was sticking up for me too. i should be scared of the beast right now, but uma standing up for me made me less anxious. he looked at me then at belle before letting me go. yeah i doubt now is the time to tell him about the plan...

"we actually have an idea for bringing pr-ben back, but there's one minor thing... it, it involves bringing hades over. he's the only one that can reserve that type of effect from the scepter." i was scared that he would pick me up again and throw me out the window. he didn't, but he probably wanted to as he seemed to get angrier. "no, i won't have it. we can't bring him, who knows what he'll do! how dare you suggest such thing?" oh okay well, there's nothing i can do now. i guess i'm really saying goodbye to princey huh...

"adam please! how do you know he'll do it?" belle asked me ignoring her husbands angered expression. "he gave us the ember, i'm sure he wouldn't mind doing his kids another favor." woah did mal really just say that? so much for not wanting people to find out, at least i won't have to pay celia to keep quiet. hey i'm a broke bitch okay. "i'll get the guards to bring him over, i'll do whatever it takes to make sure i don't lose my boy." oh thank you, thank you so much. with that belle grabbed her husband and walked him out, hopefully to calm him down.

"you good?" uma asked me once they left the waiting room. "yeah i'm good." as i turned to look at the others i realized they were all out of their seats. were they up because they were going to protect me or because they were shocked? "well i'm going to go get coffee, anyone want anything from the cafeteria? val? e?" i shook my head and went back to my seat to relax myself. i heard shuffling and when i looked up everyone but audrey left. yeah i don't feel like eating right now.

"hey auds, do you want to go meet my mother?" i asked her, she was picking at the lose thread on her bandage. poor girl, she broke her wrist, ankle and a few ribs. she wasn't going to be able do cheer for a while yikes. "really? you want me to meet your mom?" why does she seem so shocked? "yeah duh." i got up to help her up, walking in crutches must be a bitch. she shook her head and didn't move until i backed away. i take it she wants to show she can move around by herself.

the walk to mothers room was quiet, but neither one of us minded. i don't really know how to explain how i felt, part of me just wanted to lay down and cry but part of me held on to hope that everything was going to be okay. i don't know how i'd react if princey did... you know... i've never had to deal with death, and losing him would just hurt everywhere. i mean when i first got to auradon i was scared to admit how i felt for him and now i'm scared of losing him. i'm telling myself to stay positive, that princey wouldn't like to see me this hurt over him, but it's easier said than done.

we arrived to mothers room and thankfully there weren't any nurses around to tell us we couldn't be here. though at the same time it was kind of concerning, what if mother needed help and there was no one around to help? would they just let her die or something? unbelievable.

"hello mother." we walked in and she was fully awake watching tv. she was watching the news, they were going over what had happened. they didn't know about princey yet, but i'm sure they were going to find out sooner or later. "val, what are you doing here at this time?" she asked as she turned the tv off before giving us all her attention. "i'm here to see your mother, why else?" i didn't feel like bringing up the situation with princey to mother, death should be the last thing on her mind. it should be the last thing on all our minds...

"well right, and who's your friend?" she asked motioning at audrey who was standing behind me awkwardly. "hi mrs. hearts, i'm audrey. a friend of your son." mother knew who audrey was, i don't know why she asked but it was nice either way. "as in sleeping beauty's daughter? so you're the girl my val is always talking about, well i just want to thank you for befriending my boy and making him feel welcomed. hopefully he isn't as troublesome as he was on the isle." mother please.

"my pleasure, val is like the best person ever. he's always there for me, for better or for worse. you raised a wonderful boy ms." well i mean mother did do a good job, not to sound vain or anything. "well thank you, i'm just glad val surrounds himself with wonderful people like you and his prince. whe-" mother was cut off as she began to violently cough causing both audrey and i to jump back.

"mother? do i need to call for help? can i get you anything?" i asked but she pushed me away as i got close to her. she waved her hand as she if was dismissing me. "i'm... i'm good. don't worry about me, i just need to take my pill and drink some water. don't worry really son, i'm okay." she was breathing heavily as she took her pill, she hasn't told me what's wrong and neither have the doctors. i'm starting to worry a lot.

"so the news, do you know what happened? where you there? they said a bunch of teens saved auradon, im guessing that was you kids?" mother asked completely changing the subject. i feel like we should still call a nurse or someone, a violent cough like that isn't nothing. "yeah that was val and the others, they saved auradon from me. i'm sure the media has it all plastered everywhere, princess gone rogue..." audrey joked but the tone of her voice screamed hurt.

"well i'm sure that's not true, i saw the warning about the fog. how it managed to leave the isle baffles me, but that just goes to show you weren't you when everything happened. as long as no one got hurt, the public has no reason to fear you." mother was right, the public has no reason to fear her. i just hope we're able to clear everything up sooner or later, i just wants things to go back to normal. or at least close to normal. "so tell me, how did you save auradon dear?" well isn't that a story for the grandchildren, as if i'll ever have any.

"well through the power of friendship." i said sarcastically, as if that were able to help. "we used hades ember, it's the only thing that could fight back against maleficent's scepter. and apparently everything else." i checked my pockets for the ember, i guess mal has it. "hades ember? how did you get your hands on his ember?" mother asked as her eyes widened. "he gave it to me." i should probably explain... "you met hades?" i nodded, not only did i meet him but i basically met my 'family'. "how was it?"

"frustrating, mal and hades were bickering like children because he left her alone as a child with maleficent and whatnot. real boring stuff." "hades is mal's dad?" audrey asked me, i answered with an 'mhm.' mother began crying though which really confused me. "mother what's wrong?" i asked as i looked for tissues, why aren't there any tissues in her room? these auradon nurses are real shit at their job.

"oh its, it's just... you finally found your family. a father and a sister, that's wonderful val. your real family is here, you don't need me anymore." excuse me, did she say 'real family?' she's madder than the mad hatter. "oh hell no, pardon my language, but they're not my family. you are, you were there for me when they weren't. i already have a family, and i'm good with those people. i don't need them." i really don't, i mean okay i needed hades for the ember but that's all he was good for. okay and maybe to help princey but other than that no more.

"val when i'm gone you're going to need all the family you can get." you're not leaving yet mother. "no, i already have a family. right here in auradon too, right audrey?" i grabbed her hand and smiled proudly at mother. i didn't need a father back then, i sure as hell don't need one now. "right." mother smiled but shook her head. "at least give them a chance, growing up i hated my sister and my mother and look at how that ended for me. i don't want that for you val, please give them a chance." but, but i don't want to.

"for you mother, anything." mother let out a yawn and her eyes began to open and close, it wasn't blinking obviously. she was tired, we should leave her to rest. "well why don't we leave you to rest, we don't want to be the reason you lose sleep. is there anything you need that we can get you?" mother shook her head and adjusted her pillow. "i hope to see you more often, both of you. and your little prince too val. now go, it's almost 1 am and you're both still up. that is not okay."

"good night mrs. hearts, it was nice meeting you." audrey curtsied before stepping back towards the door. "good night mother, i'll see you soon. wicked dreams." mother was already falling asleep when i left her side. i dimmed the lights and we left her to rest, at least one of us should get a good nights rest. i wonder if belle had sent the guards to get hades already. as audrey and i made our way back to the waiting room, mal ran into us.

"val, there you are! i've been looking all over for you, the cars here. uma and the others are leaving, they're going back to the isle." they're what?! "where are they?" "follow me." mal led us to the down to the entrance where the vk's were all standing around the car. "uma wait!" i rushed up to her before she got into the car.

"why are you going back to the isle? you don't have to leave, princey offered you a spot here once i'm sure he'll do it again. uma please, don't leave." i grabbed her hand and made her look into my eyes, she has to stay. i don't care if we're not on good terms anymore, she's my friend. no not my friend, she's my sister. she's my family, they're my family and i don't want them to leave. "no he won't, and even if he did i can't stay val. the isle is my home, it's our home. i need to be there to protect it." our home...

"val i'm sorry, the events from the night of the cotillion... i didn't mean a word i said, it was all in the heat of the moment. you're not a traitor, and you're not weak either. you will always be one of us, and you're right. we're on the same side, i just strayed too far from it. you found love, and i'm happy that you did. i would never try to make you leave that behind for us, but the isle is our home. i sound like a hypocrite, but come back with us." she motioned at harry and gil who were right behind her. i looked at them then at audrey, i wish i could do both. go back and fourth between the two places. "i... i can't." audrey needs me, mother needs me, and i need princey. we need each other.

"i understand, this your new home now. however, the isle will always be there to welcome you home. i'm sorry for how things went down, just remember i would never hurt you. none of us would, i love you val. we love you." i've never seen uma cry so this was definitely a first. i wiped away her tear and hugged her. "i love you too, all of you." i felt harry and gil join the hug too, this isn't the time or place for this type of thing, or maybe it was.

"you sure you're going too gil?" jay asked as we pulled away from the group hug. i think jay doesn't want to lose a star player like gil, and i don't blame him. "i'm sure, thank you all for your kindness but my place is with them." it hurt seeing them get into the car, it hurt even more watching the car drive away. knowing it was coming back without them really pulled at my heart strings. haven't they've been through enough?

"come on, we should all go get some sleep and freshen up before we come back to check in on ben."